Winter Warmers: 3 Baby Soup Recipes from Smooth to Chunky

1. Smooth Beginnings: Creamy Sweetcorn Chowder

Suitable from: around 6 months  |  Prep: 5 minutes  |  Cook: 15 minutes  |  Makes: 8 small baby portions (approximately 40g each)

Golden, gently sweet and wonderfully creamy, this simple chowder is a cosy way to introduce sweetcorn. Serve it smooth for babies who prefer that texture, or adjust it as their skills grow. A thicker consistency is easier to keep on a spoon than a watery soup.

Ingredients

• 160g tinned sweetcorn, drained (choose no-added-salt if possible)
• ¼ small onion, finely diced
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 200ml pasteurised whole cow's milk
• ¼ tsp dried mixed herbs (optional)

Method

1. Warm the oil in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and garlic and gently soften for 1–2 minutes.
2. Add the sweetcorn, milk and optional herbs. Bring just to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for around 15 minutes.
3. Allow to cool slightly, then blend until smooth. For younger babies, check carefully that no whole sweetcorn kernels remain.
4. Cool to a safe eating temperature and offer a small amount in a bowl with a baby spoon or preloaded dipper.

Make it a mealtime adventure: Let your baby touch the soup, explore a preloaded spoon or practise bringing it to their mouth. If they're already managing finger foods, try soft-cooked broccoli florets on the side.

Recipe based on the NHS Sweetcorn Chowder.

2. More to Explore: Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Soup

Suitable from: around 7–9 months (or earlier if ready for its texture)  |  Prep: 10 minutes  |  Cook: 20 minutes  |  Makes: 4 baby-sized portions

Warm, colourful and made with simple cupboard and vegetable-drawer staples, this satisfying soup brings sweet potato, red pepper and lentils together in one bowl. The lentils contribute plant-based iron, while the pepper provides vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron from plant foods.

Ingredients

• 160g sweet potato, peeled
• 50g red pepper, deseeded
• 40g onion, peeled
• 30g dried red lentils
• 260ml water, plus a little extra if needed
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp dried mixed herbs
• To serve: 1 small slice of wholemeal bread per portion, if suitable for your baby

Method

1. Cut the sweet potato, red pepper and onion into small pieces. Rinse the lentils.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the lentils, herbs and water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the lentils are fully cooked and the vegetables are very soft. Add more water if needed.
4. Leave to cool slightly. Mash to a soft texture with manageable lumps, or blend more thoroughly if that suits your baby better.
5. Serve one baby-sized portion. If offering bread, lightly toast it and cut into easy-to-hold fingers.

Make it a mealtime adventure: Offer toast fingers for dipping or very soft-cooked courgette sticks alongside. Let your baby practise scooping, squishing and exploring. The soup should be thick enough for little hands and utensils to work with.

Make the most of your veg: Have a small piece of fresh sweet potato or pepper left from another meal? Use it here, provided it is fresh and safely prepared. This recipe uses sweet potato in place of butternut squash, a substitution also suggested by the NHS.

Adapted from the NHS Autumn Lentil Soup, using the sweet potato swap suggested in the NHS Squash and Lentil Soup.

3. Ready for Chunks? Chicken Noodle Stew

Suitable from: around 10–12 months (according to the NHS recipe)  |  Prep: 10 minutes  |  Cook: 25 minutes  |  Makes: 4 baby-sized portions

For babies becoming more confident with soft lumps and small, tender pieces, this hearty stew is full of different shapes and textures to investigate. Chicken, vegetables and noodles make a lovely family-style meal that can be adapted to your baby's abilities.

Ingredients

• 125g boneless chicken breast
• 30g carrot, peeled
• 20g onion, peeled
• 45g tinned sweetcorn (choose no-added-salt if possible)
• 60g dried egg noodles
• 235ml boiling water, plus a little extra if needed
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Finely slice the onion and carrot, and dice the chicken into small pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes, until beginning to brown.
3. Stir in the onion, carrot and sweetcorn; cook for another 3–4 minutes. Add the water and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Break the noodles into shorter lengths, add them to the pan and simmer for a further 5–10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the noodles and vegetables are soft. Add a splash of water if needed.
5. Check carefully for bones or tough pieces. Chop or finely shred the cooked chicken, shorten the noodles and mash the sweetcorn kernels as needed. For babies not yet managing pieces, blend or mash more thoroughly. Cool before serving.

Make it a mealtime adventure: Serve as a thick, scoopable stew. Offer a baby spoon or fork and give them time to practise picking up food, moving it around their mouth and learning how to manage different soft textures.

Recipe based on the NHS Chicken Noodle Stew.

Why texture matters as much as taste

Moving from smooth foods to mashed, lumpy and soft finger foods is part of learning to eat. Babies practise moving food around their mouths, chewing and swallowing, and begin developing the coordination involved in self-feeding.

That doesn't mean every baby must start with purées or follow a strict age-by-age timetable. Some are ready for mashed foods and soft finger foods from around six months. The NHS recommends moving on from completely smooth textures as soon as your baby can manage them, while always supervising mealtimes.

And yes, exploring soup can be gloriously messy. Touching, dipping, scooping and trying again are all part of the experience. At Bibado, we believe mealtimes are about much more than what's eaten: they're an everyday opportunity to explore, learn and become more independent.

A little extra goodness for winter

Remember iron

Iron becomes particularly important as babies start eating solid foods. Lentils, beans, meat, fish, eggs and iron-fortified cereals can all contribute to their intake. Including vitamin C-rich foods, such as peppers or broccoli, alongside plant sources of iron can help with absorption. Offer a variety of iron-containing foods across the week rather than relying on a single recipe.

Don't forget vitamin D

It's easy to focus on winter sunshine, but the vitamin D advice for babies applies throughout the year. NHS guidance recommends a daily vitamin D supplement of 8.5–10 micrograms for breastfed babies from birth. From six months to five years, supplements containing vitamins A, C and D are recommended, except for babies receiving at least 500ml of infant formula a day, which is already fortified. Use age-appropriate supplements and ask your health visitor or pharmacist if you're unsure. Food alone doesn't replace this guidance.

Batch-cooking and serving safely

Want to turn a family meal into a baby-friendly one? Set aside your baby's unsalted portion before adding adult seasoning, then adjust the texture. It's a great way to share flavours without cooking completely separate dinners.

Tools that teach, one spoonful at a time

A preloaded Dippit™ helps babies explore those first mouthfuls, while a stable bowl can give them somewhere to practise scooping as they become more independent. Our Learning Curve™ tableware was designed to support those everyday learning moments, without taking the challenge away.

Explore Bibado's weaning spoons and dippers or discover the thinking behind the Learning Curve™ Bowl.

Sources and further guidance

These recipes are based on NHS Best Start in Life recipes; the second uses a substitution also suggested by the NHS. Cooking times and yields are taken from the original NHS versions. Guidance is provided for general information and does not replace individual advice from a health professional.

• NHS: Sweetcorn Chowder
• NHS: Autumn Lentil Soup
• NHS: Squash and Lentil Soup
• NHS: Chicken Noodle Stew
• NHS: Your Baby's First Solid Foods
• NHS: Baby Food Allergies
• NHS: Storing and Reheating Baby Food
• NHS: Baby Vitamins