Stage 4 + 5
This delicious soup offers a hearty serving of vegetables and serves as an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients. Try serving with a grilled cheese on wheat bread.
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is soft. Add the celery, carrots and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add in chickpeas, peas, broth, and yogurt and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are soft (about 20 minutes). Using an immersion blender, blend lightly to keep the texture (about 10 seconds). For smaller children, or if you prefer a smooth texture, blend the soup to your desired consistency.
Recipe Yields: 6 Servings
Store any extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.
Storage Time: 5 days in the refrigerator
Stage 3
Rough chop all vegetables, sauté in a small stock pot with butter or olive oil and season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Add 3 cups stock or water, bring to boil add peas and reduce heat to a simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly before blending to desire consistency, for a smoother puree add the remaining cup of stock.
Serve hot or cold and share this fun dish with your toddler along with the rhyme:
“Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot 9 days old. Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in a pot 9 days old.”
Recipe Yields: 4 Servings
Storage Time: 5 days in the refrigerator
This recipe is a great source of vegetables and is rich in vitamins and nutrients. In addition, green peas are rich in antioxidants and offer anti-inflammatory benefits.
Stage 5
English pea salad is flavorful and nutritious. This dish is the perfect side for any picnic or party.
Toss uncooked peas, crumbled bacon, cheese, red onion and mint leaves together. In a small bowl, mix greek yogurt, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir the yogurt mixture in with the peas. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Serve as a side dish or as a fun finger food snack. Serve cold.
Recipe Yields: 6 Servings
Storage Time: 5 days in the refrigerator
Peas are an good source of dietary fiber, Vitamins A, C, and B6.
Stage 1 + 2
Peas are a good source of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Peas also contain vitamin C, niacin, and folic acid.
The ratio of raw to steamed peas remain the same. 1 cup of raw peas will make approximately 1 cup of puree.
Steam peas until tender. Cool slightly and then using your immersion blender, blend to desired consistency. Add breast milk or water to thin to the desired consistency.
For Stage 3 and stage 4 leave the peas whole. Steam slightly. Serve cool or warm.