Miso Soup with Napa Cabbage and Corn
みそ汁（白菜・コーン） · Misoshiru (Hakusai, Corn)
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 in it change with the season and whatever is in the kitchen. This version pairs napa cabbage, which turns silky and sweet as it simmers, with corn kernels that children love to fish out of the bowl. The cabbage is cut into small squares so it is easy to scoop up with a spoon and soft enough for the youngest eaters. Just three ingredients plus dashi make this one of the quickest soups you can put together on a busy weeknight.
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
- 15 gnapa cabbage
- 12 gwhole kernel corn (canned or frozen)
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
- 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 napa cabbage into 2 cm squares.
- 2
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the napa cabbage from step 1 and the corn, and simmer.
- 3
Once the cabbage is tender, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 21 kcal | 42 kcal | 21 kcal |
| Protein | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.1 g | 8.1 g | 4.1 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 15 mg | 30 mg | 15 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 159 mg | 318 mg | 159 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 21 kcal | 1.5 g | 0.3 g | 4.1 g | 0.8 g | 0.8 g | 15 mg | 0.2 mg | 159 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 42 kcal | 3 g | 0.6 g | 8.1 g | 1.5 g | 1.5 g | 30 mg | 0.3 mg | 318 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.
