Miso Soup with Okra and Carrot
みそ汁(オクラ・にんじん) · Misoshiru (Okura, Ninjin)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at almost every Japanese preschool lunch, and the vegetables in it change with the season. In this summer version, tender rounds of okra join sweet carrot and onion in a light dashi broth. The okra is boiled separately and stirred in just before serving, so it keeps its bright green color and pretty star shape without turning the soup slimy - and the vegetables are cut small and cooked soft so little ones can manage them easily on a spoon.
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
- 7.5 gokra
- 15 gcarrot
- 15 gonion
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 okra into rounds and boil them.
- 2
Cut the carrot into short matchsticks, and cut the onion into thin slices halved in length.
- 3
Put the dashi stock and the vegetables from step 2 in a pot and simmer.
- 4
Once the vegetables are soft, dissolve the miso into the soup, then add the okra 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 | 1.5 g | 3 g | 1.5 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.5 g | 9 g | 4.5 g |
| Fiber | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 24 mg | 48 mg | 24 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 199.5 mg | 399 mg | 199.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 22.5 kcal | 1.5 g | 0.3 g | 4.5 g | 1.4 g | 0.8 g | 24 mg | 0.2 mg | 199.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 45 kcal | 3 g | 0.6 g | 9 g | 2.7 g | 1.5 g | 48 mg | 0.3 mg | 399 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.





