Sweet potato and coconut soup
A smooth, mild soup of sweet potato, carrot and onion simmered in water and coconut milk, with a little ginger and no salt or stock. Blend it thick for your baby. If coconut is new, offer a little on its own first.
- From
- 6 months
- Time
- 40 min
- Makes
- 2 adults and 1 baby, with leftovers
No top allergens
Ingredients
- 2 mediumsweet potatoesabout 500 g (1 lb 2 oz)
- 1 mediumcarrot
- 1onionfinely chopped
- 1 tspgrated fresh gingeroptional
- 200 ml (generous ¾ cup)canned coconut milkunsweetened, with no added sugar; not sweetened cream of coconut. If your child has a tree nut allergy, ask your allergist before offering coconut
- 500 ml (2 cups)wateruse water, not ready-made stock, which is usually salty
- 1 tbspvegetable oil
Steps
- 1Wash your hands. Scrub the sweet potatoes and carrot under running water and peel them. Cut a few sticks about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in) from one sweet potato for your baby to dip, and cut the rest, and the carrot, into cubes about 2 cm (¾ in). Rinse and peel the onion, then chop it finely. If you use fresh ginger, rinse it, peel it and grate it very finely, throwing away any stringy bits.
- 2Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and cook the onion gently for about 10 minutes, stirring, until very soft and see-through. Add the ginger for the last minute, without letting it brown.
- 3Add the sweet potato cubes and sticks, the carrot and the water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer. After 10 to 15 minutes, lift out the sweet potato sticks with a slotted spoon as soon as one squashes easily between your thumb and finger, before they fall apart, and set them aside. Keep simmering the rest for about 20 minutes in all, until the sweet potato and carrot fall apart when you press them with a spoon. Stir in the coconut milk and heat until it just bubbles. Don't add salt or stock.
- 4Blend until smooth, or mash with a potato masher, leaving soft lumps, once your baby is used to eating. Take your baby's portion out now, before any salt or seasoning goes in. It should be thick enough to stay on a spoon when you tip it; if it's runny, simmer it uncovered for a few minutes.
- 5Spread your baby's portion in a shallow bowl to cool, stirring. Soup holds heat, so stir it well and check the temperature before serving: it should feel only just warm, never hot. Move any leftover coconut milk out of the can into a covered container in the fridge.
How to serve it by age
6 months+
Serve the soup thick, on a pre-loaded spoon your baby can hold, or let them scoop it up with their fingers. Offer the soft sweet potato sticks you set aside to dip.
9 months+
Leave soft lumps, or stir in small pieces of soft-cooked sweet potato no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Offer fingers of lightly toasted plain bread (no honey) or chapatti to dip once wheat has been introduced.
12 months+
Serve it from the unsalted family pot in a bowl with a spoon, with soft bread or rice. Keep it warm, not hot.
Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The AAP says fresh baby food should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning, and to introduce one new single-ingredient food every 3 to 5 days. It doesn't give an age for ginger. If you'd rather follow that closely, leave the ginger out, or ask your pediatrician. Coconut is no longer one of the major food allergens on US labels (FDA, 2025), so a "Contains" statement may not mention it, but it must still appear in the ingredient list.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says not to add salt, stock cubes or gravy to your baby's food or cooking water. It doesn't list ginger among foods to avoid. If you use ginger, keep it finely grated, cooked in and unsalted.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Leftovers and the rest of the family
Storing it
Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers and keep them covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze them in small portions for 2 to 3 months (coconut milk can separate after thawing: stir or blend it again). Reheat only the portion you need, and only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), or bring it to a rolling boil, stirring so there are no hot or cold spots. Let it cool and check the temperature before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl, and any soup left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
For the grown-ups
Take your baby's portion out first, then season the rest with salt, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of chili flakes or a spoonful of curry paste for the adults. Top with chopped cilantro (coriander).
Foods in this recipe
Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist
Tick off foods as your baby tries them. Print it or save it as a PDF, no sign-up needed.
Sources
- FDA: Frequently asked questions, food allergen labeling guidance for industry
- ACAAI: Tree nut allergy
- AAP: When can babies start solid foods?
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- USDA FSIS: Freezing and food safety
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children