Miso Soup with Wakame and Enoki
みそ汁（わかめ・えのき） · Wakame to Enoki no Misoshiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup is on the table almost every day in Japanese homes and school kitchens, and this wakame and enoki version is one of the simplest. The soft, slippery seaweed and the mild, slightly sweet mushrooms take on the flavor of the dashi, and both are easy for little ones to chew. In preschool kitchens we chop the wakame small and cut the enoki short so nothing long or stringy gets stuck in a small mouth, then simmer everything until it is truly tender before the miso goes in.
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
- 0.5 gdried cut wakameSmall pieces of dried wakame seaweed that rehydrate in a few minutes and are used in soups and salads. Substitute: Any dried seaweed for soup, or omit.
- 15 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
- dried cut wakame (カットわかめ)
- Small pieces of dried wakame seaweed that rehydrate in a few minutes and are used in soups and salads. Substitute: Any dried seaweed for soup, or omit.
- 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
Soak the wakame in water for 3 minutes to rehydrate, then chop it finely. Cut the enoki mushrooms into 2 cm lengths.
- 2
Bring the dashi stock to a boil in a pot, add the wakame and enoki from step 1, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
- 3
Once the wakame and enoki are tender, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 16.5 kcal | 33 kcal | 16.5 kcal |
| Protein | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.8 g | 5.7 g | 2.8 g |
| Fiber | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Calcium | 13.5 mg | 27 mg | 13.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 163.5 mg | 327 mg | 163.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 16.5 kcal | 1.7 g | 0.3 g | 2.8 g | 0.9 g | 0.9 g | 13.5 mg | 0.3 mg | 163.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 33 kcal | 3.3 g | 0.6 g | 5.7 g | 1.8 g | 1.8 g | 27 mg | 0.6 mg | 327 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.
