The Most Comforting Chicken Soup (for You, Baby, and the Whole Family)

There’s something so grounding about a meal like this — a simple soup that feels both doable on a busy day and deeply nourishing at the same time.

When I make food like this, I’m reminded that nourishment doesn’t have to mean complicated recipes or fancy ingredients.

It’s the everyday meals — the ones made from what’s already in your kitchen — that often give the most back to your body.

This soup is rich in real protein and gentle stock — two things our bodies (and our babies) thrive on.

Protein is essential for growth, repair, and immune health — it’s what builds and maintains muscle, supports hormones, and keeps blood sugar balanced. When you pair protein with nutrient-rich stock and simple vegetables, you’ve got a meal that truly sustains you.

And then there’s the stock — not bone broth, but meat stock, which is slightly different.

Bone broth is simmered for many hours, sometimes overnight, and it extracts compounds that can be harder for sensitive tummies to digest.

Meat stock, on the other hand, is made by simmering the meat and bones together for a shorter time. It’s rich in gelatin, amino acids, and minerals — but still light, soothing, and easy on the gut.

That’s why I always recommend meat stock, especially for babies, for anyone recovering from illness or birth, or when your digestion struggles.

How I Make My Chicken Soup

I usually make stock in the morning and this soup at night but you can use frozen or already made stock for this.

Ingredients

For the meat stock:

• 1 whole chicken (preferably pasture-raised)

• 500g of chicken wings (optional but helps create a gelatin-rich stock)

• Water to just cover

For the soup:

• 1 brown onion, chopped

• 2–3 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 cm piece of ginger, grated

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• About 1 litre of chicken stock (from above)

• Cooked chicken meat (from the stock or any leftover roast chicken)

• 1 can of coconut cream

• Juice of 1–2 limes (or lemons)

• A splash of tamari (to taste)

• Optional: cooked rice noodles (for older children and adults)

• Fresh herbs like parsley or coriander (optional)

• Fat for cooking (butter, ghee, or tallow)

How to Make It

• Prepare the meat stock.
  Place the whole chicken and wings in a large pot. Add water to cover and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to low and simmer for about 2–3 hours, skimming any foam that rises. Once cooked, strain the stock and set the liquid aside. Keep the tender chicken meat for the soup.

• Start the soup.
  In a saucepan, heat a spoonful of fat and brown the onion until it starts to get some colour.

• Add the vegetables.
  Add the chopped carrots and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the grated ginger and minced garlic, stirring until fragrant.

• Add the stock.
  Pour in about 1 litre of the chicken stock and let everything simmer until the carrots are soft.

• Add the chicken.
  Stir in the chicken meat from your stock. I love using that meat because it’s so soft — perfect even for babies.

• Set aside for baby.
  Take out a portion before adding noodles.

  • You can blend the chicken, carrot, and stock together into a puree.

  • Or serve the shredded chicken and soft carrot with a little stock on the side.

• Finish the family soup.
  To the remaining pot, add the cooked rice noodles (optional), coconut cream, lime juice, and tamari. Taste and adjust as you go.

• Serve and enjoy.
  It’s not fancy — but it’s nourishing, soothing, and feeds everyone.
  Feel free to add more stock to stretch it; I never measure exactly.
  This made two dinners for our family of five.

Why I Don’t Offer Grains Before One

You’ll notice I take out baby’s portion before adding the noodles.
That’s because I prefer to hold off on grains until after about 12 months.

Most grains — like rice or oats — are harder for babies to digest when their gut is still developing. Their enzymes that break down starches are not fully ready yet, and these foods can displace more nutrient-dense ones if introduced too early.

In the first year, babies need foods that are easy to absorb and full of the building blocks for growth — things like iron, zinc, healthy fats, and protein. Those come from animal foods, vegetables, and stock — not grains.

Once baby’s digestion matures, you can gently start introducing soaked or sourdough-style grains if you wish.

When This Soup Works for Baby

This recipe works beautifully for babies after 7 or 8 months, once they’ve already tried and tolerated basic proteins, vegetables, and onions/garlic/ginger.

You can make it chunkier or smoother depending on where they’re at with texture.

If you’d like to learn more about starting solids this way — calm, confident, and full of real food — you can check out my mini-course, The Baby Meal Map.

It’s a simple roadmap to help you prepare, bulk cook, and freeze nourishing foods so starting solids never feels stressful. Check it out HERE