Chicken and Vegetable Noodle Soup
Shredded chicken, soft carrots and short noodles in a mild, low-sodium broth. A gentle, warming lunch for toddlers.
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total
- 45 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- easy
This is a gentle, classic sickbed-or-any-day soup, built mild on purpose: low-sodium stock, finely shredded chicken and vegetables cooked down soft.
Dice and cook the carrot further than you would for yourself. A firm cooked carrot round, even a small one, is one of the more common choking hazards at this age, so soft all the way through is worth the extra few minutes.
If your little one is still earlier in the journey, start with our Baby's First Foods guide.
Part of our 20 toddler meal ideas list.
method
Put the chicken and stock in a pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Lift out the chicken and shred it finely with two forks once cool enough to handle.
Add the diced carrots and celery to the simmering stock and cook for 10 minutes, until very soft.
Add the pasta or noodles and cook according to the package time, until fully tender, a little softer than you might cook it for an adult.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and warm through.
Stir in the parsley if using. Cool to a safe warm temperature before serving, and check a noodle and a piece of carrot for softness.
chef's tips
- Use a low-sodium stock, or make your own, rather than a regular store-bought one, which usually carries more salt than suits a toddler's portion.
- Shred the chicken finely rather than leaving chunks. Stringy or chunky meat is a common choking concern at this age.
- Dice the carrot small and cook it until a fork goes through with no resistance; firm cooked carrot rounds are a classic choking hazard, even cut small.
- Broken short noodles are easier for a toddler to manage than long strands, which can be swallowed in a length that is hard to control.