Miso Soup with Turnip and Tofu
みそ汁(かぶ・豆腐) · Miso Shiru (Kabu, Tofu)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is the kind of miso soup that appears on Japanese preschool lunch trays through the cooler months, when turnips are at their sweetest. Simmered in bonito and kombu dashi, the turnip turns soft and mild, and cubes of firm tofu make it filling without being heavy. The turnip greens are blanched separately and stirred in at the very end so they keep their bright color and don't turn bitter in the pot. If you can't find turnips with their leaves, the soup is just as good with the roots alone.
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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
- 25.5 gturnip
- 30 gfirm tofu
Seasonings
- 180 gbonito and kombu dashiJapanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
- 7.2 glight rice misoA pale, salty rice miso, the standard everyday miso in Japan. Substitute: Any light, white, or awase (blended) miso.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- bonito and kombu dashi (かつお・昆布だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
- light rice miso (米みそ(淡色辛みそ))
- A pale, salty rice miso, the standard everyday miso in Japan. Substitute: Any light, white, or awase (blended) miso.
Directions
- 1
Cut the turnip into thick quarter-rounds (icho-giri). Cut the turnip greens into 2 cm pieces and boil them until tender; set aside.
- 2
Cut the tofu into cubes.
- 3
Simmer the turnip in the dashi, adding the tofu partway through. Once the turnip is cooked through, dissolve the miso into the soup. Add the turnip greens just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 43.5 kcal | 87 kcal | 43.5 kcal |
| Protein | 4.4 g | 8.7 g | 4.4 g |
| Fat | 2 g | 3.9 g | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Calcium | 105 mg | 210 mg | 105 mg |
| Iron | 1.4 mg | 2.7 mg | 1.4 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 43.5 kcal | 4.4 g | 2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g | 105 mg | 1.4 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 87 kcal | 8.7 g | 3.9 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g | 210 mg | 2.7 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.





