Parsnip & Carrot Purée for Baby, With or Without Ham (From 4 or 6 Months)

Today I decided to make a parsnip and carrot purée for my daughter.
Parsnip is one of those forgotten root vegetables, but it’s such a wonderful option for babies! Its flavor is naturally mild and slightly sweet, perfect for little taste buds. It pairs beautifully with carrot, so I thought… let’s turn it into a purée!

Parsnip is super easy to cook (just like carrots and potatoes). It can be introduced from 4 months of age, or whenever baby starts solids.

I also added a small potato to this purée to bring in a gentle starchy element.

As for the ham, it’s totally optional. Without ham, this purée is perfect from 4 months. With ham, it’s best to wait until baby is 6 months old. Personally, for my 9-month-old daughter, I blended the ham separately and added it to just a few portions before freezing. That way, I can offer her the veggie-only purée for dinner, and add some protein at lunchtime, so convenient!

Here’s what you need to make this parsnip and carrot purée (with or without ham) for baby, makes 3 portions:

Ingredients

For 3 servings :

• 250 g (8.8 oz) parsnip (peeled)
• 200 g (7 oz) carrot (peeled)
• 50 g (1.8 oz) potato (peeled)
• 40 g (1.4 oz) ham (from 6 months only, reduced salt – adjust quantity based on baby’s age)

Preparation

Let’s start with the parsnip.
It’s very easy to prepare. Just like with carrots and potatoes, give it a good wash, peel it, and slice it into rounds about 0.5 cm thick (around 1/4 inch).
Place the slices into your steamer basket.

The carrot is just as simple to prepare.
Wash it, peel it, and cut it into small rounds.
Then add the slices on top of the parsnip in the steamer basket.

We’re adding a small potato to this purée.
Wash it, peel it, and slice it into rounds as well.
Add it to the other vegetables in the steamer basket…

Cooking

Time to cook!
I made this baby purée in the Cookeo using pressure cook mode for 9 minutes.
If you’re using a regular steamer, cook for about 12 minutes.
Don’t hesitate to check that your veggies are nice and tender before blending.

Now onto blending. As I mentioned earlier, for my 9-month-old daughter, I blend the ham separately:

1 – To give a bit more texture to her purées at her age
2 – So I can add ham to some portions, but not all of them…

For a 6-month-old baby, I recommend blending everything together if you’re using ham — that way the purée stays perfectly smooth.
If your baby is younger than 6 months → No meat!

When blending, add some of the cooking water until you reach the desired purée texture.
BLEND AWAY!

And there you have it, your Parsnip and Carrot Purée (with or without ham) for baby is ready.

Bon appétit, little one!