10 min prep, 30 min to cook this nutritious, tasty and easy Red Lentil baby soup recipe. Perfect for 6 month old baby and older. Can be given if you are doing baby-led weaning, for toddlers, kids and it is so delicious adults will love it. Make a big batch and freeze it for days you don't want to cook. It's naturally vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
When autumn comes I just start making a lot of soups and then freezing them so I can minimize daily meal prep. And then we basically eat a soup a day...
And ever since I have adopted more of a vegetarian diet, foods like lentils and chickpeas are eaten almost daily in our household.
So I wanted to make a really good lentil soup which you could also give to a 6-month-old baby and would be enjoyed just as much by a 30-year-old adult.
So here it is...
Why we love this soup:
- Super easy
- Healthy, made with nutritious whole foods
- Simple vegetarian soup for baby
- Low sodium (can be made with or without stock)
- Can be served to 6 month old baby and older toddlers, kids and adults
- Freezable
Ingredients
- Red Lentils - we use red lentils for their sweet and nutty flavor
- Celery and Carrot - the basis of most great soups. Sautéing them with garlic and onion brings out the base flavor of the soup
- Vegetable stock - nutrition and ingredients will vary depending on which you buy. Look for one with minimal sugar, salt and preservatives. Avoid it completely if making for babies under 1, just use water instead and then season the adult portions with salt separately
- Spices and flavoring - using ground cumin and paprika to give a wonderful earthy flavor. Lemon juice and lemon zest are a must for that last zing
How to Cook Red Lentil Soup for Baby
1. Sauté the veggies. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent (photo 1).
2. Bring to boil by adding vegetable broth (or water if making for babies), lentils, ground cumin, paprika, and black pepper (photo 2).
3. Simmer. Once brought to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils are fully cooked (photo 3).
4. Season and blend. Add lemon zest and lemon juice, salt, and stir (don't add salt if making for babies under 1). Blend with an immersion blender or Vitamix to make the soup creamy and smooth (photo 4). Serve for yourself and for baby.
This soup pairs really well with the Easy Wholewheat No-Knead Bread.
Options on how to serve lentil soup to baby & toddler?
Babies
- Make without broth by using water instead and omit any salt
- 6 months old baby - baby-led weaning serving options
- Serve cooled in an open cup
- Served cooled in an open cup with a straw
- Serve with a preloaded spoon
- 1 year old baby and toddler +
- Practice independent spoon usage. We used this training cutlery with our children or these spoons.
For advice on how to master using cutlery and drinking from an open cup read these guides:
If you still want to serve soup to baby but this may be too many ingredients or are worried about the flavors, you can start with a simple clear chicken soup (chicken broth) recipe we have here which is nutritious and full of flavor.
Top Tips
- Create flavor by taking your time to sauté the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots to bring out the flavors before adding vegetable broth.
- Serve warm with freshly baked bread.
FAQ
From 6 months old onwards as long as you replace the vegetable broth with water so there is no added sodium in the recipe.
Soup is basically like any other puree recipe for a baby so this is a perfect nutrient-rich meal for your baby.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. We use these cool pods to store soup in baby portions.
You can, but the flavor may not be as nice. If you have time, it's best to sauté the onion, garlic, celery and carrot before adding vegetable broth to bring out the flavors.
Yes, but then it may not be suitable for very young babies until they can properly chew depending on the size of the vegetables.
Possible Recipe Variations
- Make it spicier by adding chili flakes or cayenne pepper to the mix (for adults).
- Add cheese on top. Feta cheese would work great crumbled on top for the adults (although it has too much sodium for babies).
- Serve the soup chunky. If you don't have a blender or prefer chunky soups this one can easily be served chunky depending on how able your baby is to chew chunkier vegetables.
If you've tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then rate the recipe below and leave us a comment!
Easy Red Lentil Soup Recipe for Baby
EQUIPMENT
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1½ cup lentils
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or water) omit for babies
Spices
- 2 teaspoon ground paprika
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt omit for babies
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large lemon - juice and zest
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Bring to boil by adding vegetable broth (or water if making for babies), lentils, ground cumin and paprika and black pepper. Once brought to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Season. Add lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and stir (don't add salt if making for babies under 1).
- Blend with an immersion blender or Vitamix to make the soup creamy and smooth.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you've tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then please rate it and leave us a comment below!
Chimwemwe
I made this for 11 month old twin neice & nephew. a few tweeks-
1) I used home made stock ( without salt,)
2) I cubed the carrots in bite-sized pieces and added some chopped fresh tomatoes (only because I had 1 on in the fridge.)
3) l used approx double the ratio of water to lentil, so to achieve a thicker consistency.
5) I didn't blitz the lentil, so it retains its texture.
6) I replaced the lemon juice with Sumac (to taste,) and added a little mild curry powder. I wilted some spinach in seperate pan, pureed then, the added them to the lentils at the end. I served the meal with homemade flatbreads. The babies went absolutely CRAZY for this meal. It is that good, I make it for myself, just adding a little salt!! 😋😋😁👍🏾👍🏾 Thank you for sharing this amazing receipe !!
Ana
Thanks for the suggestions, great tips:)
Linda
Hi, I’ve just made this for my 10 month grandson, I was a bit worried about the spices so didn’t use as much it doesn’t taste too bad but it does need something to take away the bland taste any suggestions would be appreciated.
Kind regards Linda
Ana
Hi Linda,
Spices like cumin and paprika will not be overbearing for a child and will give the soup a very nice flavor, paired with some lemon juice.
Zarin
Wonderful and so easy. I added some nutritional yeast, some tomatoes and some herbs. The whole family enjoyed it and especially the baby who had 2 bowls.
Ana
Amazing! Thank you for letting us know:)