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Baby Hummus with Steamed Vegetable Batons

Homemade hummus makes a great addition to a nutritious little meal for your baby, made by blending chickpeas and tahini paste with a splash of lemon juice and olive oil. The smooth mixture is packed with protein from the chickpeas and good fats, such as omega 3 and 6, from the tahini paste (made from sesame seeds) and oil.

I made a batch, took out three baby portions, then added salt and pepper, garlic and more oil to the remainder for the adults to enjoy. Other vegetable purées can be added to the baby hummus to create variety in flavours. Today, I mixed in some broccoli and pear, for example, yesterday, soft sweet potato.

At six months old, Iolo and I are doing a mixture of Baby Led Weaning and purées, so while spoon-feeding him the flavoured baby hummus, I offered steamed vegetable batons for him to chew on and a small piece of wholemeal pitta bread.

Baby Hummus
Makes 1 large bowl
Preparation time 5 mins

1 tin chickpeas
1 tsp tahini paste
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Pinch black pepper

For adults: add salt, 1 clove of crushed garlic and more olive oil if you like)

1. Drain off your chickpeas, leaving them in a little of their own water.
2. Place them in a mixing bowl and add in the tahini, oil and lemon juice.
3. Blend until smooth with a hand blender. I added a bit of black pepper too.
4. Remove 4-5 tbsp of the hummus and set aside in a separate bowl.
5. Season the remainder with salt and add garlic and more oil if you like.
6. Mix other vegetable purées into the hummus for your baby, if desired. Fruits like mango also work!
7. Watch your baby taste and enjoy! Serve with steamed vegetables and a piece of bread if your they are experimenting with holding foods and chewing.

Adult hummus