Pumpkin soup

"Babies + soup?? I don't think so!"  I hear you cry! Yes it can be messy but make it thick and give them bread to dip in it and it could become a staple lunchtime meal. Plus it's really healthy so feels good to get all that veg down them!  You may like to consider using one of our Long Sleeved Weaning Bibs though! 

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 30-45 mins

N.B. be prepared to freeze some of this soup, it'll feed a couple of adults and children approximately two times over. 

Ingredients

• Splash of oil or knob of unsalted butter
• One whole medium sized pumpkin or large butternut squash, peeled and deseeded and chopped
• A couple of cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• One onion, chopped
• A couple of sticks of celery, chopped
• Four large carrots, peeled and chopped
• Two teaspoons of cumin
• Half a teaspoon of ground black pepper (optional)
• Two low salt vegetable stock cubes made up with 2 pints of water or two pints of homemade stock

 Method

• Fry the onion in the oil/ butter gently for about 3 minutes until it starts to go transparent
• Add the garlic, celery, cumin and black pepper and fry for 3 more minutes
• Add the carrots and pumpkin/ butternut squash, stir
• Add enough stock to cover all vegetables and stir
• Simmer on a low heat for about 20 mins then check that there is still enough stock covering the veg
• Add more stock and stir if required.  
• Simmer for about 30-45 minutes or until all vegetables are soft
• Blend if a smooth chunk-free soup is preferred

Weaning: This is great to give babies from six months, just don't put the highchair to close to any new curtains...

Tip: If you're eating this soup with your child, you might want to add a bit of salt to your bowl. It's not good for you, but it does enhance the flavour of the soup!

Anything with a tomato base stains! We know what a pain it is to scrub at your baby's clothes each day, so my husband and I designed a lightweight baby bib. The bib covers clothes from your baby's neck to their toes and is tight at the cuffs. Check out our range of bibs here