Miso Soup with Winter Melon and Atsuage
みそ汁（とうがん・生揚げ） · Misoshiru (Togan, Atsuage)
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is a simple, soothing miso soup built on bonito and kombu dashi, with chunks of winter melon (togan) and atsuage, the thick fried tofu you find in Japanese markets. Despite its name, winter melon is a summer vegetable in Japan; it earned the name because it keeps well into the winter. Simmered in dashi it turns translucent and melt-in-the-mouth soft, so even toddlers manage it easily, while the atsuage adds a gentle richness and some protein. Peeling the melon thickly gets rid of the firm layer just under the skin, which is what makes it so tender in the bowl.
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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
- 33 gwinter melon (togan)A large, mild gourd with pale flesh that turns soft and translucent when simmered. Substitute: Daikon radish or zucchini.
- 22.5 gatsuage (thick fried tofu)Blocks of tofu deep-fried so the outside is golden while the inside stays soft. Substitute: Firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and pan-fried until golden on all sides.
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
- winter melon (togan) (とうがん)
- A large, mild gourd with pale flesh that turns soft and translucent when simmered. Substitute: Daikon radish or zucchini.
- atsuage (thick fried tofu) (生揚げ)
- Blocks of tofu deep-fried so the outside is golden while the inside stays soft. Substitute: Firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and pan-fried until golden on all sides.
- 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
Peel the winter melon thickly and cut it into 2 cm pieces.
- 2
Pour boiling water over the atsuage to remove the excess oil, then cut it into small pieces.
- 3
Put the dashi, the winter melon and the atsuage in a pot and simmer.
- 4
When the winter melon is tender, dissolve the miso into the soup.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 54 kcal | 108 kcal | 54 kcal |
| Protein | 4.2 g | 8.4 g | 4.2 g |
| Fat | 3 g | 6 g | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.6 g | 5.1 g | 2.6 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Calcium | 73.5 mg | 147 mg | 73.5 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg | 2.1 mg | 1 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 54 kcal | 4.2 g | 3 g | 2.6 g | 1.2 g | 73.5 mg | 1 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 108 kcal | 8.4 g | 6 g | 5.1 g | 2.4 g | 147 mg | 2.1 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.
