Have the kids help you measure and weigh ingredients and stir things together (show them how to safely stir over the heat and keep a close eye on them). For more tips on cooking with kids check out Kids in the Kitchen.
The vegetables have taken over the noodles in East Asia. There are showdowns from China, to Japan and Korea, and the kids need your help to defeat their monstrous plan. Your mission is to help the kids find them and eat them to defeat them…
It’s time for a showdown!
Tea-time adventures make meals fun, turning eating into a game. It’s not just about the recipe—it’s about getting kids excited to eat their food. Soupa Dooper Noodle Showdown works for any noodle dish. We have suggested a broth with plenty of juice for slurping, but you can use any dish with noodles (and plenty of veg). Slurping is fun, so go for it – it can get a little messy, so watch the school uniform or best clothes. The key is using chunky vegetables. Avoid hiding or finely chopping the veg—presenting it in larger pieces gives your child control, allowing them to decide when or if they want to eat it. This sense of control encourages them to give it a try.
Join the “Eat Them to Defeat Them” challenge and watch the video together. Get the kids pumped up with the rally cry, “Time for a showdown!” as you prep the meal. Keep it fun and light-hearted—ask the kids if they want to help Chef Andrew to “defeat” the veggies without pressure, maybe throwing in fun phrases like “you’re going down veggies” or “let’s defeat them!”.
After the meal, praise, praise, praise – celebrate every win, big or small, like a sniff, a lick or a nibble, and try to steer away from talking about health or nutrition. Praise their efforts with a “Well done, we defeated the veggies!” and add a sticker to their Eat Them To Defeat Them wall chart (you can download one here). Ask if they’d like to try another challenge, and keep the veggie fun going!
Noddle Soup
Effort:
Complexity:
Cost:
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
200g diced chicken or beef strips, or veggie alternative
1 red pepper, sliced
100g sweetcorn (frozen is fine)
2 carrots, sliced as thinly as you can (or just use a veg peeler to peel thin strips)
100g white or green cabbage, shredded (sliced very thinly into strips or grate coarsely)
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 litre water
1 veg, chicken or beef stock cube
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
200g cooked noodles
Handful fresh coriander, chopped (optional)
Veg Portions / Serving: 2
The story for the kids is all about slurping your way to victory so we’d like this with a good broth for maximum slurping. We have recommended a noodle soup with plenty of slurp-icious broth. Here’s our recommended recipe, or you can simply adapt your own recipe – just keep the veg chunky and serve with a reminder to the children to Eat Them to Defeat Them and say “Time for a show down!”
Method:
Place a saucepan on the stove over medium heat and add the oil, chicken or beef, red pepper, sweetcorn, carrots, and cabbage. Cook for about 5-10 mins until the meat is well browned and the cabbage and carrots still have some hardness to them but are starting to soften. Add the spices and cook for another minute. If using veggie alternative, check packet instructions, but most cook quickly and can be added at the next step.
Add the water, vegetable stock cube, soy sauce and honey to the pan (and veggie alternatives, if using) and bring gently up to a simmer.
Add the noodles to the pan and continue to cook until everything is piping hot and cooked through (if your noodles are uncooked, don’t worry, just cook them quickly now, it usually only takes a couple of mins, and then add to the saucepan).
Remove from the stove and evenly portion into serving bowls, sprinkling with coriander as you serve if using.
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