Vegetable Soup

Some of the recipes tend to be an excuse to muck about with different fruit and vegetables and I don't believe there is anything wrong with that. I found that it encourages them to learn about the variety and even taste them raw or cooked. A recipe like soup can also be a helpful way of getting extra veg into their diet because the finished product doesn't look like vegetables!

Ingredients
1 onion (I let them play with it, but I find it best to have one already chopped and lightly fried in advance for this recipe as a base)
Other root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, butter-nut squash
Other vegetables you have in the cupboard such as peas, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage and all of these can be fresh or frozen
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 pint chicken or vegetable stock

Method
Dump the vegetables in a bowl in front of the little ones and see what happens. They can spend ages mucking about with them. Always remember to do a walrus impression if you can, you are a responsible parent giving them a firm grounding for bar room jokes later on. Think of their future, do. Once they have become bored, try slicing the squash in half so they can help scoop out the middle. You need to be creative and let them help where they can. I often sit at the table and they pass me the vegetables to peel and chop.

Once all the veg (and the pre-prepared onion) is in the saucepan, take it to the kitchen and add the stock and tomatoes along with any herbs you are using and a few lentils if you have them. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked and then blend to preferred consistency.