Totally agree about creamy soups being gentler—potato leek was my lifesaver too. Weirdly enough, I also found chilled soups like gazpacho surprisingly soothing, even though they're tomato-based. Maybe the cold temperature offset the acidity somehow? Also, smoothies with avocado or banana helped a ton when I wanted something filling but gentle on the gums. You're right though, everyone's healing journey is so different... just gotta keep experimenting until you find what works best.
Interesting about gazpacho—I avoided tomatoes completely thinking they'd sting too much. Maybe I'll give it a cautious try next time... Did anyone find herbal teas helpful? I stuck mostly to chamomile, but I'm curious if mint or ginger teas were soothing or irritating for others. Always hesitant about strong flavors right after surgery.
Funny you mention ginger tea—I gave it a shot thinking it'd be soothing, but boy, was I wrong. Felt like I'd gargled with hot sauce! Mint wasn't as bad, but it did have a bit of a zing that made me hesitate after the first sip. Chamomile was definitely the winner for me too—mild, gentle, and zero surprises.
Speaking of gazpacho, I had the same tomato fear. But my daughter whipped up a cucumber-avocado version that was actually pretty tasty and soothing. Cold soups really became my jam (or should I say jelly?) during recovery. Maybe give something like that a try if you're feeling adventurous.
Chamomile does seem to be the safest bet for most people—it's gentle enough that it rarely causes discomfort post-surgery. Interesting you mention cucumber-avocado gazpacho though; avocado's known to have anti-inflammatory properties, so it makes sense it'd feel soothing. I personally found cold yogurt-based smoothies helpful during my own recovery...have you experimented with any dairy-based cold soups or smoothies, or did you find them too heavy?
Cold yogurt smoothies were a lifesaver for me too, but dairy soups felt kinda heavy and left a weird film in my mouth afterward. Did you try blending frozen bananas into smoothies? Super creamy texture without the heaviness of dairy...worked wonders for me.
