Miso Soup with Fu and Carrot
みそ汁（麩・にんじん） · Misoshiru (Fu, Ninjin)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Fu are light, dried cakes made from wheat gluten - a traditional Japanese soup ingredient that soaks up dashi and turns wonderfully soft and spongy, which makes it an easy texture for small children to eat. Here it simmers gently with thin strips of carrot before a little miso is stirred in at the end. Cutting the carrot into fine matchsticks means it cooks through quickly and is easy to pick up with a spoon. Fu keeps for a long time in the pantry, so it is a handy staple for a quick miso soup; look for it at Japanese or Asian grocers, or swap in small cubes of tofu if you cannot find it.
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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
- 3 gfu (dried wheat gluten cakes)Light, airy dried cakes made from wheat gluten that soak up broth like little sponges in soups. Substitute: Small cubes of bread or plain croutons, or omit.
- 18 gcarrot
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
- fu (dried wheat gluten cakes) (麩)
- Light, airy dried cakes made from wheat gluten that soak up broth like little sponges in soups. Substitute: Small cubes of bread or plain croutons, or omit.
- 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
Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks about 4 cm long.
- 2
Put the dashi stock and the carrot from step 1 in a pot and bring to a boil, then add the fu and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.
- 3
Once the carrot is tender, 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 | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.8 g | 9.6 g | 4.8 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 15 mg | 30 mg | 15 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 169.5 mg | 339 mg | 169.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 27 kcal | 2.1 g | 0.5 g | 4.8 g | 0.8 g | 0.8 g | 15 mg | 0.3 mg | 169.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 54 kcal | 4.2 g | 0.9 g | 9.6 g | 1.5 g | 1.5 g | 30 mg | 0.6 mg | 339 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.
