Sumashijiru (Clear Soup) with Komatsuna and Onion
すまし汁（小松菜・玉ねぎ） · Sumashijiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Sumashijiru is the clear soup of Japanese home and school cooking: dashi seasoned lightly with soy sauce and a pinch of salt, so the flavor of the stock and vegetables comes through. Here it carries thin slices of onion, simmered until soft and sweet, and short pieces of komatsuna, a mild Japanese leafy green (spinach or bok choy leaves make a fine substitute). In preschool kitchens we blanch the greens separately and stir them in just before serving, so they keep their bright color and don't turn bitter or muddy the broth. Cutting everything small makes it easy for little ones to scoop up with a spoon.
Wheat-free, but uses soy sauce (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
- 18 gkomatsunaA mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- 15 gonion
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.
- 0.8 gsoy sauce
- 0.2 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- komatsuna (こまつな)
- A mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- 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.
Directions
- 1
Cut the komatsuna into 2 cm lengths and boil it.
- 2
Cut the onion in half lengthwise, then into thin slices.
- 3
Put the dashi stock and the onion from step 2 in a pot and simmer until soft.
- 4
Add the seasonings and simmer briefly, then stir in the komatsuna from step 1 just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 10.5 kcal | 21 kcal | 10.5 kcal |
| Protein | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Fiber | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 37.5 mg | 75 mg | 37.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Potassium | 210 mg | 420 mg | 210 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 10.5 kcal | 0.9 g | 0 g | 2.1 g | 0.6 g | 0.5 g | 37.5 mg | 0.5 mg | 210 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 21 kcal | 1.8 g | 0 g | 4.2 g | 1.2 g | 0.9 g | 75 mg | 0.9 mg | 420 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.
