Sample Recipe: Easy Alphabet Soup

Level 2 / Active time: 15 mins. / Cook time: 20 mins. / Dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian / Serves 4

1. Together, use a child-safe knife to cut the carrot, celery, and green beans into small pieces. Put the carrot and celery in a small bowl, keeping the green beans separate.

2. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil. Assist your child in carefully adding the onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch or two of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened slightly, about 5 minutes.

3. Together, add the marinara sauce, broth or water, and green beans. Holding the top of a long-handled spoon with your toddler, carefully stir. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the frozen vegetables. Turn off the heat and taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and allow to cool (or add an ice cube to speed up the process).

4. Instead of adding all the cooked alphabet pasta to the soup, pour soup into individual bowls and then add the desired amount of pasta directly into each bowl. This way leftover pasta can be saved separately without absorbing too much of the liquid over time. Once you've spooned out each bowl of soup, sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Level 2:

Try these recipes after cooking together a few times. Recipes may involve more chopping or steps that require toddler independence. A few level 2 recipes require some stove-top cooking, but use your discretion as to how much your toddler participates in those steps.