A Vegetable Packed Hummus for Infants and Toddlers
Hummus is the ultimate utility player of children’s food: nutritious, accessible, so entirely flexible that you can sub out the essential element–hummus is Arabic for chickpeas, after all–as we do here and still be the thing. Lentils instead of chickpeas, you say? Sure. It works.
But we didn’t stop there: we’ve added vegetables to the mix, in the form of riced cauliflower. It’s all here: proteins, fiber, vegetables. A small dollop of miso and a squeeze of lemon tie it all together, adding a bit of sweetness and sharpness that makes this “hummus” way more than, well, baby food for you and your child. Try it smeared on a cracker or dipped with a carrot or bell pepper for a great snack to share with a toddler.
(Note: miso is salt, essentially, though there is a small research base supporting that it does not have the adverse effect on blood pressure or cardiovascular issues. You can leave the miso out if making for an infant younger than 9 months or add only a small amount if concerned about sodium intake.)
Ingredients
Instructions
Cook and Assemble
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In a small pot, heat broth until boiling; add in red lentils and cauliflower. Return pot contents to boiling, then reduce heat until gently simmering.
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Cook the lentils and cauliflower until the liquid in the post has been absorbed and the lentils are mushy, roughly 12-13 minutes. Stir regularly during the last two or three minutes of cooking to ensure the bottom of the pan doesn’t burn.
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Remove from heat and allow lentil-cauliflower mixture to cool to the point where it is no longer steaming, roughly 10-15 minutes.
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In your blender, pour in lentil-cauliflower mix, tahini, lemon juice, spoonful each of garlic and miso (if using), and a drizzle of olive oil; add seasonings–zaatar and/or parsley work well here–if desired.
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Blend on High for 30 seconds, then manually stir or swish contents around to break up any lumps; blend again for another 20-30 seconds.
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While you can serve right away, cooling in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving will thicken the spread.
Serve
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For an infant, scoop this right on his/her plate and allow your child to eat with hands or a spoon; for a toddler, you can spread on toast, crackers, pita chips, and/or crunchy vegetables as a snack, light lunch, or side to dinner.
Adapt
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You can of course make this with chickpeas, the traditional/typical legume of choice for hummus: boil half a can of garbanzo beans with a bit of baking soda for six minutes, then allow to cool; blend with the cauliflower, tahini, lemon, a more generous pour of olive oil, and seasonings of choice.
