Vegetable Nyumen Noodle Soup (Elementary School Portion)
野菜にゅうめん · Yasai Nyumen
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese elementary school lunch menu
Somen are the thin wheat noodles Japan loves to eat chilled in summer, but served warm in a light dashi broth they become nyumen, a soothing dish for cooler days. This school-lunch version simmers carrot and onion right in the broth until soft, with a little blanched spinach on top for color. The seasoning is mild and the noodles are broken in half before cooking, so they are easy for children to pick up and slurp.
Added. Open the recipe helper (bottom right) → ☰ Menu → 🛒 Shopping list to see the ingredients for your family size.
Printing uses the number of adults and children set under Ingredients, so set those first.
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 elementary school, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 45 gsomen noodlesVery thin dried Japanese wheat noodles that cook in about 2 minutes. Substitute: Angel hair pasta or thin rice vermicelli.
- 18 gspinach
- 21 gcarrot
- 21 gonion
Seasonings
- 210 mldashi 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.
- 3 gmirinMirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
- 3 gsoy sauce
- 0.4 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- somen noodles (そうめん)
- Very thin dried Japanese wheat noodles that cook in about 2 minutes. Substitute: Angel hair pasta or thin rice vermicelli.
- 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.
- mirin (みりん)
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
Directions
- 1
Break the somen noodles in half and boil them. Rinse under running water to cool.
- 2
Cut the spinach into 2 cm pieces and boil it. Cut the carrot into short matchsticks, and slice the onion thinly, then cut the slices in half so they are shorter.
- 3
Put the dashi stock, carrot, and onion in a pot and bring to a boil, then add the seasonings and simmer until the vegetables are soft.
- 4
Place the boiled somen noodles in bowls, ladle the broth from step 3 over the top, and finish with the spinach.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 183 kcal | 366 kcal | 183 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 12 g | 6 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39.3 g | 78.6 g | 39.3 g |
| Fiber | 2.6 g | 5.1 g | 2.6 g |
| Salt equivalent | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Calcium | 33 mg | 66 mg | 33 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 417 mg | 834 mg | 417 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 183 kcal | 6 g | 0.5 g | 39.3 g | 2.6 g | 2.7 g | 33 mg | 0.6 mg | 417 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 366 kcal | 12 g | 0.9 g | 78.6 g | 5.1 g | 5.4 g | 66 mg | 1.2 mg | 834 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese elementary-school 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.
