Chicken Soup for Breastfeeding
After giving birth, amidst the physical exhaustion and emotional whirlwind of caring for a newborn, comfort foods often become your go-to source of nourishment and solace.
Among these, chicken soup for breastfeeding mothers holds a special place as a timeless remedy that provides more than just a warm meal. It’s a bowl of healing, offering both physical and emotional benefits that can be especially valuable during the postpartum period.
Treat yourself to a warm, nourishing bowl of Chicken Soup designed to support breastfeeding, rich with lactation-boosting ingredients needed for healthy growth using our recipe below!
Chicken Soup For Breastfeeding
There are so many health benefits to chicken soup. It’s packed with nutrient-dense, healing ingredients like celery, carrots, herbs, and spices.
Chicken soup is also collagen-rich and contains healthy proteins, fats, and minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc), which are easy on the digestive system and support a healthy mom and baby. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients:
One whole chicken (organic if possible)
2 large onions, chopped into slices
3 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
5 stalks celery, roughly chopped into small pieces
2 bunches of parsley, whole
6 medium carrots, roughly chopped into 1cm pieces
1 bay leaf
Filtered water
Salt to taste (roughly 1 tbsp)
½ cup of pearl barley rinsed under cold water
*Optional sprinkle of parmesan cheese
Directions:
Give the chicken a quick rinse under running water and place it in a large pot.
Fill the pot with filtered water.
Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Allow the chicken to cook for 2-3 hours. This will ensure all the nutritional goodness from the bones soaks into the broth.
In the meantime, chop the carrots and celery in large circles. Set them aside.
Once the chicken has been cooked for 2-3 hours, sieve the stock into a separate bowl. Be careful not to burn yourself.
Place the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, parsley, barley, salt, and bay leaf into the chicken stock and cook on low heat for 25 minutes or until the barley is soft.
Once cooked, remove the parsley bunch (branches).
Pull the chicken off the bones with your two forks or your fingers. If you think it is too hot to handle, let the chicken cool a little before proceeding.
Once you’ve pulled the chicken off the bone, place the chicken back in the broth. You’ll want to ensure you pulled out all those tiny bones as they are a choking hazard.
The soup is now ready to serve or freeze into meal-size jars.
You can also add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to serve.
Your soup is now ready. Relax and enjoy!
Chicken Noodle Soup: Breastfeeding Recipe Add-Ins
If you wish to add noodles, you can cook them in a separate pot until the noodles are soft and add them to your bowl. We don’t recommend adding the noodles directly to the chicken stock as they can become mushy.
Your Health is Our Priority
At Twin Cities Birth Center, we take a holistic approach to women’s wellness; from nutrition to lactation consultations, our services aim to nourish the mind, body, and spirit (like our chicken soup recipe above!) Contact us today for information on our pregnancy and postpartum support! For more resources and wellness tips, visit our blog.
Recipe adapted from: Endeavor: College of Natural Health