Tip: This dish freezes wonderfully well and reheats quickly. But you may want to add a little water when reheating, as it tends to thicken slightly after being frozen.
Baby’s Vichyssoise (White Leek Soup)
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 7–8 minutes
Servings: 4 “baby jar”–size servings, or two children’s servings
Leeks are traditionally introduced to French children at a young age. Mild yet savory, young white leek tips (the only kind you should use for this soup) are more digestible than their older, greener versions. For older children, increase the amount of potato and decrease the amount of pear, creating a potato-leek soup that is similar in spirit to the classic French vichyssoise.
This soup has become comfort food for us, and we often serve it on cold winter evenings. In the summer, it can be eaten at room temperature or even chilled.
1 small potato, peeled and diced small (about ½ cup)
2 small (or 1 large) leeks, washed carefully, peeled, and sliced (use white stems only) (about 1 cup)
1 pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
Optional: pinch of fine sea salt
1. Steam (if you have a pressure-cooker) or simmer the potato and leek in water to cover (about 1½ cups) until tender (6 to 7 minutes), adding the pear in the last 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, saving the cooking water (you’ll need between ¾ and 1 cup).
2. Blend the vegetables with honey (or maple syrup), adding cooking water until the desired consistency is achieved.
Note: For younger babies, you can eliminate the potato. They will love the pear-leek combination all by itself (it has the consistency of applesauce).
Tip: Too much potato will overpower this soup, making it bland. Big chunks of potato may lead to a “gluey” mixture, so chop finely and don’t overcook.
Claire’s Beet Puree
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 “baby jar”–size servings, or 4 children’s servings
This recipe gently introduces your baby to beets, which are a favorite vegetable of French kids. The first time we encountered beet puree was at Claire’s day care, where it was served perched on top of puff pastry (and where one of my first French food faux pas was to mistake it for a sophisticated adult hors d’oeuvre). Beet puree became a favorite item on the day-care menu, although it was usually served warm in little bowls. I also began serving this at home, and it became one of our family’s favorite dishes.
As French children grow older, they graduate to eating cooked beets, which are regularly served at home and in schools, eaten in small chunks as part of a cold salad, topped with chopped parsley and a classic homemade vinaigrette dressing.
This recipe has a mild flavor, and babies love the bright pink color. The zucchini lends a light, airy taste. This helps make the beets more palatable and digestible. Over time, you can reduce the proportion of zucchini and increase the proportion of beets. But don’t serve this to babies younger than twelve months, as beets (like other root vegetables) can occasionally be high in soil compounds such as nitrates that only older tummies can handle.
1 medium beet, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 medium zucchini, chopped (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon butter
1. Place the beets in a small pot with water to cover and simmer over medium heat until tender, adding the zucchini in the last 3 or 4 minutes. Simmer until the zucchini is transparent. Drain, and set the cooking water aside. Blend until velvety smooth, adding enough cooking water to obtain the desired texture.
2. Top with a dab of butter and serve warm. The puree freezes well.
Tip: Beet stains are hard to remove, so make sure to have bibs and wipes at the ready!
False Alarm Alert: Beets can turn kids’ pee (and even poo) pinky-red, so don’t be alarmed. In fact, this effect might encourage some kids!
Lentil Apricot Soup
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 to 10 adult servings
Okay, this recipe is not actually French. But it is very much in the French spirit: simple and quick to make, and the perfect combination of two foods that taste heavenly together.
Served as suggested, it makes a lovely puree (for babies twelve months or older). Diluted slightly with water, it is a perfect soup for a winter evening. The nutty taste of the lentils is offset by the darkly sweet flavor of the unsulfured apricots (which are much tastier than the conventional kind, so it is worth splurging). Make sure to blend it a long time—this soup should be so creamy that it is almost frothy.
This soup freezes well and is one of our homemade “fast foods.” I freeze it in small portions (yes, I still sometimes use baby ice-cube trays) and then simply pull out what I need and reheat.
2 cups dried red lentils
7 to 8 cups water
¾ cup unsulfured apricots, whole (they’ll be dark brown rather than orange)
Optional: 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1. Wash and rinse the lentils twice (if not pre-rinsed), or until the water runs clear. Put the lentils in a pot with 7 to 8 cups of water (don’t reuse the lentil rinse water!), depending on how thick you want the soup. Top with the apricots.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the lentils and apricots are tender, stirring every few minutes.
3. Blend until frothily smooth. Optional: adding a little canola oil will make the soup slightly richer and creamier (plus, it is a good source of omega-3s).
Tip: Don’t put the apricots on the bottom of the pot, and be sure to stir regularly; otherwise the apricots will sink and stick to the bottom of your pot.
Variation: For a slightly more complex, grown-up taste, add chopped onions and paprika. Sauté the onions in a skillet over a low heat in a little vegetable oil. When the onions are golden, add the
