Sumashijiru (Clear Soup) with Hana-fu and Nanohana
すまし汁（花麩・菜の花） · Sumashijiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Sumashijiru is the clear cousin of miso soup: a bonito and kombu dashi seasoned with just a little soy sauce and salt, so the flavor of the broth itself takes center stage. This spring version floats pretty flower-shaped hana-fu (dried wheat gluten) alongside bright green nanohana, and the little pink and white blossoms bobbing in the bowl are what get children excited before they even pick up a spoon. Nanohana has a gentle bitterness, so we boil it separately and slip it in right before serving to keep its color and keep it from making the whole soup bitter. The sweet onion softens in the dashi and rounds everything out for small palates.
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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
- 15 gnanohana (rapeseed blossoms)Tender flowering rapeseed greens with a gentle bitterness, a spring vegetable in Japan. Substitute: Broccoli rabe (rapini), broccolini, or choy sum.
- 15 gonion
- 3 ghana-fu (flower-shaped dried wheat gluten)Small, light, flower-shaped pieces of dried wheat gluten that soften in soup and add color for kids. Substitute: Small croutons, or simply omit.
Seasonings
- 150 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.
- 0.8 gsoy sauce
- 0.5 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- nanohana (rapeseed blossoms) (菜の花)
- Tender flowering rapeseed greens with a gentle bitterness, a spring vegetable in Japan. Substitute: Broccoli rabe (rapini), broccolini, or choy sum.
- hana-fu (flower-shaped dried wheat gluten) (花麩)
- Small, light, flower-shaped pieces of dried wheat gluten that soften in soup and add color for kids. Substitute: Small croutons, or simply omit.
- 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.
Directions
- 1
Cut the nanohana into 2 cm lengths and boil until tender.
- 2
Thinly slice the onion, then cut the slices in half so they are half as long.
- 3
Put the dashi and onion in a pot and bring to a boil, then add the hana-fu and simmer.
- 4
Add the seasonings and simmer briefly, then add the nanohana from step 1 just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 24 kcal | 48 kcal | 24 kcal |
| Protein | 2.3 g | 4.5 g | 2.3 g |
| Fat | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.6 g | 7.2 g | 3.6 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 33 mg | 66 mg | 33 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 24 kcal | 2.3 g | 0.2 g | 3.6 g | 0.8 g | 33 mg | 0.6 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 48 kcal | 4.5 g | 0.3 g | 7.2 g | 1.5 g | 66 mg | 1.2 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.
Ingredients in this recipe
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