Miso Soup with Napa Cabbage and Aburaage
みそ汁（白菜・油揚げ） · Misoshiru (Hakusai to Aburaage)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is served alongside rice at nearly every Japanese school lunch, and this napa cabbage and aburaage version is one of the simplest. The cabbage turns sweet and tender as it simmers in dashi, and the thin strips of aburaage (fried tofu pouch) soak up the broth, giving the soup a mild richness that small children love. Cutting the cabbage into small pieces makes it easy to scoop up with a spoon, so even toddlers can manage it on their own.
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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
- 27 gnapa cabbage
- 3.6 gaburaage (fried tofu pouch)Thin slices of tofu deep-fried until puffy and golden, sold in packs in the refrigerated section of Japanese and Asian markets. Substitute: Firm tofu, thinly sliced and pan-fried until golden.
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
- aburaage (fried tofu pouch) (油揚げ)
- Thin slices of tofu deep-fried until puffy and golden, sold in packs in the refrigerated section of Japanese and Asian markets. Substitute: Firm tofu, thinly sliced and pan-fried until golden.
- 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 napa cabbage into 1 cm squares. Pour boiling water over the aburaage to remove excess oil, then cut it into short, thin strips.
- 2
Bring the dashi to a boil in a pot, add the cabbage and aburaage from step 1, and simmer.
- 3
Once the cabbage is tender, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 31.5 kcal | 63 kcal | 31.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Fat | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Calcium | 36 mg | 72 mg | 36 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 31.5 kcal | 2.4 g | 1.7 g | 1.7 g | 1 g | 36 mg | 0.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 63 kcal | 4.8 g | 3.3 g | 3.3 g | 2.1 g | 72 mg | 0.9 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.
