Category: Sides
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Beet and Vegetable Borscht Soup
Liquidized (IDDSI Level 3) Smooth foods that pour easily and require no chewing, but are moderately thicker than regular liquids. Beet and vegetable borscht is the kind of soup that’s earthy, gently sweet, and deeply savory in a way that builds rather than shouts. The beets give it color and body, but it’s the slow…
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Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Pureed (IDDSI Level 4) Completely smooth foods/extremely thick liquids with no lumps that hold their shape on a spoon and don’t require chewing. Some foods earn their place in the kitchen not because they’re flashy, but because they’re endlessly useful. Creamy polenta is one of those quiet workhorses. When it’s cooked loose and well hydrated,…
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Savory Yogurt & Dill Bowl
Liquidized (IDDSI Level 3) Smooth foods that pour easily and require no chewing, but are moderately thicker than regular liquids. This dish is inspired by the long tradition of savory yogurt preparations found across Turkish and broader Eastern Mediterranean cooking. Yogurt isn’t treated as a sweet base there. It’s a cooling, grounding food, paired with…
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Creamy Zucchini & Leek Soup
Liquidized (IDDSI Level 3) Smooth foods that pour easily and require no chewing, but are moderately thicker than regular liquids. Soup is one of those quietly dependable foods. Mild, familiar, and naturally smooth, it works especially well at Liquidized (IDDSI Level 3), where cohesion and predictability matter more than boldness. This creamy zucchini and leek…
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White Miso Ginger Soup Sipper
Liquidized (IDDSI Level 3) Smooth foods that pour easily and require no chewing, but are moderately thicker than regular liquids. Living on sweet drinks gets tiring fast. Even when they’re nutritionally complete, repeated sweetness can dull appetite and make eating feel like a chore. Savory options like this white miso ginger soup sipper are often…
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Falafel Bake
Minced & Moist (IDDSI Level 5) Soft foods that are finely chopped and held together with moisture so they don’t crumble or fall apart. Falafel has always been about contrast; a crisp shell giving way to a tender, spiced center. For many people with chewing or swallowing changes, that very contrast can make it off-limits.…
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Squash and Sausage Casserole
Minced & Moist (IDDSI Level 5) Soft foods that are finely chopped and held together with moisture so they don’t crumble or fall apart. When I first started adapting recipes for people with dysphagia, I noticed how often soups were the go-to “safe” choice, but with dysphagia, the truth can a bit more complex. Smooth…
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Apple and Carrot Tzimmes
Pureed (IDDSI Level 4) Completely smooth foods/extremely thick liquids with no lumps that hold their shape on a spoon and don’t require chewing. Tzimmes is a dish that has been simmered, swapped, and sweetened in countless kitchens across Eastern Europe for centuries. Though its name comes from Yiddish roots, its heart belongs to the larger…
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Spiced Maple Sweet Potato Casserole
Pureed (IDDSI Level 4) Completely smooth foods/extremely thick liquids with no lumps that hold their shape on a spoon and don’t require chewing. Creating meals that are accessible and flavorful is at the heart of my mission as both a speech-language pathologist and a cook. Each dish needs to be enjoyable for all, regardless of…
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Ambrosia Salad
Minced & Moist (IDDSI Level 5) Soft foods that are finely chopped and held together with moisture so they don’t crumble or fall apart. Tropical fruit and citrusy sweetness mingle with a protein fortified whipped topping to bring chewing ease to this nostalgic minced and moist ambrosia. Ambrosia salad first gained popularity in the late…