Clear and Savory Shrimp Ball Soup for Babies
A Warm Broth Dish for Babies 10 Months and Older: Shrimp Ball Soup
This Shrimp Ball Soup is perfect for the cooler weather we’re having. It has a refreshing and savory broth that’s delicious! You can make it mild and comforting for your little one, adjusting ingredients like egg and baby soy sauce to suit their taste.
Main Ingredients- 5 large fresh shrimp
- Shrimp balls (optional)
- 46g firm tofu
- 17g onion
- 39g zucchini
- 50g radish
- 1 egg
- 500ml anchovy and kelp broth
- 1 Tbsp baby soy sauce (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, finely dice all the vegetables (onion, zucchini, radish) and tofu into small, bite-sized cubes suitable for your baby. For the shrimp, peel them, remove the devein, and finely mince them using a food processor or chopper until you have a paste.
Step 2
Pour 500ml of anchovy and kelp broth into a pot. Add the diced radish first and bring it to a boil. Cooking the radish beforehand helps to extract its refreshing flavor into the broth.
Step 3
Once the broth is bubbling vigorously, add the diced zucchini and onion and let them cook. If you are using pre-made shrimp balls, add them at this stage as well. The shrimp balls will add a gentle umami flavor to the soup.
Step 4
When the vegetables are slightly tender, add the minced shrimp paste. Break it up gently to prevent clumping. As the shrimp cooks, it will release a subtle sweetness and flavor into the broth.
Step 5
Finally, add the diced tofu and slowly pour in the beaten egg while gently stirring to create ribbons. Adding the egg is optional. If your baby enjoys the natural taste and aroma of shrimp, omitting the egg might allow them to better appreciate the pure shrimp flavor. It’s a good idea to taste the broth before adding the egg and decide based on your baby’s preferences!
Step 6
Using baby soy sauce is also optional. The anchovy broth and the shrimp themselves already provide a good amount of savory flavor, so you might not need to add any extra seasoning. Taste the soup before serving and add just a tiny amount of baby soy sauce if necessary.
Step 7
This was my first time making this baby shrimp ball soup, and I realized the process isn’t too different from making soup for adults. Honestly, adding the egg at the end was a bit different from what I expected. While my taste and my baby’s might differ, before adding the egg, the soup had a clear, refreshing shrimp aroma. After adding the egg, it transformed into something more like an egg drop soup with the sweetness of the vegetables. The flavor profile changed quite significantly.
Step 8
With the egg incorporated, the shrimp flavor became much more subtle. While I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t the exact shrimp ball soup flavor I had envisioned, I also realized that for babies who aren’t huge fans of strong shrimp flavors, the reduced shrimp aroma might actually make it more appealing. Since every baby has different preferences, it’s important to experiment and find the style your baby enjoys the most.
