Miso Soup with Fu and Komatsuna
みそ汁（麩・小松菜） · Misoshiru (Fu, Komatsuna)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at almost every Japanese preschool lunch, and this version pairs soft, pillowy fu with tender komatsuna greens. Fu is a dried wheat gluten cake that swells up in the dashi and turns spongy and soft, so it is easy for small children to chew and soaks up the savory broth. The komatsuna is boiled separately and added just before serving so it keeps its bright color and does not turn mushy in the pot. Komatsuna is a mild Japanese mustard spinach; if you cannot find it, spinach or bok choy works well.
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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.
- 22.5 gkomatsunaA mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
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.
- komatsuna (こまつな)
- A mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- 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 komatsuna into 2 cm lengths and boil it.
- 2
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the fu, and simmer.
- 3
Once the fu is soft, dissolve the miso into the soup, then add the komatsuna from step 1 just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 24 kcal | 48 kcal | 24 kcal |
| Protein | 2.3 g | 4.5 g | 2.3 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.8 g | 7.5 g | 3.8 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 49.5 mg | 99 mg | 49.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.9 mg | 1.8 mg | 0.9 mg |
| Potassium | 228 mg | 456 mg | 228 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 24 kcal | 2.3 g | 0.5 g | 3.8 g | 0.8 g | 0.8 g | 49.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 228 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 48 kcal | 4.5 g | 0.9 g | 7.5 g | 1.5 g | 1.5 g | 99 mg | 1.8 mg | 456 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.
