Miso Soup with Fu and Wakame
みそ汁（麩・わかめ） · Miso Shiru (Fu, Wakame)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is served with almost every Japanese school lunch, and this version pairs two pantry staples: fu, the light, spongy dried wheat gluten cakes that soak up broth like a sponge, and wakame seaweed. Once simmered, the fu turns pillowy soft and the wakame is chopped small, so even toddlers can manage it with a spoon. It comes together in minutes from dried ingredients, which is why it is such a reliable soup in the preschool kitchen.
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.
- 0.5 gdried cut wakameSmall pieces of dried wakame seaweed that rehydrate in a few minutes and are used in soups and salads. Substitute: Any dried seaweed for soup, or omit.
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.
- dried cut wakame (カットわかめ)
- Small pieces of dried wakame seaweed that rehydrate in a few minutes and are used in soups and salads. Substitute: Any dried seaweed for soup, 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
Soak the wakame in water for 3 minutes to rehydrate, then chop it finely.
- 2
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the wakame from step 1 and the fu, and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.
- 3
Once the fu is soft, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 22.5 kcal | 45 kcal | 22.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.3 g | 6.6 g | 3.3 g |
| Fiber | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Calcium | 15 mg | 30 mg | 15 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 117 mg | 234 mg | 117 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 22.5 kcal | 2.1 g | 0.5 g | 3.3 g | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 15 mg | 0.3 mg | 117 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 45 kcal | 4.2 g | 0.9 g | 6.6 g | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 30 mg | 0.6 mg | 234 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.
