Miso Soup with Kabocha and Komatsuna
みそ汁（かぼちゃ・小松菜） · Miso Shiru (Kabocha, Komatsuna)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at nearly every Japanese school lunch, and the vegetables in it change with the season. This version pairs kabocha squash, which turns sweet and creamy as it simmers in dashi, with komatsuna, a mild Japanese leafy green (spinach or bok choy leaves work as a substitute). The natural sweetness of the squash softens the saltiness of the miso, so even children who are cautious about greens tend to drink it all up. Blanching the komatsuna separately keeps its color bright and fresh-looking in the bowl, but on a busy day it is perfectly fine to simmer it with the squash.
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
- 30 gkabocha squashSweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
- 18 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
- kabocha squash (かぼちゃ)
- Sweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
- 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
Trim off only any blemished parts of the kabocha skin, then cut the squash, skin on, into 1.5 cm dice.
- 2
Cut the komatsuna into 2 cm lengths and boil in hot water for 5 minutes. (Blanching it separately keeps its color bright, but if that is too much trouble, you can simmer it together with the squash instead.)
- 3
Put the dashi stock and kabocha in a pot and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
- 4
Once the kabocha is soft, dissolve the miso into the soup, then add the komatsuna from step 2 and stir to combine.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 37.5 kcal | 75 kcal | 37.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8.1 g | 16.2 g | 8.1 g |
| Fiber | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 45 mg | 90 mg | 45 mg |
| Iron | 0.8 mg | 1.5 mg | 0.8 mg |
| Potassium | 330 mg | 660 mg | 330 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 37.5 kcal | 2 g | 0.5 g | 8.1 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g | 45 mg | 0.8 mg | 330 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 75 kcal | 3.9 g | 0.9 g | 16.2 g | 3 g | 1.5 g | 90 mg | 1.5 mg | 660 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.
