15 Soothing Soups for Cold and Flu Season

By Vanessa Greaves
February 05, 2020
Credit: Allrecipes Magazine

When you're on the sick list, these soothing soups are easy to eat and can help fight congestion while keeping you nourished and hydrated. Sometimes, simply breathing in the warm and fragrant steam from a comforting bowl of soup is enough to make you feel a little bit better. Hey, it couldn't hurt!

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Super Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

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This light but filling soup calls for homemade shrimp stock, but you could substitute low-sodium chicken broth if you'd like. "Yum! my mom makes this all the time on cold days," says bsour001. " I love the spicy/sour combination. Really works if you have a cold!"

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Garlic Spinach Soup

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If you love ginger and garlic, you'll love this chicken soup. To make it vegetarian or vegan, you can sub vegetable broth and use tofu instead of chicken. "So good, so comforting, so easy." —ROCKES

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Miso Soup

Credit: France C
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"I made this with kelp, which when cooked a bit becomes soft. I also added a tbsp each of fresh ginger and garlic, which I minced. Altogether it makes a very nutritious (and hopefully cold-fighting) soup, " says rfairman.  France C went a little further and added thinly sliced mushrooms to hers.

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Cold-Busting Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup

Credit: zubby
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"This recipe rocks! I've had the flu for a few days now and made this recipe earlier today. It is so good, and the ginger is great for the tummy problems." —christine

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Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup

Credit: PDP9801
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Try this gluten-free version of chicken soup made with rice instead of wheat noodles. "Quick and easy. Perfect for when everyone starts getting the colds and the weather starts to turn yucky." —SusieHomemaker

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Spicy Chicken Thai Soup

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Chicken broth, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, chicken, mushrooms, and a few other good things come together in a quick 15-minute prep, and simmer for about an hour. "It is especially nice if you are feeling a bit under the weather," says Maxine

 

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Roasted Butternut Squash, Garlic, and Apple Soup

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If you're in the mood for a more substantial soup but without heavy, fatty ingredients, give this soothing recipe a try. "FANTASTIC! Best squash soup I've ever had, and love that there's no fattening cream involved," Victoriaren says.

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Tomato Fennel Soup

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Here's another hearty soup that'll fill you up without heavy ingredients. "The soup was delicious and perfect for a cold winter's night," says LynneinVA.

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Healing Cabbage Soup

Credit: julieruble
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"I made this soup for its healing benefits, but I ended up loving it so much I'd make it anytime! It truly is 'healing' and not just for cold/flu season." —Heather

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Pho Ginger and Lime Soup

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"It is somewhat spicy and is very, very good for if you have a cold, would like to warm up in the winter, or want to clear your nose." —K.Hamel

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Chicken Long Rice Soup

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The "long rice" in this soup refers to the thin bean thread noodles that make this easy soup so satisfying to slurp. "This IS very comforting, nutritious and low in calories...not to mention economical," says Carla Cleary.

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Pick-Me-Up Egg Drop Soup

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Recipe creator Clarissa Leigh says, "I was not feeling well one evening and wanted soup. But I only had chicken broth and that sounded boring. I'd made egg drop soup before and thought that sounded perfect, so I started looking up recipes. Since I couldn't quite make any of the ones I found, I combined them to make this. It helped settle my stomach and was super easy to make."

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Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

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"This soup hit the spot and is great when you have to feed a family who is suffering with colds," says NPINCEK.

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The Best Thai Coconut Soup

Credit: Aja
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"More comforting than chicken soup with our current terrible head colds!" —Queen Llemon

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Jewish Chicken Soup

Credit: Allrecipes Magazine
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"This is a traditional recipe good for anything that ails you. It's the absolute best when you've got the flu, and it's great the second and third day. Note, these matzoh balls are 'sinkers'. These are traditional matzoh balls, as this recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother who needed to make them as heavy as possible to feed a hungry family during lean times. Cut the matzoh meal by 1/2 cup to lighten the load." —Layla

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