Baby and toddler recipes

🍋 Creamy cannellini, kale and lemon orzo

Name: Creamy cannellini, kale and lemon orzo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 baby portions plus 2 adult portions
Ingredients: 150g Orzo; 1 x 400g tin Cannellini beans; 2 handfuls Kale; 1 clove Garlic; zest and juice of 1/2 Lemon; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 10g Parmesan; 150ml Water

Soft orzo in a creamy sauce of blended cannellini beans, garlic and lemon with tender kale. Beans and kale give plant iron, and lemon adds vitamin C to help absorb it.

From 7 monthsPrep 10 minCook 15 minFreezes wellContains: Gluten, Milk

Makes 2 baby portions plus 2 adult portions

Ingredients

150g Orzo
1 x 400g tin Cannellini beans (no added salt, drained and rinsed)
2 handfuls Kale (stalks removed, very finely chopped)
1 clove Garlic (crushed)
zest and juice of 1/2 Lemon
1 tbsp Olive oil
10g Parmesan (grated, optional)
150ml Water

Method

Cook the orzo until very soft, adding the kale for the last 4 minutes. Drain.
Warm the garlic in the oil for a minute.
Blend half the beans with the water and lemon juice until creamy.
Add the creamy beans and the remaining whole beans to the pan and heat through.
Stir in the orzo, kale, lemon zest and parmesan.
For baby, mash the whole beans.

Serving it to your baby

At 7 months mash so the whole beans and kale are broken up. From 9 months offer it on a preloaded spoon or let baby rake it up. Orzo is small, so it suits spoon feeding.

For the rest of the family

Season the adults' portion with salt, pepper and chilli flakes, and add a drizzle of olive oil.

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 2 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.

How to introduce gluten · How to introduce milk

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Questions parents ask

Can babies eat orzo?

Yes. Orzo is a small rice-shaped pasta made from wheat that cooks soft and is easy to spoon.

Is kale too tough for babies?

Remove the tough stalks, chop very finely and cook until soft. It then mixes easily into sauces.

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).