Miso Soup with Kiriboshi Daikon and Spinach
みそ汁（切干大根・ほうれん草） · Kiriboshi Daikon to Horenso no Misoshiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at nearly every Japanese preschool lunch, and the ingredients change with the season and whatever the kitchen has on hand. This version pairs kiriboshi daikon - daikon radish that has been shredded and sun-dried, which gives it a mild sweetness and a pleasantly chewy bite - with tender spinach. The daikon simmers in dashi until soft so it is easy for little ones to chew, and the spinach goes in at the very end so it stays bright green. Kiriboshi daikon is sold in small bags at Japanese and Asian grocery stores and keeps for months in the pantry.
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
- 3 gkiriboshi daikon (dried shredded daikon)Sun-dried strips of daikon radish with a concentrated sweetness and chewy texture, soaked before cooking. Substitute: Fresh daikon or carrot cut into matchsticks.
- 15 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
- kiriboshi daikon (dried shredded daikon) (切干しだいこん)
- Sun-dried strips of daikon radish with a concentrated sweetness and chewy texture, soaked before cooking. Substitute: Fresh daikon or carrot cut into matchsticks.
- 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 spinach into 2 cm lengths and boil it.
- 2
Soak the kiriboshi daikon in water to rehydrate it, then cut it into 3 cm lengths.
- 3
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the kiriboshi daikon from step 2 and simmer.
- 4
Once the daikon is soft, dissolve in the miso, then add the spinach from step 1 just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 22.5 kcal | 45 kcal | 22.5 kcal |
| Protein | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.1 g | 8.1 g | 4.1 g |
| Fiber | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 31.5 mg | 63 mg | 31.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 319.5 mg | 639 mg | 319.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 22.5 kcal | 1.7 g | 0.3 g | 4.1 g | 1.2 g | 0.8 g | 31.5 mg | 0.6 mg | 319.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 45 kcal | 3.3 g | 0.6 g | 8.1 g | 2.4 g | 1.5 g | 63 mg | 1.2 mg | 639 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.
