Main meals20 min active · 35 min total · 9 ingredients
Beluga lentils and carrots with rice
For your family tableTender carrots and rice, with lentils alongside if preferred.
The ingredients provideProtein · Fibre · Beta-carotene
Let’s cook →
Family kitchen · Main meals
Chicken, leek and barley soup
A gentle soup with small pieces of chicken, tender vegetables and pearl barley. The soft grains make a spoonable change from rice and pasta.
- Hands-on time
- 20 min
- Total time
- 55 min
- Base recipe
- 4 servings
Protein · Fibre · Beta-carotene
Why it works for children & what’s in itTimes are estimates for the base recipe. Larger quantities may take longer.
Step by step
0 / 5Here’s how.
An easier way today.
Choose fine pearl barley with a packet cooking time of about 25–30 minutes. Coarser barley may take much longer; adjust the total time.
What you can prepare ahead
Cook the soup the day before if helpful, cool promptly and reheat thoroughly the next day. Barley continues absorbing water, so add a little when reheating.
Got interrupted? Tick off each step as you finish, so you can find your place again here.
When there is room for it today
Helping is welcome. Watching is too.
Your child can rinse the barley. Adults handle raw poultry, knives and hot soup.
For your family table
Adapt for younger eaters.
Cook leek and barley until fully soft. Cut chicken fibres into small pieces and check the temperature of the liquid. Start with a small portion.
The nutrients in these ingredients.
- Protein
- Here from: chicken
A building block children need for growth and for making body tissues.
Learn about Protein → - Fibre
- Here from: barley and vegetables
Parts of plant foods that help keep digestion working normally.
Learn about Fibre → - Beta-carotene
- Here from: carrots
The body can turn it into vitamin A, which is important for vision, among other things.
Learn about Beta-carotene & vitamin A →
Chicken provides protein. Barley and vegetables add fibre, while carrots provide beta-carotene. This is an everyday meal idea, not an individually calculated diet.
These notes refer to the ingredients in the base recipe. The amount on the plate depends on preparation, portion size and swaps. Variety across the week makes the difference.
Make it work for you.
For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with 480 g cooked, drained white beans and heat them thoroughly at the end. Barley contains gluten; another grain needs its own packet water quantity and cooking time.
Taking it slowly today?
Lift a little chicken, barley and vegetables into separate piles with a slotted spoon. Offer the broth alongside.
Keeping it safely
Promptly divide untouched leftovers between shallow containers and refrigerate at 5°C or below. Use within 24 hours. Stir when reheating and reach at least 70°C for 2 minutes throughout, adding water if needed.
For younger eaters
Cook leek and barley until fully soft. Cut chicken fibres into small pieces and check the temperature of the liquid. Start with a small portion.
Good ideas are for sharing
Someone else might love this too.
A good idea might make someone else’s day a little easier. Take an image for your story or your next post.
Story, post or just the photo: choose your image, then save or share it. The recipe link and caption are ready to copy too.
Our approach & sources
These recipes are ideas for family life with children aged 3 and up. Quantities are a guide, not a target to finish. Age, appetite and individual needs vary. Variety across the week matters; no single recipe covers every nutritional need.
Our general guidance draws on the recommendations below. These organisations have not reviewed or endorsed the individual recipes. Editing: Pureli.
Recipe development: Pureli.
More ideas for your table.
All recipesMain meals
Main meals20 min active · 60 min total · 7 ingredients
Oven trout with potatoes and fennel
For your family tableTender oven fish, potatoes and gently cooked fennel.
The ingredients provideProtein · Omega-3: EPA & DHA · Carbohydrates
Let’s cook →
Main meals20 min active · 30 min total · 8 ingredients
Gentle tofu, broccoli and couscous pan
For your family tableThree recognisable ingredients that can stay separate.
The ingredients provideProtein · Fibre · Carbohydrates
Let’s cook →