Most kids don’t like vegetables. My son is one of them. The sight of green, yellow or orange on his plate transforms my mild-mannered boy into a Marvel-style villain out to destroy all edible plant forms. Rather than call the Avengers, I whip out my healthy soup recipes. They take the humble pumpkin, spinach and other veggies and turn them into a deliciously nutritious broth that ends up in my son’s belly with minimum fuss.

If you’re running out of lunch ideas or looking for easy dinner recipes, it’s soup to the rescue. It offers a change to the dal-chawal-subzi routine and will have your kids purring like happy kittens.

Healthy and yummy soup recipes for kids

The Soup recipes below are for one serving (1 big bowl) with a preparation time of each soup recipe clocks less than 30 minutes. 

1. Tomato soup recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes – 4
  • Garlic cloves – 2 (crushed)
  • Onion – 1 (medium-sized, chopped)
  • Butter/Ghee – 1 tablespoon
  • Bay leaf – 1
  • Water – 1 cup
  • Cloves – 1 or 2
  • Salt & pepper – as per taste

Preparation:

  • Rinse tomatoes well
  • Put tomatoes in a saucepan and add enough water to immerse them
  • Add salt and bring the water to boil; switch off the stove
  • Peel the tomatoes & remove seeds; then blend into a puree in the mixer-grinder
  • Melt butter/ghee in a pan
  • Add the bay leaf and cloves; wait for a 1-2 minutes
  • Add garlic and onions; stir till brown
  • Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes
  • Add pepper
  • Serve warm (sieve if needed)

Tip: If you are in a hurry, chop tomatoes and pressure cook with little water and salt for 1-2 whistles

Tomato soup for kids:

  • A powerhouse of: Vitamin A, iron, potassium
  • Tastes best with: Grilled cheese sandwich

2. Pumpkin soup recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Pumpkin – 250 gm (cut into medium cubes)
  • Onion – 1 (medium-sized, chopped)
  • Garlic clove – 1 (crushed)
  • Water – 1 cup
  • Butter/Ghee – 1 tablespoon
  • Cream (optional) – 1 teaspoon
  • Salt & pepper – as per taste

Preparation:

  • Pressure cooker pumpkin, onion & garlic with water (1-2 whistles)
  • Once cooled, puree the mixture
  • Heat butter/ghee in a pan; add the puree to it
  • Add salt & pepper; stir well
  • Add cream (optional)
  • Serve warm

Tip: You can replace the pumpkin with carrots to make carrot soup

Pumpkin soup for kids:

  • A powerhouse of: Vitamin E, folate, magnesium
  • Tastes best with: Oven-baked croutons or buttered khakhra

3. Chicken soup

Ingredients:

  • Chicken – 100 gm (medium-sized pieces)
  • Water – 1 or 2 cup
  • Bay leaf – 1
  • Clove – 1 or 2
  • Black pepper – 1 or 2 (crushed)
  • Black cardamom (Badi Elaichi) – 1
  • Cinnamon stick – 1/2 – 1 inch
  • Methi seeds – 10 to 15
  • Salt – as per taste

Preparation:

  • Thoroughly clean chicken pieces
  • In a pressure cooker put all the ingredients; cook on low flame for 2-3 whistles
  • Serve warm

Chicken soup for kids:

  • A powerhouse of: Protein, iron, Vitamin A, calcium
  • Tastes best with: Oven-baked cheesy croutons or grilled cheese sandwich
  • Tip: Chicken soup, especially with methi seeds, is an excellent option if your child has a cold, as it eases congestion 

4. Spinach soup recipe

Ingredients:

  • Spinach – 150 gm (chopped)
  • Potato -1 (small, diced)
  • Tomato -1 (small, chopped)
  • Celery stalk (optional) – 1 (chopped)
  • Spring onions – 1/2 cup (chopped)
  • Tomato – 1 (medium-sized, chopped)
  • Water – 1 cup
  • Butter/Ghee – 1 tablespoon
  • Cream (optional) – 1 teaspoon
  • Salt & pepper – as per taste

Preparation:

  • Melt butter/ghee in a pan
  • Add potato, celery(optional) & spring onions;  cook till potato softens
  • Add spinach and tomato, cook till the spinach wilts
  • Blitz all the ingredients (use a hand blender/grinder)
  • Add salt & pepper; stir well
  • Add cream (optional)
  • Serve warm (sieve if needed)

Tip: If you are short on time, first pressure cook potato, celery, spring onions, spinach & tomato with 1-2 cups of water and salt for 1-2 whistles before adding the mixture to melted butter/ghee

Spinach soup for kids:

  • A powerhouse of: Iron, calcium, magnesium
  • Tastes best with: Grilled pita bread and hummus

Why soups are great for kids

You can serve these tasty, healthy soup recipes on cold winter evenings (click here to read more about childcare in winter). Or when your little one is ill, or on the days when your child is on an anti-veggie mission. Fussy eater or not, your child will drink up these soups till the last drop.