As an Amazon Associate, KitchenWithMommy.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Carrot, celery, red pepper and onion, cooked down and blended into tomato soup until none of them are detectable as anything other than “tomato soup”. For a child whose objection is to visible or lumpy vegetables — which is most of them — this sidesteps the argument entirely.
One honest note about the name
Blending vegetables into a sauce or soup is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Announcing it afterwards is not — a triumphant “that had four vegetables in it!” costs you trust at the next meal, and children remember. Our guide to feeding a picky eater goes into why.
Serve it as tomato soup. That is what it is.
Blend it further than you think
The single most important step. A soup that is 95% smooth still has enough texture to be rejected, and you have done the work for nothing. Blend for a full two minutes, and if you want it genuinely silky, push it through a sieve afterwards.
A stick blender straight in the pan is easiest. A jug blender gives a smoother result — fill it no more than halfway with hot liquid, hold the lid down with a folded towel, and start slow. Hot soup in a sealed blender expands and will lift the lid off.
Why the sugar and the long soften matter
Tinned tomatoes are acidic and that acidity is what children read as “too sharp”. Cooking the vegetables slowly for a full ten minutes first draws out their natural sweetness, and a teaspoon of sugar balances the rest. Skip either and the soup tastes thin and sour.
Freezing
It freezes very well. Cool in shallow containers within two hours, then freeze in portions — best quality within two to three months, per standard guidance for soups. Reheat until steaming hot throughout.
