Sumashijiru (Clear Soup with Spinach and Tofu)
すまし汁（ほうれん草・豆腐） · Sumashijiru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Sumashijiru is the clear, delicately seasoned soup that sits alongside rice on so many Japanese tables - dashi flavored with just a little soy sauce and salt, so the taste of the broth itself comes through. This version pairs soft cubes of silken tofu with tender spinach, two ingredients that even very small children can manage easily with a spoon. In preschool kitchens we make the base with bonito and kombu dashi, which gives plenty of savory depth without needing much salt at all. The spinach goes in right at the end so it keeps its bright color and does not turn mushy in the pot.
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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
- 45 gsilken tofu
- 18 gspinach
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.
- 0.9 gsoy sauce
- 0.6 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- 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 tofu into small cubes.
- 2
Cut the spinach into 2 cm (about 3/4 inch) lengths and boil it; set aside.
- 3
Pour the dashi into a pot and bring it to a boil, then add the tofu and simmer. Add the soy sauce and salt and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- 4
Add the spinach just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 33 kcal | 66 kcal | 33 kcal |
| Protein | 3.5 g | 6.9 g | 3.5 g |
| Fat | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Salt equivalent | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Calcium | 49.5 mg | 99 mg | 49.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.9 mg | 1.8 mg | 0.9 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 33 kcal | 3.5 g | 1.7 g | 1 g | 1 g | 49.5 mg | 0.9 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 66 kcal | 6.9 g | 3.3 g | 2.1 g | 2.1 g | 99 mg | 1.8 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.
