Miso Soup with Fu and Onion
みそ汁（麩・玉ねぎ） · Misoshiru (Fu, Tamanegi)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is one of the simplest miso soups on the preschool menu: sweet, slowly simmered onion and fu, the light, spongy cakes of dried wheat gluten that soak up dashi like little sponges. Fu turns wonderfully soft in the broth, so even toddlers who are still learning to chew can manage it easily. Cooking the onion first until it is really tender brings out its natural sweetness, which means the soup needs only a modest amount of miso to taste good. If you cannot find fu, cubes of tofu are the closest everyday stand-in.
Added. Open the recipe helper (bottom right) → ☰ Menu → 🛒 Shopping list to see the ingredients for your family size.
Printing uses the number of adults and children set under Ingredients, so set those first.
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 gonion
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 onion in half lengthwise, then slice thinly so the slices are half-length.
- 2
Put the dashi stock and onion in a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the fu and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes more.
- 3
Once everything is soft, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 28.5 kcal | 57 kcal | 28.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2.3 g | 4.5 g | 2.3 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5.1 g | 10.2 g | 5.1 g |
| Fiber | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 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 | 150 mg | 300 mg | 150 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 28.5 kcal | 2.3 g | 0.5 g | 5.1 g | 0.6 g | 0.8 g | 15 mg | 0.3 mg | 150 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 57 kcal | 4.5 g | 0.9 g | 10.2 g | 1.2 g | 1.5 g | 30 mg | 0.6 mg | 300 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.
