Recipe: Chicken and vegetable soup

This chicken soup recipe is full of healthy vegetables. A perfect cold and flu remedy to clear a blocked nose or sooth a sore throat, but also makes a great winter warmer at any time.

• Ingredients
• Method
• Nutritional content

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

• 250 g skinless chicken breasts on the bone, fat trimmed
• 4 medium leeks
• 4-5 stalks celery (stalks and leaves) (about 5 medium stalks)
• 1 large carrot
• 125 g spinach
• 6 small cloves of garlic
• 1.5 L chicken stock
• 1 bunch parsley (30 g)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Dice the leeks, carrots and celery
• Finely chop the parsley and spinach
• Peel the garlic
• Add chicken stock, chicken breasts and vegetables to a large sauce pan
• Boil for about 1 hour or until the chicken falls away from the bone
• When the soup is cool remove the chicken and bones. Discard the bones. Shred the chicken.
• If you want a smooth soup, blend quickly before mixing the shredded chicken meat back into the soup mixture
• Serve hot with toast

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Difficulty rating: Easy

Tips

• Suitable for babies aged 8 months and older who can tolerate (and benefit from!) a few soft lumps in their food.
• Double the quantities in this recipe to make a large batch. You can store some portions in the freezer for a quick, healthy microwave meal.
• You can add any herb you like to this recipe. Thyme and rosemary also give a nice flavour.
• For babies and young children, this soup will be easier to eat if it is a bit thicker. Add less chicken stock. Leave a few lumps in the soup as this will help develop babies chewing muscles when s/he eats.

Nutritional content

Nutritional analysis per 300 g serve:

Energy	301 kJ 72 cal
Protein	9.24 g
Total fat	1.53 g
Saturated fat	0.40 g
Carbohydrates	4.17 g
Total sugars	2.54 g
Fibre	2.84 g
Sodium	809.98 mg
Cholesterol	18.44 mg
Potassium	470.69 mg
Calcium	65.19 mg
Iron	1.44 mg
Zinc	0.60 mg

More information

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For more information on nutrition, including information on types and composition of food, nutrition and people, conditions related to nutrition, and diets and recipes, as well as some useful videos and tools, see Nutrition.

References

1. Introduction to solids [online]. Brisbane, QLD: Queensland Health; 2008 [cited 1 October 2012]. Available from: [URL link]
2. Australian Food, Supplement and Nutrient Database (AUSNUT) 2007 [online]. Barton, ACT: Food Standards Australia & New Zealand; 2007 [cited 27 April 2012]. Available from: [URL link]