Okra couscous has long been a baby food favorite around here! The couscous helps bind the okra to make it easier to feed to baby.
In my homemade baby food making journey, I got to the point on my list where okra was in the next batch of vegetables I wanted to introduce to M. "Hmm, okra," I thought.
I love okra. I love it roasted and I love it in a quick sauté with tomatoes and onions and peppers. My husband makes a shrimp and okra gumbo that’s delicious.
It’s a very Southern food and it’s oh so good. You really don’t have to fry it to make it yummy.
But for a baby? You have to puree it. And that gets a bit messy.
It’s slimy. The various ways I eat it, it's not slimy at all. But once you cook it until soft and puree it? Yes. Slime central.
I wouldn’t have been able to spoon that into her little mouth in a million years all by itself, so I decided to mix it with some whole wheat couscous. It absorbs right into the okra puree and they mix up to a great spoonable solution.
Except for the “eww” factor.
I’ll be the first one to tell you, I think this is a little icky. It’s the only thing I have ever made for my babies that I did not want to eat myself.
So why would you do it? Why would you make this green goo and then serve it to your sweet baby?
Because it's wholesome and a great way to introduce new foods to your little one. And cause I'm not kidding, my kids kept eating it long past the baby years. They ate it all through preschool, into their early elementary school years.
It's been a great way to get in a big dose of veggies in them.
Okra couscous. Who knew?!
I hope your sweet little ones enjoy it as much as mine have.
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. My cookbook, Healthy, Quick & Easy Baby Food, is available on Amazon. It's got all the info you need to get started and 100 recipes ranging from single purees to combinations to finger foods and toddler foods.
Okra Couscous
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat couscous
- 1 ½ cups water, divided
- 1 16- oz. bag frozen cut okra
Instructions
- Prepare the couscous: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small pot.
- Pour in couscous and gently swirl so that all of the couscous is covered by the water.
- Put the lid on the pot, turn off the burner and remove from the heat.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes, then uncover, fluff with a fork and put into a medium bowl.
- Prepare the okra: Bring ½ cup of water to a boil in a large pot.
- Add the bag of frozen okra.
- Wait for the water to return to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat and let simmer for 8-10 minutes, until very tender.
- Put it all together: Transfer the cooked okra to a blender — or use an immersion blender — and puree until smooth.
- Pour the pureed okra over the couscous and mix very well to combine.
- Let cool then portion into small servings and serve to your little one or refrigerate for later.
Stephanie
This post made me laugh - I just made okra puree for my baby to introduce more interesting vegetables and was also wondering "Why would you make this green goo and then serve it to your sweet baby?"
Kathryn
Ha, I know, it's so slimy right?! But that couscous definitely helps hold it together and you know what? Both of my children (now ages 7 and almost 5 years old) STILL eat this up! It grosses me out a little, but I'm happy they are getting some veggies!