Vegetable Soup with Spinach and Kabocha
野菜スープ（ほうれん草・かぼちゃ）
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
This simple clear soup pairs sweet, soft kabocha squash with tender spinach and little bites of chicken in a mild consommé broth. The kabocha melts a little into the soup as it simmers, giving it a gentle sweetness that children love, and the small pieces are easy to scoop up with a spoon. In preschool kitchens the spinach is boiled separately and stirred in just before serving so it keeps its bright color and doesn't turn the soup murky.
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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
- 15 gspinach
- 30 gkabocha squashSweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
- 22.5 gboneless, skinless chicken thigh
Seasonings
- 150 gwater
- 0.6 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.
- 0.5 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- kabocha squash (かぼちゃ)
- Sweet, dense Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin and orange flesh. Substitute: Butternut squash or another sweet winter squash.
- 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 spinach into 2 cm (3/4 inch) pieces and boil until tender.
- 2
Cut the kabocha squash into 1.5 cm (about 1/2 inch) cubes.
- 3
Cut the chicken into 1 cm (about 1/2 inch) pieces.
- 4
Put the water and consommé in a pot and bring to a boil, then add the kabocha (step 2) and chicken (step 3) and simmer until cooked through.
- 5
Season with salt, and stir in the spinach (step 1) just before serving.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 52.5 kcal | 105 kcal | 52.5 kcal |
| Protein | 5.3 g | 10.5 g | 5.3 g |
| Fat | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5.4 g | 10.8 g | 5.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 12 mg | 24 mg | 12 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 52.5 kcal | 5.3 g | 1.4 g | 5.4 g | 0.8 g | 12 mg | 0.6 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 105 kcal | 10.5 g | 2.7 g | 10.8 g | 1.5 g | 24 mg | 1.2 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.
