Miso Soup with Kabocha Squash and Spinach
みそ汁（かぼちゃ・ほうれん草） · Kabocha to Horenso no Misoshiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at almost every Japanese school lunch, and the vegetables inside change with the season. This version pairs naturally sweet kabocha squash, which softens into the broth as it simmers, with a handful of bright green spinach. The squash keeps its skin on for color and nutrition, and only the blemished spots are trimmed away. Children love the sweetness the squash lends to the soup, and it is a gentle way to get greens into picky eaters.
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 gspinach
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 spinach into 3 cm lengths and boil in hot water for 3 minutes.
- 3
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the kabocha from step 1, and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
- 4
Once the squash is tender, dissolve the miso into the soup, then stir in the spinach from step 2.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 37.5 kcal | 75 kcal | 37.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8.3 g | 16.5 g | 8.3 g |
| Fiber | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 24 mg | 48 mg | 24 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 364.5 mg | 729 mg | 364.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 37.5 kcal | 2.1 g | 0.5 g | 8.3 g | 1.7 g | 0.8 g | 24 mg | 0.6 mg | 364.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 75 kcal | 4.2 g | 0.9 g | 16.5 g | 3.3 g | 1.5 g | 48 mg | 1.2 mg | 729 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.
