First Lentils and Vegetables
These hearty lentils are delicious, we eat this recipe as a family: I just blend some for my baby son and then serve the rest (unblended) as a soup, adding just a little more seasoning. It is packed full of vegetables and lentils provide a great source of protein for your baby. You can omit the tomatoes, as these can be acidic for some babies, cooking them will aide digestion but also has the benefit of lycopene, which is a great booster for the immune system.
When introducing lentils, you may find that they make your baby windy or gassy: pulses can be a bit harder to digest and cause abdominal discomfort. Serve a small portion to start with and note and reactions in your baby.
This recipe freezes beautifully, so make a batch and freeze in portions. Serve with a little rice, or couscous, as weaning progresses.
Recommended from 6 ½ - 7 months + (depending on when you started weaning), a great vegetarian dish and loaded with plant proteins.
Makes 1 litre approx
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ small leek, washed, trimmed and diced
½ small onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, washed, trimmed, peeled and diced
½ celery stalk, washed, trimmed and diced
2 sweet potatoes, washed, trimmed, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, washed
60g split red lentils, rinse in running cold water and drain
500ml homemade vegetable stock, or water
250ml boiled water, for blending~ recipe suitable for freezing
Take a large pot and add the olive oil, next add the leek, onion, carrot and celery to slowly cook. You can add a splash of water if the vegetables are sticking. Cook gently for 10 minutes or so, the vegetables should be softened and not browning. Meanwhile prep the tomatoes: cover in boiling water for 1-2 minutes then remove their skins. Discard the skins. Cut in half and remove the core of the tomatoes and pips, then dice the outer flesh of the tomato. Returning to the pot, add the diced sweet potato, tomato, split red lentils and vegetable stock: simmer over a low-medium heat for 25 minutes.
Remove from the heat you will have a lovely flavourful red lentil stew: to prepare this for your baby blend using a stick blender, adding up to 250ml of boiled water until you have the desired consistency. Cool and serve.