10 Best Soft Food Recipes After Surgery or Dental Work

Look, I get it. You just had surgery or dental work, and chewing feels like Mission Impossible right now. Been there.

These recipes saved me when I was living on soup for two weeks straight.

Everything here is smooth, easy to swallow, and actually tastes good. No bland mush, I promise.

Creamy Banana Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• Rolled oats – ½ cup (40 g)
• Water – 1 cup (240 ml)
• Ripe banana – ½ medium (60 g)
• Honey – 1 teaspoon (7 g)

Instructions:

Step 1: Pour the oats and water into a small pot and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the oats are super soft and almost falling apart. This takes about 5 to 7 minutes. You want zero texture here, trust me on this.

Step 2: While that’s happening, grab your banana and mash it completely with a fork. Keep going until there are no lumps at all. Looks mushy? Perfect. That’s exactly what you need right now.

Step 3: Once the oats are done, take the pot off the heat and stir in your mashed banana and honey. Mix everything until it’s totally smooth. Honestly, this is my favorite part because it starts smelling amazing already.

Step 4: Let it cool for a minute or two before eating. Too hot is not your friend after dental work. I learned that the hard way. Tastes like comfort in a bowl.

Scrambled Eggs (Extra Soft)

Ingredients:

• Eggs – 2 large (100 g)
• Milk – 2 tablespoons (30 ml)
• Butter – 1 teaspoon (5 g)
• Salt – ⅛ teaspoon

Instructions:

Step 1: Crack your eggs into a bowl, add the milk and salt, then whisk everything together until the yolks and whites are completely blended. No streaks. The milk makes them extra creamy, which is exactly what we’re going for here.

Step 2: Heat a nonstick pan on the lowest setting and drop in your butter. Let it melt slowly. Low heat is the secret to soft eggs. High heat will give you rubbery chunks, and that’s not happening today.

Step 3: Pour in the egg mixture and let it sit for about 10 seconds without touching it. Then start stirring gently with a silicone spatula. Keep stirring slowly and constantly. This is where it gets good.

Step 4: When the eggs look barely set and still a little wet, take the pan off the heat. They’ll keep cooking from the residual heat. Serve immediately. I make these every time I need something easy and safe to eat.

Greek Yogurt With Honey

Ingredients:

• Plain Greek yogurt – ¾ cup (170 g)
• Honey – 1 tablespoon (21 g)

Instructions:

Step 1: Scoop your Greek yogurt into a bowl. Make sure it’s plain, not the kind with fruit chunks. Those chunks are not your friend right now.

Step 2: Drizzle the honey over the top, then stir it in completely until the yogurt is smooth and evenly sweet. Honestly, easiest step. Takes like 20 seconds.

Step 3: Taste it. Too thick for you? Add a tiny splash of milk and stir again. I do this sometimes when my mouth feels extra sensitive.

Step 4: Eat it cold or let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes if cold bothers your teeth. This has saved me so many times when I needed protein but couldn’t chew anything. So simple but so good.

Creamy Chicken Soup (Blended)

Ingredients:

• Cooked chicken breast – ½ cup (75 g)
• Chicken broth – 1½ cups (360 ml)
• Cooked carrots – ¼ cup (35 g)
• Cooked potatoes – ¼ cup (40 g)
• Salt – ¼ teaspoon

Instructions:

Step 1: Make sure your chicken, carrots, and potatoes are already fully cooked and cooled down a bit. Toss everything into a blender along with the chicken broth and salt. Looks like a weird pile right now, trust the process.

Step 2: Blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth with zero lumps. This takes about 30 to 45 seconds depending on your blender. Not sure if it’s smooth enough? Run it for another 10 seconds.

Step 3: Pour the blended soup into a pot and warm it gently on medium low heat. Stir it occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom. Don’t boil it. Just warm.

Step 4: Taste and add more salt if you want. I usually do. Serve it warm but not scalding hot. This soup tastes way better than it sounds, and it’s packed with actual nutrition. My mom made this for me after my wisdom teeth came out.

Mashed Potatoes (Dental Safe)

Ingredients:

• Peeled potatoes – 1½ cups cubed (225 g)
• Butter – 1 tablespoon (14 g)
• Warm milk – ¼ cup (60 ml)
• Salt – ¼ teaspoon

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut your peeled potatoes into small cubes so they cook faster. Toss them into a pot, cover with water, and boil until they’re falling apart soft. Test with a fork. If it slides through like butter, you’re good.

Step 2: Drain the water completely and put the potatoes back in the pot. Add your butter right away so it melts into the hot potatoes. Smells amazing already.

Step 3: Start mashing with a potato masher or a fork. Keep going until there are absolutely no lumps left. Then pour in the warm milk and salt. Stir everything together until it’s super creamy and smooth.

Step 4: Want them even smoother? Beat them with a spoon for another minute. Too thick? Add a tiny splash more milk. These are comfort food at its best, and you can eat them without any pain.

Pumpkin Purée Soup

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin purée – 1 cup (245 g)
• Vegetable broth – 1 cup (240 ml)
• Cream – 2 tablespoons (30 ml)
• Salt – ¼ teaspoon

Instructions:

Step 1: Pour the pumpkin purée and vegetable broth into a medium pot. Stir them together over medium heat until everything is warmed through and combined. It’ll look a little watery at first. That’s fine.

Step 2: Add the cream and salt, then stir again. The cream makes this soup rich and silky. Honestly, this is my favorite part because the color gets so pretty.

Step 3: Let it simmer gently for about 3 to 4 minutes. Don’t let it boil hard. Just a soft bubble here and there. Wondering if you can skip the cream? You can, but it won’t be as smooth.

Step 4: Use an immersion blender right in the pot to make it completely velvety, or pour it into a regular blender. Blend for about 20 seconds. Serve warm. This tastes like fall in a bowl.

Vanilla Custard

Ingredients:

• Milk – 1 cup (240 ml)
• Egg yolk – 1 large (18 g)
• Sugar – 1 tablespoon (12 g)
• Cornstarch – 1 teaspoon (3 g)
• Vanilla extract – ¼ teaspoon

Instructions:

Step 1: Pour the milk into a small pot and heat it on medium until it’s warm but not boiling. You’ll see steam rising. That’s your signal. Take it off the heat for now.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract until it’s totally smooth. No clumps of cornstarch. Keep whisking for about 30 seconds.

Step 3: Slowly pour a little bit of the warm milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This is called tempering, and it keeps the eggs from scrambling. Add the rest of the milk gradually. Pause here if you need to. You’re doing great.

Step 4: Pour everything back into the pot and cook on low heat, stirring nonstop until it thickens up. This takes about 3 to 5 minutes. It’s done when it coats the back of a spoon. Let it cool before eating. Honestly better than store bought.

Applesauce (Homemade)

Ingredients:

• Peeled apples – 2 medium (300 g)
• Water – ¼ cup (60 ml)
• Sugar – 1 teaspoon (4 g)

Instructions:

Step 1: Peel your apples completely and chop them into small chunks. Smaller pieces cook faster and blend smoother. Toss them into a pot with the water.

Step 2: Cook on medium heat with the lid on, stirring every few minutes. The apples will start breaking down and getting super soft. This takes about 10 to 12 minutes. Only have a little sugar? That works fine.

Step 3: Once the apples are falling apart, take the pot off the heat and add your sugar. Stir it in while everything is still hot so it dissolves completely.

Step 4: Use a blender or immersion blender to purée everything until it’s totally smooth with no chunks. Let it cool down before eating. I make this every Sunday because it’s easier than buying jars and tastes way fresher.

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients:

• Banana – 1 medium (120 g)
• Peanut butter (smooth) – 1 tablespoon (16 g)
• Milk – 1 cup (240 ml)

Instructions:

Step 1: Peel your banana and break it into chunks. Toss it into the blender along with the peanut butter and milk. Make sure your peanut butter is the smooth kind with no chunks. Crunchy peanut butter is not happening here.

Step 2: Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until there are absolutely no lumps left. You want this completely smooth. Not sure when it’s done? Look for bubbles on top and zero banana pieces.

Step 3: Pour it into a glass and drink it right away. Too thick for you? Add a splash more milk and blend again for 10 seconds. I learned this from my mom, and it’s been a lifesaver after dental stuff.

Step 4: Want it colder? Toss in a couple ice cubes before blending. This tastes like a dessert but has actual protein and keeps you full. So easy.

Protein Milkshake

Ingredients:

• Vanilla protein powder – 1 scoop (30 g)
• Milk – 1¼ cups (300 ml)

Instructions:

Step 1: Measure out your protein powder and dump it into the blender. Then add the milk. The order doesn’t really matter, but I do it this way so the powder doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Step 2: Blend everything on high for about 20 to 30 seconds until it’s totally smooth and there are no powder clumps floating around. Quick check. See any chunks? Blend for another 10 seconds.

Step 3: Pour it into a glass and drink it cold. Too thick? Add a little more milk. Too thin? Add a bit more powder. This is the easiest thing you’ll make all week.

Step 4: I drink this when I need nutrition fast but can’t deal with chewing. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just smooth and drinkable. You’ll love this.

There you go. Ten recipes that actually work when your mouth is out of commission.

I’ve tried every single one of these, and they got me through recovery without losing my mind.

Pick a few, stock your fridge, and be kind to yourself while you heal. Which one are you trying first? Let me know in the comments.