Pork Miso Soup
豚みそ汁 · Buta Miso Shiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Miso soup with thinly sliced pork and a few vegetables is one of the most comforting bowls on a Japanese lunch tray. The pork adds a savory richness to the dashi, and simmering the carrot and onion until soft gives the broth a natural sweetness that children love. We cut everything short and thin so it sits neatly on a small spoon, and the spinach goes in only at the very end so it keeps its bright color and tender texture.
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
- 12 gcarrot
- 15 gonion
- 22.5 gthinly sliced pork (komagire)Small, thin offcuts of pork sold in Japan for quick stir-fries and simmered dishes. Substitute: Thinly sliced pork shoulder or loin cut into bite-size pieces.
- 18 gspinach
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
- thinly sliced pork (komagire) (豚こま切れ肉)
- Small, thin offcuts of pork sold in Japan for quick stir-fries and simmered dishes. Substitute: Thinly sliced pork shoulder or loin cut into bite-size pieces.
- 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 carrot into short matchsticks and the onion into thin slices, then cut those in half. Cut the pork into 1 to 2 cm wide pieces. Cut the spinach into 2 cm lengths and boil it.
- 2
Put the dashi stock, carrot and onion in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the pork and simmer.
- 3
When the vegetables are soft, dissolve the miso into the soup. Add the spinach just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 61.5 kcal | 123 kcal | 61.5 kcal |
| Protein | 6.5 g | 12.9 g | 6.5 g |
| Fat | 2.6 g | 5.1 g | 2.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.4 g | 8.7 g | 4.4 g |
| Fiber | 1.2 g | 2.4 g | 1.2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 25.5 mg | 51 mg | 25.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 373.5 mg | 747 mg | 373.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 61.5 kcal | 6.5 g | 2.6 g | 4.4 g | 1.2 g | 0.8 g | 25.5 mg | 0.6 mg | 373.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 123 kcal | 12.9 g | 5.1 g | 8.7 g | 2.4 g | 1.5 g | 51 mg | 1.2 mg | 747 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.
