Baby and toddler recipes

🥕 Barley, root veg and butter bean hotpot

Name: Barley, root veg and butter bean hotpot
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 baby portions plus 2 adult portions
Ingredients: 80g Pearl barley; 1 x 400g tin Butter beans; 2 Carrot; 1 Parsnip; 200g Swede; 1 Leek; 2 sprigs Thyme; 1 Bay leaf; a handful Parsley; 1 tbsp Olive oil; about 1 litre Water

A thick, warming British hotpot of pearl barley, root vegetables and butter beans, perfect for batch cooking. Beans and barley add iron and fibre, and swede and parsley add vitamin C.

From 7 monthsPrep 15 minCook 50 minFreezes wellContains: Gluten

Makes 6 baby portions plus 2 adult portions

Ingredients

80g Pearl barley (rinsed)
1 x 400g tin Butter beans (no added salt, drained)
2 Carrot (diced)
1 Parsnip (diced)
200g Swede (diced)
1 Leek (sliced)
2 sprigs Thyme
1 Bay leaf
a handful Parsley (chopped)
1 tbsp Olive oil
about 1 litre Water

Method

Soften the leek in the oil for 5 minutes.
Add the barley, root vegetables, thyme, bay leaf and water.
Simmer, partly covered, for 40 minutes until the barley is very soft and swollen.
Add the beans and cook for 10 minutes more, adding water if needed.
Remove the bay leaf and thyme stalks and stir in the parsley.
Mash or blend baby's portion.

Serving it to your baby

At 7 months blend or mash thoroughly, as barley grains are chewy. From 9 months mash lightly, and offer soft carrot and parsnip pieces as finger food. Toddlers can have it as a stew with bread for dipping.

For the rest of the family

Season the adults' bowls with salt, pepper and a little grated cheese, with crusty bread.

Storing and reheating

Cool quickly (within an hour), then keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freeze in small portions for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, stir, then let it cool before serving. Never reheat more than once. Remove the bay leaf before freezing.

How to introduce gluten

Weaning with OBubba

Plan meals and log what your baby loved.

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Questions parents ask

Can babies eat pearl barley?

Yes, cooked until very soft. It contains gluten, so introduce it like other wheat-family grains. Mash well for younger babies.

Why use water instead of stock?

Stock cubes are very salty. Water and plenty of vegetables and herbs give enough flavour for babies.

OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).