During the winter months, we can often find comfort in a warm bowl of soup or just a warm home-cooked dish. Many people think of soup as nourishment for when they are sick or not feeling well. It is always so comforting when a family member brings us soup if we are not feeling well. Warm dishes like soups can bring a sense of comfort to the soul – maybe that’s why it’s called ‘comfort food!’ However, adding nourishing vitamins and minerals to those warm dishes with fruits and veggies can be a source of nutrition to add to the comfort.
As you stroll through the produce section of the grocery store, you may start to see soup bundles. These soup bundles usually have vegetable items such as cabbage, carrots, celery, parsley, onions, and potatoes. When combined with a stock or broth and simmered in a pot for a couple of hours, this can be such a nourishing warm soup. Adding chicken, lean stew meat, or even chickpeas can be an easy way to add protein to the dish. This Cauliflower Herb Soup is a flavorful combination for a savory and satisfying soup.
Turn your favorite dishes into soups! Turn tacos into taco soup, fajitas into fajita soup. Soup can be a great budget stretcher! Adding vegetable broth, water, a side of crackers, or seasoned mix-ins, such as chili-ready tomatoes, can make a taco dinner-for-four turn into soup night for 8 to 10! It can also stretch the meal into a two-night dinner!
We can also warm our heart with warm beverages such as hot tea with lemon and honey. The soothing citrus of the lemon with the hot tea is a great way to perk up a wintery morning or afternoon.
Cooking fruit desserts such as a compote, cobbler, or a crisp is a mouthwatering way to warm your heart! The great thing about cooking fruit is that it can be a way to use fruit that is starting to over-ripen or use fruit that you have frozen during the year. Try out this Kiwifruit Cobbler for a delightful warm winter dessert!
Need a one-pan dinner? Vegetable pot pie can be just the dish you are looking for! Combining ingredients into one pan for a well-rounded family meal will have the family asking for more. Keep it simple by buying a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and add your favorite add-ins such as broccoli, cauliflower, or kale. Preparing the pot pie to go into the oven can be a great dish to get kids involved in the cooking process.
Busy families looking to have a hot meal on a busy weeknight might be more apt to use the slow cooker or instant pot to have a quick hot meal. Soups, beans, stews can be prepared in the slow cooker during the day or the instant pot prior to dinner time. This Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup is perfect for those busy weeknights! Preparing the vegetables, such as slicing onions and peppers, the night before and storing the prepped items in the refrigerator can make these types of meals a breeze.
A Louisiana favorite, gumbo, can even be a source of vegetables in a shrimp okra gumbo. Growing up in Louisiana, I can say that the minute the weather is under 70 degrees, most people refer to it as “gumbo weather.”
No matter what time of year it is or what the weather is outside, we can always find ways throughout the year to have a plant to warm our hearts!
FAQs
Here's our list of soups that put their feel-good magic to work!
- Chicken Noodle Soup.
- Asian-Inspired Zoodle Flu Buster Soup.
- Harvest Vegetable Soup.
- Butternut Squash Soup.
- Tomato Basil Soup.
- Coconut Curry Soup.
- Creamy Corn and Potato Chowder.
- Poblano Chicken Chowder.
There are reasons suggested why soups are good for your soul, but we think it's all in the delivery, as they're often made with love for someone feeling under the weather or unwell. A bowl of heart-warming soup has the ability to make you feel comforted and cared for.
What soup makes you feel better when sick? ›
Classic Chicken Soup
Classic chicken noodle soup gets a healthy upgrade with low-sodium chicken broth, whole-wheat egg noodles and tons of vegetables. To get a homemade stock flavor using store-bought broth, we simmer bone-in chicken breasts in the broth before adding the rest of the soup ingredients.
Why does hot soup make you feel better when sick? ›
Even the warmth of chicken soup can help. Drinking the liquid and inhaling the vapors increase the temperature of nasal and respiratory passages, which loosens the thick mucus that often accompanies respiratory illnesses. Compared with hot water alone, studies show chicken soup is more effective at loosening mucus.
What soup is good for cough and phlegm? ›
15 Soothing Soups for Cold and Flu Season
- 01 of 15. Super Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup. ...
- 02 of 15. Garlic Spinach Soup. ...
- 03 of 15. Miso Soup. ...
- 04 of 15. Cold-Busting Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup. ...
- 05 of 15. Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup. ...
- 06 of 15. Spicy Chicken Thai Soup. ...
- 07 of 15. Roasted Butternut Squash, Garlic, and Apple Soup. ...
- 08 of 15.
It's just as important to nourish your soul as it is to nourish your body. You eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables and avoid processed foods to keep yourself physically fit, and the same can be said to keeping your soul in check.
Why is soup so calming? ›
Soup may be a reminder of loving care
Soup is often associated with being cared for. Over time, the food alone may conjure up feelings of comfort.
What soup has the most benefits? ›
Bone broth-based soups
Bone broth has regained popularity due to its highly nutritious nature. It's made by simmering bones, which produces a broth filled with the bones' nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, and collagen — the most abundant protein in your body ( 29 , 30 ).
What to eat when sick if you hate soup? ›
Bread is part of the BRAT diet. The BRAT diet consists of easily digestible, doctor-recommended foods that you may eat when you have an upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. BRAT stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast.
What is the healthiest soup you can eat? ›
6 delicious and healthy soups
- Chicken Vietnamese Pho.
- Green spring minestrone.
- Herb and yoghurt-based soup.
- Lamb shank and barley soup.
- Pumpkin soup with star croutons.
- Lentil and vegetable soup with crusty bread.
Chicken soup is a staple for upset stomachs for a reason. It provides vitamins, protein and other nutrients, and it can help keep you hydrated. You don't need to use a lot of different ingredients to get the benefits either. This basic chicken soup recipe can help you feel better in no time.
Why is soup comforting? ›
Also, a healthy soup provides an easy way to digest the nutrients we need, especially when we're sick. Soup is the perfect “comfort food” not just because it's so easily digested but also, according to some food scientists, soup's close appearance to baby food is a big (subconscious) reason we eat it when ill.
What do British eat when sick? ›
Soup, glorious soup
The tried-and-tested soup is the most popular option, being the remedy of choice for three in ten Brits (30%). Perhaps because it has plenty of salt, electrolytes, protein and vitamins, being warming and easy to heat up if you don't have a lot of energy.
Why do we crave soup when sick? ›
Even if soup doesn't directly fight illness, doctors have some good reasons for recommending it. Steam can help relieve sinus inflammation and soothe the throat. Salty liquids can help with hydration. The numbers show the popularity of this longtime home remedy.
Should I eat soup if I have a sore throat? ›
Soup for a Sore Throat
Any warm soup is good to soothe the feeling of a sore throat, but your best options are vegetable-based soups that will help you get the nutrients needed for recovery. Our soup collection of Tomato and Mushroom soups are all vegetable based and nourish your body with vitamins.
What is the best drink to soothe a throat? ›
Drink water, tea (herbal or decaf), broth, soup, and non-caffeinated sports drinks e.g. Gatorade. Hot tea with lemon and honey can help. Gargle with warm salt-water. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of regular table salt in 8 ounces (240 ml) of warm water, gargle for a few seconds, spit it out, then repeat a few times.
What is the best recipe for a sore throat? ›
Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of salt — or a similar amount of baking soda — in a glass of warm water. Gargle (but don't swallow) the concoction every three hours for an all-natural sore throat remedy. Salt water can help reduce swelling and irritation in your throat.
Is soup good for hoarse throat? ›
Warm fluids can help soothe sore throats and coughs as well as help you avoid further voice strain. They'll also keep you hydrated. Opt for caffeine-free tea, warm broth, and soup. Make sure liquids aren't too hot so you don't accidentally burn the back of your throat.
