12–18 months
Thick lentil and vegetable soup
Main mealPrep 14 minCook 30 minPortions: 4
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons of red lentils
- 1 ripe tomato
- 1 small courgette
- 1 small carrot
- 400 ml water
Method
- Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear.
- Peel and deseed the tomato; peel the courgette and carrot and cut them into small cubes.
- Cook everything in unsalted water until the lentils have broken down completely and the vegetables are soft.
- Mash with a fork, leaving small soft pieces of vegetable, and keep it thick enough to stay on the spoon.
- Let it cool and let your child eat it with a spoon.
Texture
Thick enough to stay on the spoon, with the lentils broken down among small soft pieces of vegetable, never thin.
Serving
Serve warm. Hot soup can scald, so always let it cool.
Preparing for choking safety
Red lentils are hulled and no sieve is needed, but no firm lentil may remain. Carrot is never given raw and the tomato must be peeled. No stock cube and no packaged soup mix is used.
Key nutrients
ProteinIronFolateFibre
Storage
Cool within 1 to 2 hours of cooking, then refrigerate or freeze in small portions. Use a refrigerated portion within 2 days. Eat a defrosted portion within 24 hours. When reheating, heat until steaming hot all the way through, then let it cool before serving, and reheat any portion only once. Throw away a half-eaten portion rather than storing or reheating it.
Safety
Your child should be sitting upright and someone should stay with them while they eat. No salt or sugar is added to these recipes; honey is not given before one year. Their back teeth may not be through yet, so every piece must be soft enough to squash with gums and cut to a safe size. Children do not all manage the same texture at the same age — follow your child's pace rather than pushing. If your child has an allergy, eczema, or a family history of allergy, talk to your GP or health visitor before introducing new foods. Introduce foods that can trigger an allergic reaction one at a time and in small amounts, so you can spot any reaction.
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Recipes are a suggestion; they do not replace breast milk, formula, or your child's own feeding plan. If there is an allergy or a specific dietary situation, speak with a health professional.