Many picky eaters struggle with texture sensitivity, which can make mealtime a bit of a challenge. Studies show that children with texture sensitivity may reject foods with certain consistencies, such as crunchy or slimy textures. The good news is that soups are a perfect solution—they blend ingredients into a smooth, uniform texture, making it easier for kids to accept new flavours without the discomfort of unwanted textures. 

These easy soup recipes are designed to reduce the texture challenge, turning mealtime into an enjoyable experience. Keep reading for some fun and simple ideas.

Soup-Time Struggles? Easy, Kid-Approved Recipes Are Here!

If your child turns away from anything with a spoon, it’s time to get creative. Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids by Dr Nick Fuller is filled with simple, tasty soup recipes designed to win over picky eaters. These easy-to-make dishes are perfect for introducing new flavours and textures without the stress.

Make mealtimes fun and nutritious! Grab your copy of Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids and start serving up soups they’ll love. 

5 Soup Recipes For Picky Kids

If your little one’s taste buds are more sensitive to textures than flavours, soups can be a game-changer. By blending ingredients into a smooth, creamy base, soups remove the worry of crunchy or slimy textures that picky eaters tend to avoid. This makes it easier to introduce new flavours while keeping the meal soft and comforting. Now, let's dive into some delicious and kid-friendly soup recipes that will please even the pickiest of eaters.

Butternut Pumpkin Soup

Using butternut pumpkin for this recipe creates a sweet and creamy soup. A perfect dish as the weather starts to get cooler. Soup is also great to make in a large batch and store in the fridge or freezer for pre-made meals throughout the week. Serve with crispy toasted wholemeal bread if desired. 

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 large butternut pumpkin, approximately 1kg, peeled and diced
• 3 small slices fresh turmeric (skin on), or 1 teaspoon dried turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• Cracked black pepper
• Greek yoghurt to serve, if desired

Recipe

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened. 
2. Add the chopped pumpkin to the pot along with the turmeric and cumin. Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour over the vegetable stock and turn up the heat to bring to the boil. 
3. Reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and falling apart when stirred.  
4. Remove the soup from the heat and use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending in batches in a blender. 
5. Return the soup to the heat to ensure it is heated through before serving. Divide between serving bowls and top with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and cracked black pepper. Enjoy! 

Pantry Soup

We are all guilty of hoarding canned foods in our pantries, so this is a recipe that will help you use up some of those cans. It is also perfect when you haven’t been grocery shopping recently, as it only requires some pantry staples. If you do not have any carrots, you can leave them out, and you can replace the tomato paste with some passata, depending on what is in your cupboard. 

Type: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Lactose Free

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1x 400g tin tomatoes
• 1L vegetable stock
• 1x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1x 400g tin lentils, drained and rinsed
• Chopped parsley, fresh or dried
• Cracked black pepper

Recipe

1. Heat a large saucepan or pot over low to medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the carrot and oregano and cook for a further 5 minutes. 
2. Add the tomato paste and tin tomatoes and stir through. Add the vegetable stock and bring soup to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. 
3. Add in the chickpeas and lentils and stir through the soup. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes until heated through. Stir through the chopped parsley and black pepper. 
4. Serve and enjoy!

Leek and Potato Soup

Leek and potato soup with a twist – the addition of fennel. Fennel adds a lovely flavour to this simple and creamy soup. Soup works well when made in large batches and stored in the fridge or freezer for future meals. This soup would also be great with some chunks of white fish, thrown in at the end of the recipe and simmered for a couple of minutes in the soup to cook through. 

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large leek, thinly sliced
• 1 large bulb of fennel, chopped
• 1L vegetable stock
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 100ml milk
• Cracked black pepper

Recipe

1. Heat a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, leek and fennel. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. 
2. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the potatoes. Increase the heat to medium and bring the soup to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are softened. 
3. Remove approximately half of the soup and add to a blender with the parsley, then blend until smooth. Pour this back into the pot with the remaining soup. Add in the milk and simmer for a couple more minutes.  
4. Serve the soup with cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of parsley. Enjoy!

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

The sweet potato and carrot give this soup a lovely, vibrant orange colour, as well as a hit of vitamins. The spices make this soup lovely and warming, perfect for colder days and picky kids will surely love.

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, chopped
• 1L vegetable stock
• Handful coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• Cracked black pepper
• Greek yoghurt, to serve 

Recipe

1. Heat a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Stir through the minced ginger and garlic. Add in chopped carrots and sweet potato then cook for another couple of minutes. Sprinkle in the coriander, chili flakes and pepper. 
2. Pour in the vegetable stock and turn up the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes until vegetables are tender. 
3. Remove approximately half of the soup and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Pour this back into the pot over the heat and stir through with the remaining soup, so that there are still vegetable chunks remaining. Add extra water if the soup is too thick. 
4. Serve the soup with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and an extra sprinkle of chilli flakes if desired. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato, Tomato and Chickpea Soup

This is another very simple recipe to cook overnight in a slow cooker on low heat, which takes away the burden of having to keep an eye on the stove for a couple of hours when using a saucepan.

Type: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Lactose Free

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-10 hours in a slow cooker

Ingredients

• 1 brown onion, chopped finely
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 baby eggplants (or 1 large eggplant), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1x400g tin whole or chopped tomatoes
• 1x400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Olive oil, for cooking

Recipe

1. Heat some oil in a frying pan and add onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat for three minutes, or until lightly browned.
2. Turn your slow cooker on low heat.
3. Transfer all the vegetables to the slow cooker and add the tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, and stock. 
4. Cook on low heat for 6-10 hours (this soup will be sufficiently cooked after 3 hours if you are pushed for time).
5. Using a potato masher, mash the mixture together. You can leave some chunks of cooked vegetable whole. Stir in the chopped parsley, season with black pepper, and serve. 

If soup isn’t cutting it, why not try rice? It’s another great option that helps balance textures, making mealtime a bit easier for picky eaters. Check out this article for more tips!

Final Thoughts

Mealtime doesn’t have to be a battle, especially when you have soups on your side. By embracing smooth textures and flavoursome ingredients, you can make eating enjoyable for picky kids without the stress. These simple and delicious soup recipes not only appeal to fussy eaters but also offer a fun way to introduce new ingredients. With a little creativity, you’ll turn mealtime into something your child looks forward to, one spoonful at a time.

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Meet Dr Nick Fuller

My Story

As a father, I know first-hand that raising healthy and happy children is tricky. Children are fussy, particularly at the end of the day when they are shattered. We also live in a society where companies seek to profit from what we feed our kids; incorrect and damaging advice is pushed on us and marketed towards our children, and we have no time.

But with these recipes and resources, you and your children can enjoy simple and well-founded food and lifestyle choices for lifelong health.