Soup has always seemed so elusive to me! Something so tasty that I thought involved a lot more technicality and time. Turns out you just need to gently fry some vegetables for 5 or so minutes add enough stock to cover them and simmer for about 20 minutes, blitz and done (or roast for approx 30 mins then blitz with stock). Not sure the kids will like it? Scroll down to see how best to serve it to them!

Tip: freeze any leftover soup into small portions and bring out now and then and put into a little cup for your child to dunk bread/breadsticks into whilst they are waiting for their meal.

INGREDIENTS:
175g sliced leeks , 450g sliced carrots, 40g butter, 10g ground coriander, 1tsp plain flour, 1.1 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock

Serves 6

METHOD:

1. Gently fry the leeks and carrots in the butter till soft - about 5 minutes.
2. Add the vegetables, cover the pan and cook gently for 5-10 minutes or until the vegetable begin to soften but not colour.
3. Stir in the coriander and flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to the boil, stirring.
4. Season, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until all the ingredients are quite tender.
5. Leave the soup to cool slightly, then puree in a blender or food processor until quite smooth.

Recipe taken from Good Housekeeping cookbook

Serving suggestion:
- A large dollop of long-term thinking (don’t focus on just one meal)
- A cup of cheerful conversation (no bribery, just connection)
- A pinch of salt (how you should take all food rejection!)
- Lashings of laissez-faire (the less you micro manage, the better)

How to serve this meal to your child

Beginner: ‘My child refuses any new meals’

Cook for yourself and reheat some of the soup and serve alongside your child’s usual meal the next day in a little cup to use for dunking some bread into or you could offer it as a small starter whilst they are waiting for their meal. The great thing about this approach is that you are not cooking specifically for your child, you are giving them leftovers from a meal that you would have cooked anyway, so straightaway there is LESS expectation and pressure. It’s about creating easy opportunities to widen your child’s food list.

Intermediate eater: ‘My child may try this new dish but I’m not sure’

Choose a day when you can eat together. Offer other components your child usually eats so there is no pressure. Serve the soup with some breadsticks or bread that they can experiment with for dipping and dunking!

Advanced eater: ‘My child eats most things I give them and is not phased by new food’.

Serve the new meal and if they unexpectedly do refuse it, the best advice is not to panic and don’t feel bad. It’s just one meal. Say non-confrontational words such as ‘you don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to’ and see if they can try a bit in their own time. If they don’t, it is best to move onto the next mealtime and write it off and try another time!