I am all about super quick and easy meals when it comes to feeding the kids (and myself, to be honest!). This spinach pesto is cooked and ready in 5 minutes which is just perfect when you have hungry children at your feet! It’s also dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free, making it an excellent option for those with allergies (or who follow a vegan diet).
This recipe is a fab way to get some spinach into your baby or toddler’s mealtimes. Spinach is a bitter vegetable and one that I recommend offering for those “first tastes”. This pesto is an easy way to keep up repeated exposure to this vegetable during those “next steps” as it can be a hard one for babies to accept at first. This is because the flavour is so different to what they’re used to, so it can take some time before they’re asking for more!
Spinach cooks very quickly and is a good source of vitamins and minerals such as iron and calcium, and chickpeas are a great source of protein and fibre too! I love using tinned chickpeas as they’re prepped and ready to go. Just ensure that they come in water and don’t contain added salt.
Ingredients
- 1 handful of spinach
- 1 handful of chickpeas (drained from the tin)
- ¼ garlic clove, chopped
- Olive oil
Method
- Add the garlic to the pan with a little olive oil and fry for a couple of minutes.
- Add the spinach and chickpeas to the pan and leave until wilted.
- Blend the cooked ingredients. You may need to add a little more oil or water.
- Serve on cooked pasta.


I usually add this pesto to cooked pasta, but you could even spread it on toast for an easy lunch or serve it as a dip with some potato fingers. This recipe is entirely plant-based, but if your child does eat cheese, you could even add a little sprinkle to the top. I always serve this with a couple of extra steamed veggies or some fruit on the side.
I LOVE pesto not only because it’s quick but because you can play around with the ingredients. Take a look at some of my other versions – Green Avocado Pesto and Homemade Pesto.
You can also check out my Salmon Pesto Pasta recipe in my book How To Wean Your Baby, which has over 50 tasty recipes which the whole family will enjoy.


Charlotte’s Book

