Pumpkin(or Kaddu) is a common vegetable in India, and each region has its own special dish with this vegetable. It only goes to show how versatile pumpkin is – in fact, you can use it in both sweet and savory dishes! Besides, the humble pumpkin has many nutritional benefits and is an ideal food for weaning babies.
Nutritional Benefits of Pumpkin
Pumpkins contain all vital nutrients and trace minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous and Vitamins C, A, E, K, folate and riboflavin which help in many aspects:
- Prevents anemia
- Builds strong bones and teeth
- Develops immunity
- Promotes better eyesight
- Helps digestion
We already have pumpkin recipes on My Little Moppet, like Pumpkin puree for babies and Pumpkin spice cookies. Today, we have an easy pumpkin soup that’s great for babies and older kids. I tried out this recipe first and we really liked it; and I think you’ll like it too!
Easy Pumpkin Soup for Babies
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium sized pumpkin
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup cream (it’s better to get homemade cream, else you can use store bought fresh cream)
- 1-2 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Method
1. Peel and chop the pumpkin into small cubes. Remove the seeds.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter and start frying the onions. When they soften, add the pumpkin cubes and continue to sauté till they start turning brown.
3. Now add 3 cups of water and season to taste. Let the pumpkin cook till completely soft – it’ll start getting mushy.
4. Let the cooked pumpkin cool to room temperature before grinding it into a puree. If your baby is having pumpkin for the first time and you want the soup to be perfectly smooth, you can strain the puree.
6. Put the pumpkin puree in a pan and add the fresh cream. Allow it to boil on a low flame and then turn the heat off. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Trust us when we say that this soup is so delicious you’ll want to eat it too! As the weather warms up and you don’t feel like a heavy dinner, you can stick to a fresh salad and this simple soup – light work and a light tummy!
- ½ medium sized pumpkin
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- ¼ cup cream (it's better to get homemade cream, else you can use store bought fresh cream)
- 1-2 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- Coriander leaves to garnish
- Peel and chop the pumpkin into small cubes. Remove the seeds.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter and start frying the onions. When they soften, add the pumpkin cubes and continue to sauté till they start turning brown.
- Now add 3 cups of water and season to taste. Let the pumpkin cook till completely soft - it'll start getting mushy.
- Let the cooked pumpkin cool to room temperature before grinding it into a puree. If your baby is having pumpkin for the first time and you want the soup to be perfectly smooth, you can strain the puree.
- Put the pumpkin puree in a pan and add the fresh cream. Allow it to boil on a low flame and then turn the heat off. Garnish with coriander leaves.