Vegetable Soup with Komatsuna and Onion
野菜スープ（小松菜・玉ねぎ）
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This is a simple clear soup from the preschool kitchen: sweet onion simmered gently in consommé broth, finished with tender komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach, a mild leafy green - regular spinach works as a substitute). Slow-cooking the onion over low heat draws out its natural sweetness, which is what makes children happily drink up their soup. The komatsuna is boiled separately and stirred in at the end so it keeps its bright green color and soft, easy-to-chew texture.
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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 gonion
Seasonings
- 150 gwater
- 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 in hot water for 5 minutes. (Boiling it separately keeps the color bright, but if that is too much trouble, it is fine to simmer it together with the soup.)
- 2
Cut the onion in half lengthwise, then into thin slices.
- 3
Put the water, the onion from step 2 and the consommé bouillon in a pot and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
- 4
Once the onion is soft, adjust the seasoning with salt, then add the komatsuna from step 1 and stir it in.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 9 kcal | 18 kcal | 9 kcal |
| Protein | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.1 g | 4.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Calcium | 42 mg | 84 mg | 42 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 136.5 mg | 273 mg | 136.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 9 kcal | 0.5 g | 0 g | 2.1 g | 0.8 g | 0.6 g | 42 mg | 0.6 mg | 136.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 18 kcal | 0.9 g | 0 g | 4.2 g | 1.5 g | 1.2 g | 84 mg | 1.2 mg | 273 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.
