👻 Halloween sale ends in👻 Ends in👻 Halloween sale: for a limited time only!–d–h–min–s
Ships from our CH warehouse – with you in 1–2 daysFree shipping from CHF 50Easy returnsSupport 7 days a week
EN · CHF
0
👻 Halloween sale ends in👻 Ends in👻 Halloween sale: for a limited time only!–d–h–min–s
LIINI Logo_Sticky
0
Baby food recipes

Kohlrabi Puree for Babies with Broccoli: A Simple Recipe

Kohlrabi Puree with Broccoli for Babies: A Fresh Serving with Potatoes and Canola Oil, with a Video. Also: when kohlrabi is in season, nitrates, and broccoli as finger food.

By the LIINI editorial teamUpdated 6 min read10 sources

Broccoli with kohlrabi
Contents

In short

To make this kohlrabi puree for your baby, parboil the kohlrabi and potatoes for 5 minutes, cook the broccoli with them for 7 minutes, drain the cooking water, and puree everything with canola oil. According to the BLV, kohlrabi is high in nitrates: Once you start introducing solid foods, it can be added to porridge occasionally; after the 7th month, it’s less of a concern. Serve the porridge immediately after cooking; do not keep it warm or reheat it. That’s why you’re only cooking 1 serving.

Kohlrabi has a mild, slightly sweet flavor, while broccoli adds color and a more robust vegetable flavor. This kohlrabi puree follows the basic recipe from the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV): 100 g vegetables, 50 g potatoes, canola oil. The potato complements the video and turns it into a complete lunch dish.

Recipe: Kohlrabi and Broccoli Puree

  • Age: preferably starting at 7 months
  • Amount: 1 serving
  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cooking time: 15 minutes
  • Freezing: Not recommended; eat fresh

Ingredients for 1 serving

  • 50 g kohlrabi, peeled (about ¼ of a small tuber), organic if possible
  • 50 g broccoli (4–5 small florets)
  • 50 g potato (1 small), as a supplement to the video
  • 1–2 teaspoons of canola oil (5–10 ml)
  • 300 ml water for cooking (to be discarded)
  • 3–4 tablespoons of fresh water for pureeing (45–60 ml)

Preparation

  1. Prepare the kohlrabi and potatoes. Wash your hands. Cut the leaves off the kohlrabi, peel the bulb generously, and remove any woody parts. Peel the potato as well, and dice both into pieces about 1 cm in size.
  2. Prepare the broccoli: Cut the broccoli into small florets and wash them thoroughly.
  3. Prep: Bring the water to a boil in a small pan (saucepan). Cook the kohlrabi and potatoes, covered, for 5 minutes.
  4. Cook the broccoli along with the rest. Add the florets and cook everything for another 7 minutes, until it’s completely tender.
  5. Drain and puree. Pour everything into a strainer. According to the BLV, you should not reuse the cooking water when preparing vegetables high in nitrates. Puree the vegetables with 3–4 tablespoons of fresh water until smooth.
  6. Stir in the oil and feed it right away. Stir in the canola oil, let the porridge cool briefly, and check the temperature with your own spoon. Feed him right away and throw away any leftovers.
The video shows how it is made. The amounts and steps in the recipe above follow the recommendations of expert bodies. Playing the video loads it from YouTube, which sets its own cookies.

When is kohlrabi puree appropriate for a baby? Age and Consistency

According to the BLV, you should start introducing solid foods no earlier than the beginning of the 5th month and no later than the beginning of the 7th month. To find out how to tell when your baby is ready, read the guide “Solid Foods: When and How to Start.”

  • Kohlrabi: According to the BLV, it is one of the nitrate-rich vegetables, along with fennel, beets, spinach, and Swiss chard. Nitrate can be converted into nitrite, which can impair oxygen supply in infants, especially during the first few months of life. Every now and then, kohlrabi can still be added to the baby food; according to the BLV, it’s less of a concern starting at 7 months.
  • Broccoli: According to the BLV, it is one of the low-nitrate vegetables that you can find in the 5. and Best for the 6th month, and suitable for the first baby food. For those very first spoonfuls, cook the broccoli on its own and puree it until smooth.
  • Consistency: Start by pureeing the food until it’s smooth; as the baby gets older, the puree can be coarser, according to the BLV. Then mash it with a fork.
  • Finger foods: According to the BLV, you can offer cooked vegetables—such as tender broccoli florets—for your baby to eat on their own starting at 6 months, or the 7th month, at the earliest. For more information, see the guide on baby-led weaning.

Kohlrabi and Broccoli: Tips and Variations

  • Low Nitrate Content: According to the BLV, organic vegetables contain less nitrate than conventional ones, while greenhouse vegetables contain more than seasonal outdoor-grown vegetables. Store the kohlrabi in a cool, dark place for a short time.
  • Remove the leaves: According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), nitrates accumulate particularly in the stems, leaf veins, and outer green leaves. That’s why the kohlrabi leaves aren’t included in the baby food.
  • Peeling potatoes: According to the BfR, young children should only eat peeled potatoes; do not use green or sprouting ones.
  • Introducing green vegetables: The British National Health Service (NHS) recommends offering less sweet vegetables, such as broccoli, early on so your baby can get used to a variety of flavors.

Variants:

  • With meat or fish: Cook 10 g of lean meat (about 2 tsp), cut into small pieces, from the very beginning; according to the BLV and SGE, this should be introduced no later than the 7th month. Starting on 9 through For the 10th month, the SGE recommends 20 g. According to the BLV, the same amount of boneless salmon fillet can be used instead of meat. Cook thoroughly.
  • Vegetarian with rolled oats: After draining, stir 10 g of whole-grain rolled oats into the fresh water and add 3½ tablespoons of fruit puree. According to “Gesund ins Leben,” adding more fruit juice or fruit puree increases the absorption of iron from grains and vegetables.
  • Broccoli and Potato Puree for Stockpiling: Use 100 g of broccoli and leave out the kohlrabi. If you don’t have nitrate-rich vegetables, you can cook the baby food ahead of time, freeze it, and take it with you on the go, as described in the guide *Making Your Own Baby Food *.

Storage and on the go: Kohlrabi puree—only when fresh

Kohlrabi puree isn’t the kind of puree you’d want to stock up on. According to the BLV, your baby should eat nitrate-rich vegetables immediately after they are prepared, without keeping them warm or reheating them. This minimizes the formation of nitrites.

Attention

So don’t put the baby food in the refrigerator to save for later, don’t freeze it, and don’t take it with you in a baby food warmer or insulated container, because all of that would mean having to reheat it later. Don’t cook it until your baby is hungry. If they only eat a few spoonfuls, cook half the amount.

For outings, it’s best to make a puree with low-nitrate vegetables, such as pumpkin puree with rice or zucchini and potato puree. Cool it down quickly, take it with you while it’s still cold, and reheat it once you get there. You can find out how to do this in the guide “Keeping Baby Food Warm on the Go.”

Frequently Asked Questions

When can my baby start eating kohlrabi?

Once you start introducing solid foods, give it to them every now and then—at the earliest, starting at the beginning of the 5th month. Because kohlrabi contains a lot of nitrate, the BLV recommends that low-nitrate vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, or squash are better choices for a baby’s first spoonfuls. According to the BLV, kohlrabi is less of a concern starting in the 7th month.

Is kohlrabi high in nitrates?

Yes. The BLV classifies kohlrabi, along with fennel, beets, spinach, and Swiss chard, as nitrate-rich vegetables, while broccoli is classified as nitrate-poor. That’s why you should cook the kohlrabi porridge fresh, drain the cooking water, and serve it right away.

Can I freeze or reheat kohlrabi purée?

No. According to the BLV, you should serve porridge made with nitrate-rich vegetables, such as kohlrabi, immediately after preparing it; do not keep it warm or reheat it. Freezing it, therefore, doesn’t make sense, because thawed porridge would have to be reheated. Broccoli and potato puree without kohlrabi is a good choice for stocking up.

When can my baby start eating broccoli?

Starting when you begin introducing solid foods—that is, no earlier than the beginning of the 5th month and no later than the beginning of the 7th month. The BLV lists broccoli as a vegetable suitable for a baby’s first puree and classifies it as a low-nitrate variety. According to the BLV, tenderly cooked florets are suitable as finger food starting at 6 months at the earliest—that is, starting in the 7th month.

Sources

  1. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Frequently Asked Questions, Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV)
  2. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Recipes, Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV)
  3. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Complementary Feeding, Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV)
  4. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers (Brochure, 2020, PDF), Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV)
  5. Questions and Answers on Nitrate and Nitrite in Food, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
  6. Questions and Answers About Solanine in Potatoes (PDF), Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
  7. Fact Sheet: Infant Nutrition in the First Year of Life (2024, PDF), Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE)
  8. Vegetable, Potato, and Grain Porridge, “Healthy Start to Life” Network
  9. Starting at around 6 months, NHS Best Start in Life
  10. Hygiene Related to Infant Nutrition, kindergesundheit-info.de, Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG)
0