The Healing Chicken “No-Noodle” Soup for Toddlers, Mamas & Sensitive Bellies
Wondering what to serve when your toddler is flaring with eczema, refusing dinner, or recovering from a cold — or when your own postpartum body feels depleted and inflamed?
This Chicken “No-Noodle” Healing Soup is a gem. It’s not just comforting. It’s deeply nourishing — made with slow-simmered meat stock, tender veggies, gentle proteins, and healing fats that soothe the gut, balance the immune system, and support hormone recovery for both mama and child.
Let’s break down why this simple, toddler-friendly recipe is actually a therapeutic tool for the whole family — and how you can adapt, store, and stretch it to meet everyone’s needs (yes, even baby’s).
Why This is Meat Stock, Not Bone Broth — And Why That Matters
This soup is made using meat stock, not traditional long-simmered bone broth — and the difference is important when you’re feeding a sensitive gut.
Meat stock is made by simmering bone-in, skin-on cuts (like a whole chicken or drumsticks) for just 1.5 to 2 hours max, instead of the 12–24 hour simmer used for bone broth.
What’s the difference?
Meat stock is gentler on the digestive tract. It contains more gelatin, collagen, and amino acids like glycine, which seal leaky gut, support detox, and reduce inflammation.
Bone broth is more mineral-rich, but harder to tolerate for kids with histamine intolerance, eczema, or gut dysbiosis.
So if your child is flaring, bloated, sensitive to new foods, or coming off antibiotics — start with meat stock every time.
This soup creates meat stock naturally as the chicken simmers in the water with aromatic veggies. It’s your base, your healer, and your flavor all in one.
Can Babies Eat This?
Yes — with modifications based on age and signs of readiness.
For babies 4–6 months on early intro GAPS:
Strain the broth and serve tiny spoonfuls of warm meat stock only
Watch for signs of readiness: strong head control, tongue thrust fading, interest in food
For babies 6–9 months:
Strain and mash or blend soft veggies with meat stock
Add a small spoon of shredded chicken mashed with ghee
Avoid herbs and salt
For 9–12 months and beyond:
Offer soft shreds of chicken, zucchini, and carrots in the broth
Let them self-feed soft pieces or spoon-feed with the broth
Always go slow and watch your baby’s skin, poop, and behavior for clues. Meat stock is one of the safest, most healing first foods you can offer.
Healing Benefits for Toddlers + Kids
This soup is rich in nutrients that repair the gut lining, reduce yeast overgrowth, support nutrient absorption, and regulate immune responses that show up as eczema, cradle cap, congestion, constipation, or food sensitivities.
Here’s how:
Chicken skin + connective tissue = gelatin + collagen to seal the gut lining
Short-cooked stock = calming to inflamed tummies
Zucchini + carrots cooked in stock = easy-to-digest fiber that feeds beneficial bacteria
Sea salt = replenishes minerals lost in diarrhea, eczema flares, or detox
Ghee or cultured cream = supports bile flow, brain development, and detox pathways
Plus — kids actually like it. It’s warm, savory, easy to chew, and doesn’t overwhelm their taste buds.
Healing Benefits for Mamas
Postpartum mamas (whether 6 weeks or 3 years out) need rebuilding, not restriction. This soup supports:
Hormone balance with cholesterol-rich fats and amino acids
Detox + liver support through glycine and broth-based minerals
Skin + hair repair via collagen and fat-soluble nutrients
Gut repair after antibiotics, pregnancy-related dysbiosis, or stress
Stable energy from protein, gentle carbs, and healing fats
Add ghee, tallow, or cultured cream to your bowl for a deeper mineral + fat boost.
Can You Freeze This?
Yes — it freezes beautifully.
How to do it:
Let soup cool completely
Store in glass mason jars or silicone freezer molds (leave room at the top for expansion)
Freeze up to 3 months
Thaw in fridge overnight or warm gently on the stove (never microwave meat stock)
Pro tip: Freeze some in ice cube trays for baby portions or small lunchbox thermos servings!
How to Store Leftovers
Fridge: Store in a sealed glass container up to 4 days
Reheat gently on the stove (low and slow to preserve the benefits of the stock)
Avoid boiling after the first cook — heat can damage the gelatin and amino acids
Can You Save Some of the Chicken?
Absolutely — and you should.
Here’s how to stretch it:
Reserve some shredded chicken before adding back to the soup
Use it for:
Chicken salad (with ghee, kraut, or avocado)
Toddler meat patties (mix with egg yolk + grated zucchini)
Stir into scrambled eggs
Add to wraps, lunchboxes, or grain bowls
Cook once, nourish all week. That’s the beauty of these healing recipes.
Optional Toppers (If Tolerated)
If your toddler or family tolerates grains and dairy, you can add simple toppings for variety:
Sourdough croutons or gluten-free crackers
Fresh grated parmesan (raw or aged, if tolerated)
Chopped fresh parsley or dill
Ghee swirl or drizzle of olive oil
Scoop of goat yogurt or cultured cream
Avoid store-bought cheeses or crackers with additives, gums, or yeast — they can undo the gut work you’re doing here.
Full Recipe
Chicken “No-Noodle” Healing Soup (Toddler-Friendly)
GAPS- & WAPF-Aligned
Ingredients:
1 whole pasture-raised chicken (or 2–3 lbs drumsticks/thighs, bone-in and skin-on)
8–10 cups filtered water
2–3 carrots, chopped
2–3 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, peeled and halved
2–3 garlic cloves, smashed
1–2 zucchini, julienned or peeled
1 bay leaf
1–2 tsp sea salt, to taste
Optional: fresh thyme, parsley, dill, oregano
Optional: ghee or cultured cream for serving
Instructions:
1. Cook the Chicken + Aromatics (Create the Meat Stock)
Place your raw whole chicken (or drumsticks/thighs) into a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
Add 8–10 cups of filtered water, it doesn’t have to fully cover the chicken.
Toss in:
Halved onion
Smashed garlic cloves or minced
Bay leaf
Sea salt (start with 1 tsp and adjust later)
Optional: Add a few sprigs of thyme or dill for extra flavor.
Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once it begins to boil, skim off any foam or scum that rises to the top — this helps keep your stock clear and clean. Normally I wait about 15 mins and then skim, this is the usual amount of time it takes for impurities to rise to the top.
Once skimmed, reduce the heat to low to simmer and cover with the lid. Let it simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and pulls apart easily with a fork.
2. Remove Chicken & Add Veggies
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, carefully remove the chicken from the pot and place it in a large bowl to cool slightly.
While it cools:
Add your chopped carrots and celery to the simmering broth.
Let the veggies simmer covered for 20–30 minutes, until soft and fork-tender.
3. Shred the Chicken
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle:
Remove and discard the skin (you can keep some if tolerated)
Pull the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces
Set aside most of the shredded meat to return to the soup
Optional: Save extra chicken for another meal (see ideas above)
You can also toss the bones back into the pot later to make bone broth for your dogs or adults if tolerated!
4. Add Zucchini “Noodles” + Return Chicken
While the carrots and celery finish cooking, prepare the zucchini:
Use a knife, julienne peeler, or standard peeler to create thin ribbons or short shreds.
Once the carrots and celery are soft, add the zucchini noodles and cook for just 3–5 minutes, until barely tender.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir gently to combine. Simmer another 2–3 minutes to blend flavors.
5. Final Seasoning + Serve
Taste the broth and adjust salt as needed.
Remove the bay leaf and any herb stems, if used.
Just before serving, stir in:
A spoonful of ghee, grass-fed butter, or cultured cream (optional but deeply nourishing)
Ladle into bowls and top with fresh chopped parsley, dill, or thyme for extra mineral support and flavor.
This Isn’t Just a Soup — It’s a Gut Reset
Whether you're in the middle of a skin flare, rethinking solids after a tough reaction, or just trying to get somethingnourishing on the table during a chaotic week — this soup isn’t just “comfort food.”
It’s foundational healing.
This is what we reach for when everything feels off:
The eczema is flaring.
The belly is bloated.
Sleep is a mess.
Food refusal is ramping up.
You’re exhausted, baby’s sensitive, and your nervous system is shot.
This soup steps in with what both your body and your child’s body actually need:
Nourishment, not novelty
Stability, not variety
Simplicity, not stress
Made with healing meat stock, soft veggies, and easily digested proteins, it calms inflamed guts, nourishes the skin, supports detox, and helps rebuild digestive function from the inside out — one spoon at a time.
It’s rich enough to heal.
Gentle enough to soothe.
Flexible enough to batch prep, freeze, and keep on hand for when you need it most.
This is what I serve when I don’t know what else to do — and every time, it brings us back to balance.
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Visual kitchen guides to help you meal prep with confidence (and speed!)
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