What nutritious foods can I hide in leek and potato soup

[Bronzenettle]

My youngest is a very fussy eater and there‘s not much fruit and veg or protein that he will eat.
I make pasta sauce with plenty of hidden veg in which he has a couple of times a week but he’s recently discovered he likes leek and potato soup so I’m wondering what I could sneak into that?
Would green lentils work? Spinach? Cabbage or cauliflower?
Any genius ideas?

I start it with pancetta for a bit of protein and finish it with cream.

My mum puts carrot, parsnip, onion, leek & potato in hers & uses double cream instead of milk.

I would not personally add cannellini beans to potato soup as it will be too starchy. I would put them in other soups like tomato based ones though. I think you could add add chicken, a bit of spinach and some peas to leek and potato soup.

My DS is so picky (ND and knows what he likes! I try to add spinach (frozen cubes from supermarket freezer section), and if time I'll grab mushroom, onions, yellow peas, squash ... sometimes fruits, all sorts, soften and blitz then add to sauces etc - I try to colour if it's gone strange colour (Tumeric if it's a yellow sauce or ketchup for red sauces)
You could try coconut milk in foods too for creaminess

I made leek and potato soup this week and added a tin of organic (usually softer texture) chickpeas. My kids wolfed it down.

If it's something that he likes, then I would be hesitant to alter too much in case he notices the change and stops eating the soup all together. Green lentils, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, parsnip are all things which I would pick up on and not welcome in a leek and potato soup (though I do like them all outside of that). I was also going to suggest white beans, which I frequently beans into soups. They are more likely to go unnoticed that green lentils, both colour and flavour wise.

The problem is the colour, if you are trying to hide stuff. More onion and garlic? You could add butter beans or try switching the potatoes for them, which I think would be lovely. You could try introducing other soups: chicken and sweetcorn noodle soup has always gone down well here and is very filling.

Finely shredded carrot
Puréed white bean thinned with stock
Chicken
Stir in canned pumpkin or smashed sweet potato, reduced one or two reg potato

Agree with homemade stock, once you can into the habit it's really no big deal.

The other day I made a duck, used the carcass and some veg for a stock and used that for a curry. It was literally only an extra storage container used.

I think green leafy veg would probably add green flecks to the soup. But yyy to basing it on homemade stock.

A can of something like butter beans blended in would add protein and may not be noticed.

Maybe protein powder supplement. It's tasteless but I am not sure what it's like when heated.

If he likes it, I wouldn't change it too much. Homemade veg or chicken stock. Use plenty of butter to sauté the leeks. Leave the skins on the potato. Cheesy croutons.

What about some nutritional yeast, it's got a cheesy taste to it and is great in soups.

You can whisk an egg into his portion just before serving.

White beans and homemade vegetable stock are brilliant ideas thank you. I will definitely go for them.
yes I am slightly reluctant to change too much in case this too goes off the list of approved foods but I think I’d get away with those.

And I will try other soups but getting him to try new things is difficult.
The leek and potato was a random event where he tried some of a friend’s in a flask when we were out with them!

Roasted garlic to soften pungent favour and onions add in.

Those suggesting cauliflower.

l hate cauliflower and can detest the tiniest bit.

Dont add cauliflower.

Actually you’ve reminded me that he’s liked cauliflower cheese in the past so might try that again

I add to the leek & potatoes- Celery, white onion, a clove of garlic, and either red or green lentils which help to thicken it too and once blended you can't tell there are lentils in. Whole milk added at the end to thin it out if needed.

It's the very soft kind - you find it in a box near the other Japanese food ingredients like sushi rice, etc. It's not in the fridges like firm tofu. If you blend it into sauces and soups, it adds creaminess as well as protein.

That was in reply to this, sorry - it didn't work for some reason.

I think leek, cauliflower and celery are all similarly appealing - speaking as someone who was 'fussy' as a child. And I agree white beans are great in 'white' soups and are not really noticeable. Chickpeas work that way too, pureed in.

I like leek and potato soup, in fact I made some for lunch today. Leeks, small onion, potatoes, chicken stock, job done. If you're worried about protein, add cream and/or cheese on top.
I am a fairly fussy eater. I like lentils, but adding them to leek and potato soup changes it into something else and I definitely wouldn't like that.
I would be able to detect anything in there that wasn't meant to be there, the idea of adding kale, spinach or anything else like that disgusts me. Don't ruin something that you know he will eat, try making something different instead.
I had a delicious butternut squash and coconut soup a while ago - that may be an option? It is mild and sweetish in taste - make it with a good stock and it's full of goodness.
Also, you could try giving him the option of adding extras on top of his soup IF HE WANTS THEM, like bacon bits, seeds, etc. Having the choice of adding extra yummy bits might help. It's all about the choice.

I've just used up some frozen broccoli 🥦 in a leek and potato soup - just added few chilli flakes and a bit of cream to make it nicer

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/leek-broccoli-soup-with-cheesy-scones

You can make a cauli cheese soup with onion, potato and cauli, veg or chicken stock then finish with milk or cream and stir in lots of grated cheese (also mustard for those that like it). Lovely.

Cashewnut/ almond butter.