In another time of my life, I worked in highly decorated kitchens. The kinds of establishments where you couldn’t find a finger print or any sign of human life anywhere in a fortress of stainles steel and glass. The kind of places where you had your tweezers with you at all times, and used them to pluck the tiniest mint leaves from the stems, to pick up elements of a dish and lay them on a plate, all the while witnessing your own sweat run down your nose as you fretted about the tiny things that were really big things in these environments.
But nothing about these places was as intimidating as making my tiny son dinner.
In this chapter of “Life of Leo,” dinner is occasionally really hard. He doesn’t want to stop playing. He learned the word “YUCK” at school and sometimes he throws it around. He doesn’t always want to come and eat at the table, or just flat out tells us that “IT IS NOT DINNERTIME.” These moments are particularly trying because 80% of the time he comes gleefully to the table and hops right up into his chair, eager to eat with us. But that other 20% crushes me.
Because making dinner from scratch after a long day is a lot. Trying to think up creative, interesting meals that we’ll all like takes a bit of extra brain power. And, while I know that this is just a phase, in the moments when he declines, protests and falls off the deep end, I feel like I’ve failed to do one of the most basic parental tasks: feed his little body what it needs.
The night that I peeked in the fridge, and came up with the dinner equation that was this soup, I wasn’t sure how it would go over…but it was what we had. So when Leo hopped up into his chair and started slurping noodles with his tiny spoon, making quiet little “yum” sounds, my heart grew four sizes. And then he asked for it again. And again. And I made it, again and again. And I’ll probably make it all winter long because we all love it…especially Leo.
Tom (ต้ม) in Thai means boiled, while phak (ผัก) means vegetables. Tom Phak is literally “boiled vegetable soup.” The inspiration came from a NYTimes recipe for tom kha that came across my recipe feed a few weeks back. But for a variety of reasons, I needed to make some tweaks. First, my partner Pete is allergic to fish which means no fish sauce, a staple in many Thai dishes. Next, we didn’t want anything too spicy. And third, we didn’t have a variety of the usual vegetable suspects on hand. But we DID have a lovely late-fall bounty (sweet potatoes, spinach, tomato, kohlrabi) and the result was divine.
Unclear. But there are a few reasons to make it for them just in the event that they love it.
Toddlers often have high Vata; after all they’re constantly being stimulated by new ideas and discoveries. Indications that your child has elevated vata are increased tantrums, difficulty focusing or “turning off,” constant movement…sounds like a toddler, right? When vata is too high kiddos can be prone to dryness, irregular digestion, and restlessness. Coconut milk, sweet potato and rice noodles are all nourishing, moist, grounding, soft and supportive to help ground the wind
Further toddlers/kids digestive systems are still developing. Too much spice or acidity can aggravate pitta. Ginger and lemongrass are soothing and boost digestion, while late summer tomatoes are cooling, and the creamy coconut broth helps to reduce acidity and inflammation, if these are an issue.
Lastly, toddlers have a tendancy towards sluggishness or congestion if they’re eating too many heavy, hard to digest foods. Examples are banana, yogurt, cheese, macaroni and cheese, chicken fingers, sweets and more. The aromatic spices in this soup help to lighten and promote healthy digestion, all while delivering antioxidants, micronutrients, proteins and fats to build tiny bodies.
…is a harmony of flavors and textures designed to bring balance to the body and mind. It starts with a few pantry staples – garlic, ginger, onion are all ingredients present in my winter pantry and I recommend them in yours too! Add creamy coconut milk and sweet potato provide grounding nourishment for Vata, while tender lemongrass and gentle spices support digestion and calm Pitta. The light, aromatic broth with seasonal vegetables and optional protein keeps Kapha energized and uplifted without heaviness. Every spoonful soothes, invigorates, and restores — a balanced, comforting meal for the whole family and every dosha.
I keep unsweetened coconut milk on hand all the time for just such an occasion, and now with this soup in the mix I’m regularly buying a couple stalks of lemongrass too – their presence realy brightens the soup and helps it to warm and brighten even the most blustery grey day.
This is just the kind of meal we’re all excited to eat this fall and winter, and coincidentally this is just bodies want…even tiny ones.
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