Get Your Kids In The Kitchen (with Homemade Tomato Soup)

5 from 1 vote

tomatoes-in-collandar-recipe

Some days I laugh when I see how hard this generation of parents must work to teach their kids about real food. But we need to. When I recently interviewed a group of octogenarians, they all mentioned that “from-scratch” cooking while they were young was just called, uh, cooking. There were no boxes or bags. Since their era, childhood obesity has climbed and right along with it are other health complications like type 2 diabetes, elevated blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, cholesterol disorder, and even psychological problems. It’s not all grim, though! According to the American Heart Association, involving children in preparing food is a contributing factor in sticking to a healthy diet.

Although it takes a bit more time and a few extra dishes, I decided to allow my toddlers into the kitchen. I want their food paradigm to be closer to that of their great-grandparents. But just how do you involve these little monsters?

I remember the first time I let Big P, age 4, crack an egg. I let him do it over the mixing bowl, and there were little shards of shells and a boy with slimy hands. I was irritated and he knew it. Another time he freely dumped in salt without my knowledge. Again, I was irritated.

I finally decided that an annoyed mother wasn’t going to give him that delightful happiness-in-the-kitchen feeling. So I developed a few strategies to set him up for success. Like for the egg, I brought a little ceramic bowl down to his level. Then I could pick out any shells before letting him slide the eggs into the main mixing bowl. Phew. Now Big P is confident in this task and rarely leaves any lingering shells.

Kids washing tomatoes

Now I also include Middle E, age 2 1/2, with similarly easy tasks. He is great at dumping in pre-measured ingredients, punching down dough, and grating fresh nutmeg onto his oatmeal.

But I wasn’t about to let them use knives. No way. That was until I read the book Pretend Soup by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson. This cookbook is geared toward helping parents work alongside their preschoolers in the kitchen. And they use knives.

I now allow my boys to use steak knives, peelers, and kitchen shears. It took some getting used to, and there were even a few cuts. But after some safety tutorials and modeling, they can successfully cut a cucumber or tomato. Check out the book for their safety rules if you are still skeptical.

Here are some basic rules for you as you begin to let little people into the kitchen:

Tip 1: Set them up for success and safety.

Give them their own work space and kitchen tools. Make sure they work on a stable surface. Review knife rules.

Tip 2: Don’t assign them a task that could ruin the meal.

Kitchen confidence grows as kids do tasks successfully – so give them simple jobs like whisking, stirring, measuring, or counting. Measure ingredients into bowls and let kids dump them in. As they grow, they can do the measuring on their own.

Tip 3: Plan toddler help on the weekend or a night without other commitments.

Start including your kids in the kitchen when you have more time. You will be less stressed because there is no rush to get to soccer practice or a guitar lesson.

Tip 4: Give them clear instructions & give praise for following them.

This is a big one. Be obvious about the task you are asking them to complete. Don’t assume anything with toddlers and their logic. Try reading the recipe out loud first and rereading it as you go along together. This way you won’t go crazy when they’ve dumped in too much of the wrong thing. (I’ve totally been there.)

Tip 5: Stick together.

Supervision is a big deal for little people. They need a happy, patient big person near them talking them through the recipe. Plus, you’ll genuinely love the time together playing in dusty flour.

Kids helping in the kitchen

I decided for October Unprocessed we had to make tomato soup. I grew up on the canned stuff. A lot of the canned stuff. The timing was just perfect because we just hauled in our very last garden tomatoes. In honor of the great-grandparents I used a recipe from 1945 as my starting point. This recipe included a few awesome toddler-appropriate jobs. My boys peeled off the tomato skins, poured water, stirred, and snipped. Big P garnished the soups with fresh basil that he picked from our garden. But don’t panic – he didn’t run to the garden while carrying the scissors.

Homemade Tomato Soup

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Tomato Soup

By: Adapted by Allison Howe from The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer, 1945
This recipe included a few awesome toddler-appropriate jobs. My boys peeled off the tomato skins, poured water, stirred, and snipped. Big P garnished the soups with fresh basil that he picked from our garden. But don’t panic – he didn’t run to the garden while carrying the scissors.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 3 cups

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups water
  • 3 cups tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped (can also use 2 15-ounce cans)
  • 3 tablespoons butter, or vegan substitute
  • 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • 1 medium carrot, small dice
  • 1 stalk of celery, small dice
  • ½ yellow onion, small dice
  • 2 cloves garlic

Spices:

  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns

For the garnish:

  • Plain yogurt and fresh basil

Instructions 

  • In your favorite soup pot, cook butter, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic over medium high heat. After about 5 minutes, add flour and spices. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add water and tomatoes and reduce the temperature to low. Let the soup cook for about one hour, stirring occasionally.
  • Once the soup has thickened and reduced in volume a bit, it is ready to be blended. Remove the whole spices using a slotted spoon. Carefully puree the soup: Use an immersion blender, or allow to cool enough to transfer safely to a blender or food processor.
  • Garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and fresh basil. Enjoy with your favorite people.

Notes

Note on peeling fresh tomatoes: Place tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes, then move them to a bowl or sink full of cold water. The skins will peel off very easily. This is a really entertaining job for kids.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 150mg, Potassium: 505mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 5080IU, Vitamin C: 25.1mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 0.9mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About the Author

Alli Howe, MPH, CHES began parenthood with a lot of anxiety, but quickly traded in her panic for a fun, positive approach to family health. She uses her training in marketing and health education to rally people around healthy living. Her day job is leading preventative health services for a regional health department and serves on city council by night. When she makes it home she loves riding bikes with her four kids, hunky husband, and nine chickens. You can find some of her health writing gems at Don’t Panic Mom. Follow her on FacebookInstagramPinterest, and Twitter. “

A photo of Andrew Wilder leaning into the frame and smiling, hovering over mixing bowls in the kitchen.

Welcome to Eating Rules!

Hi! My name is Andrew Wilder, and I think healthy eating doesn’t have to suck. With just three simple eating rules, we'll kickstart your journey into the delicious and vibrant world of unprocessed food.

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18 Comments
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Emma
October 30, 2012 12:47 pm

Made the Tomato Soup tonight – was really good, finished it off with some milk to make it creamy – have a load left, so will prob. can it I think – will that work? Thanks for the recipe.

Allison
October 18, 2012 9:54 pm

I would love to see pics of your living room garden. Have you done indoor winter gardens before?

October 18, 2012 10:56 am

My son only comes into the kitchen to pillage, but my daughter loves to cook with me. We will be growing tomatoes over the winter inside, and this looks like a great recipe to go to when we have our first living room harvest! Thanks for the idea!

Marge Evans
October 17, 2012 7:50 pm

I have fond memories of my son and I making lunches in our kitchen together. Mine for work, his for school. Later when he was 8 I put him in charge of chopping all the veggies, of course under my supervison. You can not believe the criticism of my peers. Allowing an 8 year to handle a sharp knife. Later as a mixed-up teen when there were heavy chores, I would say fine,I’ll do the work “just make dinner”.. my son is now 34, a chef, and I envy his knife skills. Allison getting you kids in the kitchen is the best life skills you can give them.

Allison
Reply to  Marge Evans
October 18, 2012 9:52 pm

Your encouragement made me feel invincible today! Thanks for the great story about you and your son in the kitchen.

October 17, 2012 3:49 pm

These are great tips for getting started with younger kids in the kitchen. My kids feel so “grown up” and helpful when I invite them to cook or bake with me. I love it!

My daughter enjoyed her first grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup this weekend and fell in love! Can’t wait to share this recipe with her. thanks

Allison
Reply to  Gina Rau
October 17, 2012 4:28 pm

I’m so glad you mentioned that kids feel great when they can contribute in the kitchen. They feel even better when it’s healthy and delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

October 17, 2012 12:12 pm

So many children are disconnected where their food comes from. It helps to connect them to the source when they make it from scratch – expecially meat products.

Emily
October 17, 2012 9:04 am

my DS is 5 months, and I am so excited to get him interested in and excited about cooking! I loved helping my mom in the kitchen when I was little.

Allison
Reply to  Emily
October 17, 2012 1:33 pm

A sweet 5 month old can definitely enjoy being in the kitchen with you. He can be your sidekick and wield a wooden spoon! Alan Greene, author of Feeding Baby Green, wrote about letting babies watch real food being handled, like watching mom peel a banana when he’s ready for solids. Enjoy your little chef!

Nicole
Reply to  Allison
October 18, 2012 5:02 am

I always wore a wrap with my son in it when he was an infant. Now he’s 18 months and I have him help pour items into the bowl. I love teaching him and he loves helping me in the kitchen.

October 17, 2012 8:22 am

Great tips! I agree–cheerleading is a big part of kids’ kitchen success. Such a fun recipe to make together!

October 17, 2012 8:03 am

Great advice, Allison. My niece (now almost 5) loves helping in the kitchen, so when we’re all home for holidays, I always cook with her. When she was 3 we made crab cake eggs Benedict because hey, why not?

We don’t have kids yet, but I always helped my parents cook growing up and I can’t imagine not teaching our kids the same way.

Allison
Reply to  Stacy Spensley
October 17, 2012 1:18 pm

Aunt Stacy Rocks! You don’t have to be a parent to help kids learn about real food. Bravo!

Cheryl
October 17, 2012 7:25 am

Thanks, Allison! I no longer have kids at home, but am looking forward to cooking with grand kids someday. One of my favorite meals is grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. All I need to do now is learn to bake my own bread and I’m ready! 🙂

Reply to  Cheryl
October 17, 2012 9:44 am

I totally agree – there is something so comforting about grilled cheese with tomato soup. I hope you love the recipe!