The golden rule in our house is that Mama doesn’t make 2 meals in one night. No kiddie dinners. I believe this is why my kids are so easy to feed now. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had to suffer through the odd tantrum or Mexican standoff over the years, but now that they’re completely out of the little kid stage, our kids enjoy a vast range of foods (Master 8 is a champion foodie!) and eat their veggies happily. It is a great source of relief to me that my kids are not picky, nor do they have sensory issues with food.
Vegetable soup is, oddly, a huge winner in our house. Master 8 loves it, Spunky Tech Guy and I love it, but no one loves it more than Miss 5, who asks for it almost weekly.
If you’re looking for a healthy, tasty, quick and super cheap meal that the kids will love, look no further. It’s nothing fancy or unique, and it actually seems ridiculous to provide the recipe, but so many of my parent-friends are astounded by my kids’ love for this soup, that maybe jotting it down isn’t such a bad idea. It’s been adapted from multiple sources, and perhaps it’ll work for you, too. This guideline yields about 4 adult serves, and freezes like a dream, so make double.
1tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced. (Ha! Who am I kidding? 2tsp from a jar is fine)
1 red capsicum, roughly chopped (bullhorn peppers work well as a slightly more fiery substitute)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 tomatoes, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
300g peeled potatoes, diced (eh. About 3 small potatoes, or a large and a medium. Don’t’ stress, it’s a forgiving soup.)
2 onions, peeled and chopped.
1.5 litres good quality chicken stock
I’m not going to insult anyone’s intelligence by properly writing out a method. Heat the oil, saute the veggies and garlic for a few minutes, add the stock, and cook for about 25 minutes, partially covered, until everything is tender. Then pop it all in a blender, or attack it with a stick blender (my preferred method, at least, it was before I accidentally cooked the cord) until it looks like soup. No cream needed; the potatoes provide a guilt-free creaminess that is just divine. A good crack of black pepper, and you’re home and hosed.
Got some time under your hat? My favourite way to serve these is with a Moroccan bread that Spunky Tech Guy adores, and if I’m really feeling the Middle Eastern vibe, I heat a drained can of chickpeas into the soup for 5 minutes or so (after I’ve blended it, of course).
And there you have it – the easiest way to squeeze veggies into your little people.