Miso Soup with Napa Cabbage and Potato
みそ汁（白菜・じゃがいも） · Misoshiru (Hakusai, Jagaimo)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at almost every Japanese school lunch, and this is one of the simplest versions we make: napa cabbage and potato simmered gently in dashi until tender, then finished with miso. The potato gives the soup a little body and natural sweetness, and the cabbage cooks down soft enough for even the youngest children to eat with a spoon. Cutting the cabbage into small squares and the potato into thin quarter-rounds means everything cooks through evenly and is easy for little mouths to manage.
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
Added. Open the recipe helper (bottom right) → ☰ Menu → 🛒 Shopping list to see the ingredients for your family size.
Printing uses the number of adults and children set under Ingredients, so set those first.
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
- 22.5 gnapa cabbage
- 30 gpotato
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 1 cm squares, and cut the potato into thin quarter-rounds (icho-giri).
- 2
Put the dashi stock and potato in a pot and bring to a boil, then add the napa cabbage and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
- 3
Once the vegetables are 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 | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.5 g | 15 g | 7.5 g |
| Fiber | 3.2 g | 6.3 g | 3.2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 19.5 mg | 39 mg | 19.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 283.5 mg | 567 mg | 283.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 31.5 kcal | 1.8 g | 0.3 g | 7.5 g | 3.2 g | 0.8 g | 19.5 mg | 0.3 mg | 283.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 63 kcal | 3.6 g | 0.6 g | 15 g | 6.3 g | 1.5 g | 39 mg | 0.6 mg | 567 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.
