This is a recipe from Rose Elliot’s New Complete vegetarian cookbook. I was kindly given permission to include it in the blog.
It’s the first recipe I made from the book and I remember being struck by how such a simple dish could be so delicious.
I was going to post it last September but then celery went out of season (its usually in season from June through to October) and I only really use fruit and veg that’s grown in the UK when it’s in season.
It’s part of my What’s for lunch series of recipes: ideas for simple meals to share with your baby and/or toddler. I would make this on a day when they were going to have a main meal at tea time that includes high quality protein (lean meat, fish, eggs, pulses and/or beans) or serve it alongside something that includes high quality protein like sardines on toast.
When I gave it to my then 10 month old baby I gave it to her alongside a small leftover portion of meatballs and pasta as I wasn’t sure if she would like the soup (she did). I just wanted to give her some because I was eating it so it would encourage her to try it.
I made this again recently and my eldest daughter didn’t like it – well she didn’t once she knew it had celery in it! She eats celery usually in soups or sauces but probably doesn’t realise. So I guess the moral of the story is fairly obvious – if you want your child to eat/accept a food make it part of their diet from a young age.
3 onions chopped(though I have made it with 2)
The outside stalks of a head of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
400g carton of chopped tomatoes or 440g fresh chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
575ml of low salt vegetable stock
Half a lemon
How to…
Fry the onion and celery in a heavy bottomed pan until translucent for between 5-10 minutes, make sure they don’t brown. Add the garlic, tomatoes and water or stock.
Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the celery is very tender.
Add a squeeze of lemon and serve.
Make sure it’s cooled down before giving it to your little one.
