Suitable for freezingYou may be surprised to hear that lentil purées are some of my most popular baby recipes. Lentils are an excellent source of protein and iron, and they also contain fibre. What’s more, babies love them!
Suitable for freezing
Makes 3 portions • Suitable from 6 months • Prep time 10 minutes • Cooking time 30 minutes • Provides energy, protein, soluble fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C • Dairy-free
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 red pepper, cored, deseeded, and chopped
1 medium tomato, skinned (see tip, below), deseeded, and roughly chopped
2 tbsp red lentils
1/2 small sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 150g/51/2oz)
200ml (7fl oz) unsalted vegetable stock or water
1 Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion and red pepper gently, stirring, for 4 minutes until softened. Add the tomato and sauté, stirring, for 1 minute.
2 Rinse the lentils, add them to the pan along with the sweet potato, and pour over the vegetable stock or water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20–25 minutes, or until the lentils are quite mushy. Top up with a little more water if necessary, but there should be only a little liquid left in the pan at the end.
3 Purée until smooth in a food processor or place in a bowl and use a hand-blender.
4 Freeze in individual portions. When needed, thaw overnight in the fridge or for 1–2 hours at room temperature, then microwave or reheat in a small pan until piping hot. Stir and allow to cool before serving.
Tip: To peel tomatoes, as well as other thick-skinned fruits, cut a shallow cross on the bottom with a small, sharp knife. Place the fruit in a bowl, cover with boiling water, then leave for 30–60 seconds. Drain and rinse in cold water. When the fruit is cool enough to handle, find the cross you made. Grasp a corner of loose skin and gently pull off the skin.