Baby and toddler recipes
🍝 Green lentil and mushroom bolognese
A rich, tomatoey bolognese where green lentils and mushrooms stand in for mince. It is packed with plant iron and fibre, and the tomatoes add vitamin C to help absorb it.
Makes 4 baby portions plus 2 adult portions
Ingredients
- 150g dried Green lentils (rinsed)
- 200g Mushroom (finely chopped)
- 1 medium Carrot (finely grated)
- 1 stick Celery (finely chopped)
- 1 Onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves Garlic (crushed)
- 1 x 400g tin chopped Tomato (no added salt)
- 1 tbsp Tomato purée
- 1/2 tsp dried Oregano
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- about 500ml Water
- 250g Pasta (any small shape or spaghetti)
Method
- Soften the onion, carrot and celery in the oil over a gentle heat for 8 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and the pan looks dry again.
- Stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, oregano, lentils and water.
- Simmer, partly covered, for 30 to 35 minutes until the lentils are completely soft and the sauce is thick. Add a splash more water if it catches.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta until soft, a minute or two past the packet time for babies.
- Mix baby's portion of sauce with pasta and blitz briefly or chop small if needed.
Serving it to your baby
At 7 months pulse the sauce so it is thick but not completely smooth and mix with small soft pasta shapes. From 9 months offer fusilli or penne coated in sauce as finger food. By 12 months most toddlers can manage it as the family eats it, with spaghetti cut shorter.
For the rest of the family
Season the adult portions with salt, pepper and a little red wine vinegar or Parmesan, and add chilli flakes at the table.
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. Freeze the sauce without the pasta for the best texture.
Weaning with OBubba
Plan meals and log what your baby loved.
OBubba keeps a record of every food your baby has tried and spots the allergens for you, so you always know what is next. Free to download.
Questions parents ask
Can babies have lentil bolognese instead of meat?
Yes. Lentils are one of the best plant sources of iron and protein. Serving them with tomatoes, which contain vitamin C, helps baby absorb that iron.
Can I use tinned lentils?
Yes. Use 2 tins of green lentils in water, drained and rinsed, and simmer for just 15 minutes.
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).