Baby and toddler recipes
🍲 Beef and pearl barley hotpot
A thick, warming hotpot of slow-cooked beef, pearl barley and root vegetables. Barley thickens the stew naturally and gives a lovely chewy texture for babies learning to chew.
Makes about 8 baby portions
Ingredients
- 400g braising steak Beef (diced small)
- 60g Pearl barley (rinsed)
- 1 Onion (chopped)
- 2 Carrot (diced)
- 150g Swede (diced)
- 1 Leek (sliced)
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 tsp Rapeseed oil
- Water (about 800ml)
Method
- Brown the beef in the oil in a large pan, then add the onion and leek and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the carrot, swede, barley, herbs and water.
- Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer very gently for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring now and then, until the beef is tender and the barley is soft.
- Top up with water if it gets too thick.
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme stalks. Shred the beef for baby.
Serving it to your baby
At 9 months, serve as a thick spoonable stew with the beef shredded and vegetables squashed. Blend it for younger babies from 7 months.
For the rest of the family
Season the adult bowls with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce, with crusty bread.
Storing and reheating
Cool quickly (within an hour), then keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze in baby portions for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, reheat until steaming hot all the way through, stir well and let it cool before serving. Never reheat more than once.
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 soft, barley is a nutritious grain. It contains gluten.
What cut of beef is best for stew?
Braising steak, chuck or shin become very tender with slow cooking.
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).