Toddler Recipes: Soups

Toddler Recipes: Soups are delicious and great for dipping things in and they're a great way for children to eat vegetables. They're also easy to make - simply cook some vegetables together, add a few herbs and whizz it with a blender. Once you've tried a few soup recipes like the ones below you'll be making up your own.

The instructions for these soup recipes are simple and step-by-step. The idea is give you a few easy, tasty and successful toddler recipes so that you can get going to making more - there are so many recipes online and great recipe books available. You don't have to be a wonderful cook to make nice food - just a bit of forward planning to get a few ingredients, some time to prepare it and clear and simple instructions to follow.

The great thing about soups is that you can make them in advance, freeze then and then heat them up when you need. Sometimes you just want to be able to eat without having to cook! Especially if you're in the middle of sleep training or teething...good food is nourishing, nurturing and feels good - it's worth the effort.

It's also an idea to get together with a friend, both make a soup each and swap half of it - less effort, you use the ingredients you've bought and makes it fun too. Swapping ideas, suggestions, even a new hobby can give cooking a lift.

Let's go!

Great Toddler Recipes: A Yummy Tomato Soup

This is a lovely color and your toddler will love dipping in some bread soldiers!

All you need is:
7-8 fresh tomatoes
1 small onion
1 clove of garlic
A little olive oil
150ml water
150ml full cream milk
A little basil
(Serves 4)

1. Boil a full kettle
2. Whilst it's boiling, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic
3. Fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until softened (about 5 mins) in a saucepan.
4. Whilst the onion and garlic are gently frying put the tomatoes in a bowl and pour over the boiled water.
5. Leave the tomatoes in the water for about 30 seconds. Carefully take the tomatoes out of the boil and prick the skins. You will now easily be able to take the skins off. Discard the skins.
6. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the onion and garlic.
7. Add the water, stir, cover and simmer for 15 mins.
8. Prepare the basil by tearing it into smallish pieces.
9. Add the milk, basil, stir together and then whizz with a blender.
10. Allow to cool.
11. Enjoy!

Great toddler recipes: A Colorful and Warming Lentil Soup

Forget that lentils are for the flower power age! This soup will be a lovely orange color, tasty and full of goodness.

All you need is:
200g of red lentils (either dried - follow packet instructions) or canned (rinsed first)
1 small onion
1 clove of garlic
A little olive oil
1 carrot, peeled, and finely chopped
2 or 3 mushrooms, chopped
1 stick of celery
50g sweetcorn
200g chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh)
250ml water
250ml full cream milk
A little marjoram

1. If using tinned lentils, go to step 2. If using dried lentils, cook the lentils according to the instructions on the packet.
2. Peel and chop the garlic and onion.
3. Fry the garlic and onion in a little olive oil in a saucepan for a couple of minutes.
4. Then add the celery, carrot, mushrooms and sweetcorn and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
5. Add the tomotoes, stir, cover.
6. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes and stir from time to time.
7. Add the lentils (if tinned, just rinse them and then add them in, or if dried, you'd needed to have cooked them and add them in having been cooked).
8. Add the water and marjoram and stir.
9. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
10. Add the milk and whizz with a blender.
11. Allow to cool and serve up!

With the soup you can serve soldiers of bread, or make croutons - kids love the crunch and being able to sprinkle them on the soup and then fishing them out again.

If you have leftover veg and cooked pasta, they're great to simply make into a soup for the next day. Simply add a little stock (fresh or made with a stock cube) and heat through and then blend. A little cheese sprinkled on top is delicious too. Sometimes it's handy to purposely prepare more vegetables so that you can make a soup with them too.

If you have any toddler recipes that you want to share then we would love to list them on this site for other parents and children to enjoy too!