Miso Soup with Eggplant and Aburaage
みそ汁（なす・油揚げ） · Nasu to Aburaage no Misoshiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is one of the everyday miso soups we serve at preschool: tender eggplant and thin strips of aburaage (fried tofu pouch) simmered in dashi. Eggplant turns silky and soft when cooked in broth, and the aburaage soaks up the dashi while adding a little richness that makes the soup satisfying without heavy seasoning. Peeling the eggplant in stripes leaves some skin for color but keeps the texture easy for children to chew, and pouring boiling water over the aburaage first removes excess surface oil so the soup stays clean-tasting.
Wheat-free, but uses miso (made with wheat). Japanese school-lunch allergy menus usually allow it, so check with your doctor. How to read the labels
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 22.5 geggplant
- 3 gaburaage (fried tofu pouch)Thin slices of tofu deep-fried until puffy and golden, sold in packs in the refrigerated section of Japanese and Asian markets. Substitute: Firm tofu, thinly sliced and pan-fried until golden.
Seasonings
- 150 gdashi stockJapanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- 4.5 gmisoFermented soybean paste. Salty and savory, it is Japan's everyday seasoning for miso soup and many simmered dishes. Substitute: Any light (white or awase) miso. Misos differ in saltiness, so start with a little less and taste. Some misos are made with barley or wheat, so check the label if you avoid them.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- aburaage (fried tofu pouch) (油揚げ)
- Thin slices of tofu deep-fried until puffy and golden, sold in packs in the refrigerated section of Japanese and Asian markets. Substitute: Firm tofu, thinly sliced and pan-fried until golden.
- dashi stock (だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
- miso (みそ)
- Fermented soybean paste. Salty and savory, it is Japan's everyday seasoning for miso soup and many simmered dishes. Substitute: Any light (white or awase) miso. Misos differ in saltiness, so start with a little less and taste. Some misos are made with barley or wheat, so check the label if you avoid them.
Directions
- 1
Peel the eggplant in alternating stripes and cut it into quarter-rounds (icho-giri). Pour boiling water over the aburaage to remove excess oil, then cut it into short, thin strips.
- 2
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the eggplant and aburaage from step 1, and simmer.
- 3
Once the eggplant is soft, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 27 kcal | 54 kcal | 27 kcal |
| Protein | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Fiber | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 22.5 mg | 45 mg | 22.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 163.5 mg | 327 mg | 163.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 27 kcal | 2.1 g | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 0.6 g | 0.8 g | 22.5 mg | 0.3 mg | 163.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 54 kcal | 4.2 g | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 1.2 g | 1.5 g | 45 mg | 0.6 mg | 327 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
