Miso Soup with Potato and Komatsuna
みそ汁（じゃがいも・小松菜） · Misoshiru (Jagaimo, Komatsuna)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is the everyday soup of Japan, and at preschool it appears on the lunch tray again and again with whatever vegetables are in season. This version pairs soft, thinly sliced potato with komatsuna, a mild Japanese mustard green that is a favorite in school kitchens. The potato simmers until tender in dashi, and the greens are blanched separately and added just before serving so they keep their bright color and don't turn mushy. If you can't find komatsuna, spinach or bok choy leaves work well in its place.
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
- 30 gpotato
- 18 gkomatsunaA mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
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
- komatsuna (こまつな)
- A mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- 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 potato into quarter-rounds (icho-giri): quarter it lengthwise, then slice thinly.
- 2
Cut the komatsuna into 2 cm pieces and boil until tender.
- 3
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the potato from step 1 and simmer.
- 4
Once the potato is soft, dissolve the miso into the soup, then add the komatsuna from step 2 just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 31.5 kcal | 63 kcal | 31.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.2 g | 14.4 g | 7.2 g |
| Fiber | 3.2 g | 6.3 g | 3.2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 40.5 mg | 81 mg | 40.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.8 mg | 1.5 mg | 0.8 mg |
| Potassium | 324 mg | 648 mg | 324 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 31.5 kcal | 2 g | 0.3 g | 7.2 g | 3.2 g | 0.8 g | 40.5 mg | 0.8 mg | 324 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 63 kcal | 3.9 g | 0.6 g | 14.4 g | 6.3 g | 1.5 g | 81 mg | 1.5 mg | 648 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.
