Easy Carrot and Lentil Soup - One Pot Recipe For BLW
Table of Contents
Benefits of a carrot
Carrots are an excellent choice for baby-led weaning (BLW), offering numerous benefits for your little one, especially in this carrot and lentil soup recipe. Rich in beta-carotene, they support healthy vision and immune function, while also providing essential vitamins and minerals.
The natural sweetness of carrots makes them appealing to babies, encouraging early acceptance of vegetables in their diet.
When prepared correctly—steamed, roasted, or served raw in sticks—carrots are easy for babies to grasp and chew, promoting fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Their crunchy texture can also help soothe sore gums during teething, making them a practical and nutritious addition to your baby's meals.
Nutrition of red lentils
Red lentils are an excellent source of nutrition for babies starting their baby-led weaning journey. Rich in protein, they provide essential amino acids that support growth and development.
Red lentils are high in dietary fibre, promoting healthy digestion, and they contain important vitamins and minerals such as iron, folate, and magnesium.
These nutrients are vital for your little one’s overall health and energy levels.
Their naturally mild flavour and soft texture when cooked make them an ideal first food, allowing babies to explore new tastes while receiving a balanced diet.
Ingredient information
Olive oil - I have used olive oil, but you can use coconut oil or avocado oil instead if you like.
Onion - I have used a red onion but you can use a yellow onion or a couple of shallots if you prefer.
Carrot - Grating vegetables like carrot can be a great way to introduce vegetables to your baby for baby led weaning.
Garlic - You can grate or crush the garlic cloves, or you can use 1 teaspoons of garlic powder if you did not have fresh garlic.
Coriander - This is a great spice to add to the soup, it adds a fragrant taste to the soup which is so tasty.
Cumin - Cumin works really nicely with coriander, and great spices to use for a lightly spiced soup. You could use other warm spices such as curry powder or garam masala which would be a great option if you did not have cumin or coriander.
Red lentils - Hearty red lentils are great for soups and dinners such as a dal. They are great for plant-based protein. You could use green lentils or brown lentils too in addition to the red lentils.
Stock cube - I have used a chicken stock cube but you can use a vegetable stock cube to make the recipe plant based/vegan.
Serving suggestion
The spiced carrot soup would be the perfect soup served with toasted fingers with a little unsalted butter. Or you could serve with a soft wholemeal roll.
You could also add a little wild rice to the lentil soup recipe for more of a complete meal if you prefer with a dollop of Greek yogurt on the top. If you do this you will need to add in at least another 100-200ml of hot water to the pan.
If your little one is ok with nuts you can finish the lentil carrot soup off with a drizzle of coconut milk.
Other recipes you may like: Sweet potato soup, Roasted tomato soup or Pumpkin and carrot soup.
Storage instructions
The red lentil soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, stored in an airtight container.
If you wanted to freeze the carrot lentil soup, you will need to make sure that the soup has cooled down to room temperature before transferring to either a freezer bag (carefully) or airtight container.
Ensure that the bag and airtight container is labelled with the item and the date. I use masking tape to label the airtight container.
To defrost the roasted soup, leave in the fridge overnight and make sure that it is fully defrosted, before re heating.
To reheat, place the defrosted soup in a saucepan and reheat on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
Once the soup has been defrosted you will not be able to reheat or re freeze.
Equipment used to help with this recipe
Large pot - So many pan sets out there but I particularly like to use pans with a non-stick surface for ease of cleaning and ones that are suitable for different types of hob surface.
Airtight container - I much prefer the click-shut lids on these containers compared to others. They are also dishwasher and freezer safe and BPA free, so very suitable for food use.
Recipe | Easy Carrot and Lentil Soup - One Pot Recipe For BLW
Easy Carrot and Lentil Soup - One Pot Recipe For BLW
Ingredients
Instructions
- Start by heating the olive oil in a large pan. Add in the onion and carrots and cook covered on a low heat for 10 minutes, checking the vegetables are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Next add in the garlic and cook for a minute or so.
- Spoon the cumin, coriander and black pepper and stir in the saucepan.
- Add the stock cube into the pan along with the lentils and 900ml of hot water.
- Cook on a medium-high heat for 20-25 minutes.
- You can add in a little more hot water to make a thinner consistency if you prefer.
- Leave to cool before serving to your baby.
Notes
You can use a vegetable stock cube if you like to make the recipe vegan/dairy free.
If your baby is gluten-free, just make sure that the stock cube you are using is gluten-free.
Using these simple ingredients using pantry staples is a convenient way to make a speedy meal.
You can use a food processor to blitz the soup to a smooth puree if you prefer.
This is such an easy recipe for soup season. There is nothing better than a warm bowl of soup on a chilly day.
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