Miso Soup with Kabocha Squash and Onion
みそ汁（かぼちゃ・玉ねぎ） · Misoshiru (Kabocha, Tamanegi)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table almost every day in Japanese preschools, and the vegetables in it change with the season. This version pairs kabocha squash with onion, and both turn sweet as they simmer in dashi, so the soup needs only a light touch of miso to taste complete. The kabocha is left unpeeled, because the skin softens as it cooks and adds color and fiber. It is a soothing, mild bowl that even small children take to readily.
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.
- 15 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
- 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.
- 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 away only any blemished parts of the kabocha skin, then cut the squash, skin on, into 1.5 cm cubes.
- 2
Cut the onion in half lengthwise, then slice thinly (so the slices are half the usual length).
- 3
Put the dashi stock and onion in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the kabocha and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
- 4
When the vegetables are tender, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 39 kcal | 78 kcal | 39 kcal |
| Protein | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8.9 g | 17.7 g | 8.9 g |
| Fiber | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 18 mg | 36 mg | 18 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 262.5 mg | 525 mg | 262.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 39 kcal | 1.8 g | 0.5 g | 8.9 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g | 18 mg | 0.3 mg | 262.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 78 kcal | 3.6 g | 0.9 g | 17.7 g | 3 g | 1.5 g | 36 mg | 0.6 mg | 525 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.
