Vegetable Soup with Komatsuna and Carrot
野菜スープ（小松菜・にんじん）
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is one of the simplest soups on the preschool menu: thin strips of carrot simmered until soft in a light consommé broth, with tender komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) stirred in just before serving. Komatsuna is a mild leafy green with none of the bitterness that puts children off; if you can't find it, spinach or the leafy part of bok choy works well. The greens are boiled separately and added at the very end so they keep their bright color and don't turn dull in the pot. It's a gentle side soup that pairs with almost any main dish.
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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
- 22.5 gkomatsunaA mild Japanese leafy green (Japanese mustard spinach) with tender stems. Substitute: Spinach or bok choy.
- 15 gcarrot
Seasonings
- 150 mlwater
- 0.8 gconsommé bouillon (granules or cube)Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
- 0.3 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.
- consommé bouillon (granules or cube) (コンソメ)
- Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
Directions
- 1
Cut the komatsuna into 2 cm pieces and boil until tender.
- 2
Cut the carrot into short, thin strips.
- 3
Put the water, the carrot from step 2, and the consommé bouillon in a pot and simmer.
- 4
Once the carrot is soft, season with salt, then add 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 | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.3 g | 4.5 g | 2.3 g |
| Fiber | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Calcium | 43.5 mg | 87 mg | 43.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 159 mg | 318 mg | 159 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 10.5 kcal | 0.5 g | 0 g | 2.3 g | 0.9 g | 0.6 g | 43.5 mg | 0.6 mg | 159 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 21 kcal | 0.9 g | 0 g | 4.5 g | 1.8 g | 1.2 g | 87 mg | 1.2 mg | 318 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.
