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Warm Chicken & Vegetable Broth
Light, nourishing and deeply healing - perfect for unwell days
EASY MEALS FOR ELDERLY PARENTS
6/6/20264 min read
There is a reason chicken broth has been called nature's medicine for centuries.
When Mum is unwell, when her appetite is very low, when she's recovering from something or simply having one of those days where nothing feels right - this is what I make. A clear golden broth with soft tender vegetables and gentle wisps of shredded chicken. Warm, soothing and deeply nourishing in a way that feels almost medicinal.
It's also one of the gentlest things you can give an elderly digestive system. Light enough to eat when almost nothing else is appealing, but nourishing enough to actually provide real sustenance. A bowl of this is one of the kindest things you can do for someone who is struggling.
Why This Recipe Works
Exceptionally gentle on digestion - clear broth is one of the easiest things for an elderly stomach to handle
Deeply hydrating - helps maintain fluid intake which is particularly important for elderly people who often don't drink enough
Nourishing even in small amounts - the minerals and nutrients from the long-cooked bones and vegetables are highly bioavailable
Perfect for unwell days - appealing when appetite is very low or when recovering from illness
Anti-inflammatory - bone broth contains collagen and gelatin which actively reduce inflammation
Warming and comforting - warm liquids are soothing and particularly comforting when feeling unwell
Easy to eat - can be sipped directly from a mug if using cutlery is difficult
Recipe Details
Serves: 4–6 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1.5–2 hours (or 6–8 hours for a richer bone broth) Freeze: Up to 3 months
Ingredients
For the broth:
1 whole chicken or 1kg chicken pieces with bones (bones are essential for a proper broth)
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 large onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
Small bunch of fresh parsley including stalks
1 tsp salt
2 litres cold water
To finish:
Extra diced carrot and celery, very finely diced and simmered until very soft
Shredded chicken from the broth
Small handful of very soft cooked pasta, rice or egg noodles (optional)
Fresh parsley to serve
Salt to taste
Method
Step 1 - Build the broth Place the whole chicken or chicken pieces in a large heavy pot. Add the quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley stalks. Pour over the cold water - it should just cover everything. Add the salt.
Step 2 - Bring to a gentle simmer Place over medium-high heat and bring slowly to a simmer. As it heats you will see grey foam rising to the surface - skim this off carefully with a spoon and discard. This step makes the final broth clear and clean tasting. Once skimmed reduce the heat to the lowest possible simmer.
Step 3 - Simmer low and slow Simmer very gently uncovered for 1.5–2 hours. The liquid should barely be moving - just the occasional bubble breaking the surface. A rolling boil will make the broth cloudy. Patience here produces a beautifully clear golden broth.
Step 4 - Remove the chicken Carefully lift the chicken out of the broth. Allow to cool slightly then shred the meat from the bones discarding skin and bones. Set the shredded chicken aside.
Step 5 - Strain the broth Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot discarding all the cooked vegetables, bones, bay leaves and peppercorns. You should be left with a beautiful clear golden broth. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Step 6 - Add fresh vegetables Add very finely diced fresh carrot and celery to the strained broth. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are completely soft and tender.
Step 7 - Add chicken and serve Add as much or as little of the shredded chicken back to the broth as you like. Add soft cooked noodles or rice if using. Serve in warm bowls or mugs with fresh parsley scattered over the top.
Freezing Instructions
This broth freezes beautifully making it ideal to always have on hand for unwell days:
Cool completely
Portion into individual containers or ice cube trays for small amounts
Label with name and date
Freeze for up to 3 months
Having frozen broth portions means you can always have a warming nourishing bowl ready within minutes - simply defrost and reheat gently. This is one of the most valuable things you can have in your freezer when caring for an elderly parent.
To reheat: Thaw overnight in fridge or defrost quickly in microwave. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat until piping hot throughout. Never boil vigorously as this affects the flavour.
Always ensure food is piping hot all the way through before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve in a wide shallow bowl with soft noodles and shredded chicken
Serve in a large mug - perfect for sipping when using cutlery is difficult
Add a slice of very soft bread for dipping
Serve as a starter before a larger meal to stimulate appetite
Offer as a warming drink between meals for hydration and nourishment
Kim's Tips
💕 Bones make the broth - a broth made with bones has incomparably more flavour, body and nutrition than one made with boneless meat alone. The collagen and minerals from the bones are what give proper broth its golden colour, silky texture and healing properties.
💕 The slower the better - a barely simmering broth produces a clear, clean tasting, beautifully golden result. A hard boiling broth produces a cloudy, less flavourful result. Low and slow is everything.
💕 Skim the foam - that grey foam that rises at the beginning is coagulated proteins. Removing it makes your broth clearer and cleaner tasting. It only takes a minute and is worth doing.
💕 This is the recipe to keep in the freezer - portion it into individual servings and freeze so you always have nourishing broth available at short notice. When Mum is having a bad day, unwell or simply not eating well — a warm mug of this broth can make all the difference.
💕 Add a little ginger for extra healing benefits - a few thin slices of fresh ginger added to the broth during cooking adds anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits. The flavour is very subtle and most people don't notice it at all.
💕 Use the leftover chicken - the shredded chicken from making the broth can be used in so many ways - added back to the broth, used in the creamy chicken and leek pie, stirred into the pasta sauce or added to the one-pan casserole. Nothing goes to waste.
What You'll Need
A large heavy pot and a fine mesh strainer are the key pieces of equipment for this recipe. I've linked both on my Amazon storefront.
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This one is pure care in a bowl - I'd love to hear if it helped on a difficult day. Leave a comment below or come and find me on Instagram. You're not doing this alone. 💕