Miso Soup with Spinach and Enoki Mushrooms
みそ汁（ほうれん草・えのき） · Miso Shiru (Horenso, Enoki)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table at almost every Japanese school lunch, and this version pairs tender spinach with delicate enoki mushrooms in a light dashi broth. The spinach is blanched separately and cut short so it stays bright green and is easy for small children to manage, while the enoki are simmered in the dashi until soft. Stirring in the miso at the end and adding the spinach just before serving keeps the flavor mild and the color fresh, which is exactly how it is done in preschool kitchens.
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
- 22.5 gspinach
- 7.5 genoki mushroomsLong, thin, white mushrooms with tiny caps sold in a bunch, with a mild flavor and slight crunch. Substitute: Thinly sliced button mushrooms.
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
- enoki mushrooms (えのきたけ)
- Long, thin, white mushrooms with tiny caps sold in a bunch, with a mild flavor and slight crunch. Substitute: Thinly sliced button mushrooms.
- 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 spinach into 2 cm lengths and boil it.
- 2
Cut the enoki mushrooms into 1 cm lengths.
- 3
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, then add the enoki (step 2) and simmer.
- 4
Once the enoki are soft, dissolve the miso into the soup and add the spinach (step 1) just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 18 kcal | 36 kcal | 18 kcal |
| Protein | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.8 g | 5.7 g | 2.8 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 19.5 mg | 39 mg | 19.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.8 mg | 1.5 mg | 0.8 mg |
| Potassium | 292.5 mg | 585 mg | 292.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 18 kcal | 1.7 g | 0.5 g | 2.8 g | 1 g | 0.8 g | 19.5 mg | 0.8 mg | 292.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 36 kcal | 3.3 g | 0.9 g | 5.7 g | 2.1 g | 1.5 g | 39 mg | 1.5 mg | 585 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.
