Miso Soup with Komatsuna and Atsuage
みそ汁（小松菜・厚揚げ） · Misoshiru (Komatsuna, Atsuage)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at almost every Japanese school lunch, and this version pairs tender komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) with atsuage, thick slabs of fried tofu that turn soft and soak up the broth. The fried tofu gives the soup a little richness that children love, while the greens are boiled separately and added just before serving so they stay bright and tender rather than stewed. It is a simple, comforting bowl that goes with just about any rice-based meal.
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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
- 18 gkomatsunaA mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- 21.6 gatsuage (thick fried tofu)Blocks of tofu deep-fried so the outside is golden while the inside stays soft. Substitute: Firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and pan-fried until golden on all sides.
Seasonings
- 180 gbonito and kombu dashiJapanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
- 6 glight rice misoA pale, salty rice miso, the standard everyday miso in Japan. Substitute: Any light, white, or awase (blended) miso.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- komatsuna (こまつな)
- A mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- atsuage (thick fried tofu) (生揚げ)
- Blocks of tofu deep-fried so the outside is golden while the inside stays soft. Substitute: Firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and pan-fried until golden on all sides.
- bonito and kombu dashi (かつお・昆布だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
- light rice miso (米みそ（淡色辛みそ）)
- A pale, salty rice miso, the standard everyday miso in Japan. Substitute: Any light, white, or awase (blended) miso.
Directions
- 1
Cut the komatsuna into 2 cm lengths and boil it.
- 2
Pour boiling water over the atsuage to rinse off excess oil, then cut it into 1.5 cm cubes.
- 3
Bring the dashi to a boil in a pot, add the atsuage from step 2, and simmer.
- 4
Dissolve the miso into the soup, then add the komatsuna from step 1 just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 48 kcal | 96 kcal | 48 kcal |
| Protein | 4.1 g | 8.1 g | 4.1 g |
| Fat | 2.8 g | 5.7 g | 2.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Calcium | 94.5 mg | 189 mg | 94.5 mg |
| Iron | 1.4 mg | 2.7 mg | 1.4 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 48 kcal | 4.1 g | 2.8 g | 1.5 g | 1 g | 94.5 mg | 1.4 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 96 kcal | 8.1 g | 5.7 g | 3 g | 2.1 g | 189 mg | 2.7 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.
Ingredients in this recipe
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