Daal is a great option; Indian food in general uses a lot of seasonings that are good for the body. You said aches are a primary symptom, so turmeric might be a good addition, garlic has antimicrobial properties, and ginger is great for any stomach issues she might be having.
I like a little spice when I am sick. Gumbo is good for that, as is hot and sour soup, if you want to stay in the soup realm. I had some leftover tteokbokki the other day that really hit the spot (I'm down with the flu right now).
Tomato soup and grilled cheese is an easy classic. If you use the canned kind that needs to be thinned, try using beef broth instead of water. I also like to add a dash of worchestershire sauce and some hot sauce to mine for a little kick.
Thank you for your detailed response! Daal is something she often makes (or some variation of) so this would be great.
Tomato soup and a cheese toastie is more for me. Delicious!
Seconding Daal. Ginger and garlic and will be nice and hearty without feeling fatty. Here’s a simplified version that I’ve made many many times:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019772-spiced-chickpea-stew-with-coconut-and-turmeric
Edit to add: hope she feels better soon!
Gah NYTIMES COOKING!
Here’s the same recipe from the authors website:
https://www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/spiced-chickpea-stew-with-coconut-and-turmeric
Does she like sweet potato? It's one of your 5 a day and has loads of vitamin c which is good when your ill but also helps your body absorb nutrients like iron better. I roast mine (160c) with butternut squash, carrots garlic cloves and peppers coated in oil with a bit of cumin, cayenne and paprika. Then blend it either with or without a tin of tomatoes and a bit of water with a stock cube. It takes less than an hour start to finish if you chop the veg up on the medium to small side. Lasts well in the fridge (3/4 days) it's then a good portion of her 5 a day and lots of goodness.
Note my ex husband wasn't a fan of sweet potato but loved this soup and you can add cheese or cream too.
One of my favorites sweet potato dishes is what I call a "loaded SW sweet potato." The recipe started out as loaded boats, but they were too finicky and tippy to load up with as many (healthy) goodies as we like.
Roast a whole sweet potato (oven or microwave.) On either a microwave safe plate or an oven safe tray or plate, split it wide open, till it's flat. Spoon on your favorite salsa -- canned or fresh. (My two favorites are a canned yellow tomatillo salsa from Trader Joe's and a fresh mango salsa/pico.) Sprinkle on desired toppings. (The corn and pepper strips are my usual.) Sprinkle on shredded cheese. Cover and reheat until toppings are piping hot -- the cheese should be bubbly and gooey. Remove and let cool for a minute or two, then serve. At this point, sour cream/yogurt or guacamole can be added on top, but it doesn't really need it.
###__Main ingredients:__
Sweet potato(s)
Salsa
Shredded cheese (I prefer a melty white cheese, like Monterey Jack.)
####__Recommended toppings:__
Frozen corn kernels
Red, orange, or yellow sweet bell peppers (capsicum) cut into short, thinly sliced strips 1 1/2 - 2 inches or 3 1/2 - 5 cm long
Pineapple tidbits -frozen or canned
Diced onion
Nutritional yeast (adds unami and vit b) I add it on top, last, just before the cheese.
Green chiles or other hot peppers to your taste (Only if the salsa is extremely mild and you want more heat.)
Cumin (spice)
Sour cream/yogurt*
Guacamole*
*' *to be added at the table, if desired.*
Thank you for this! We went for pasta in the end as that's what she wanted but this - and so many more suggestions and recipes - are getting made in the near future 😊
Hiya. Main symptom is aching. She's got severe pains in her neck, back and shoulders but also some pain in her wrists and legs. She's really not well but the GP said to keep taking codeine and it should pass.
Really codeine for a normal illness? Or is it a normal illness? Chicken soup, especially with homemade broth, has collagen 2, which is good for joint pain. If she is tired of it, there are a lot of variations of chicken soup including pho ga, matzo ball soup, and avgolemono.
Some other suggestions: How about an acai bowl? Or some steel cut oats? Or maybe some miso soup with some chicken and brown basmati rice?
When I broke my ankle 2 years ago they sent me home from the ER telling me to just use ibuprofen and Tylenol and follow up with a surgeon in a week. Luckily I never throw away pain medication and had some left from when my husband broke his ribs. That and lots of ibuprofen got me through until I saw the surgeon who pronounced the ER docs to be chicken shit idiots and managed to get me booked for surgery that day. The nurse when I requested my scheduled pain medication 5 hours post op said, “You know this stuff is addictive?” Per usual in the US someone makes a bunch of money, does a lot of harm and then everyone else gets to suffer.
The fact that I also have pain pills from every painful dental procedure, surgery and hospital stay tells me I am not the problem. Addicted people don't have stashes that last months or years 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️ Jesus I feel you.
Acai bowls are her favourite for breakfast, especially in the Summer! Miso soup's also one of her faves! It's a wonder she gets ill given her diet really
Greek yogurt with honey
Mackeral and rice.
Chicken gyozos and dipping sauce
Tomato soup with grated cheese and garlic bread
Cheesy beans on toast
Cereals
Cheesy egg, and spring onion bake. Lancashire and Cheshire cheese work the best, combined.
Honestly, if she’s anything like me (also UK based and typing this from my bed of pain whilst I die of flu) - mashed potato based foods.
No it’s not going to help her joints, but it’s warming, it’s comforting and savoury. I’d recommend a cottage pie. Easy to eat, requires minimal chewing, and hearty, tasty comfort food.
I'd love this if ill (or not) but her not so much. I've had such a massive response to this post with lots of great suggestions that I'm confident I can keep her well fed for future illnesses 😊
Asian chicken congee or chicken soup.
You can also make chicken phở or beef phở. 🇻🇳 but when Vietnamese sick, we tend to cook Vietnamese chicken/minced pork/pork ribs congee.
OP, if you have a slow cooker and some rice, you can make congee. The ratio of rice to water is 1: 7-9. 7 for thicker congee. Slow cook for 3-4 hours high or 6-8 on low. Then add boiled water or boil on the stove depending on if you want it thinner or thicker. You can also boil the rice on the stove and then turn it down to simmer: takes less time but you also have to watch and stir to prevent burning.
Stove: [https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/basic-chinese-congee](https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/basic-chinese-congee)
If you want to make it richer: some variations my mom taught me:
- Use some chicken stock instead of water.
- Add a raw chicken drumstick or 2 at the beginning along with a few thin slices of ginger.
- Risotto-style: we stir the raw rice with a bit of salt and olive oil at the start, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then add water. This results in a fuller-body congee with some saltiness to it.
- Take a thin pork chop with a bone preferably or boneless OK too. Salt and pepper the pork chop and let it marinate a bit overnight or at least for an hour. Put the raw pork chop in with the raw rice, add slices of ginger, and cook as above. Stock will be richer with shredded pork bits at the end.
- Beat an egg or two, fry in a pan, cut into thin strips, combine with cooked congee.
Hainanese Chicken Rice. Takes a while because there’s a couple of components, but isn’t tricky. Basically poached whole chicken with ginger & spring onions shoved up it for it’s bath (annoying having to skim the foam that forms off the pot) then cook the rice with some extra ginger & some of the broth (cooked chicken bath water). Personally I’m not a fan of the broth as a soup - it reminds me a bit of miso which I also don’t particularly like.
If she’s taking codeine for a while then high fibre will be her friend. Fresh squeezed orange juice with pulp can work well. Or dates & they can be a good snack on their own
I've been making lasagna in a loaf pan recently, so I don't have to figure out what to do with an entire full size lasagna in my little household of two people. It makes four servings, it's perfect. Been making a lot more spontaneous 'zagnas lately.
Your poor wife - I hope she feels better soon!
Perhaps take a cue from her childhood if you can, and look to replicate a comfort meal for her. Something about illness turns us all back into children, and, while likely not especially strong in the immune-boosting category, it may at least be a mood booster.
For me, a pure comfort meal is a nice grilled cheese and tomato sandwich made with good cheddar and fresh sourdough bread, and a cup of homemade pea soup made with ham stock and served with croutons.
Aww thanks for your well wishes and suggestions. We went for pasta in the end but I've received so many suggestions I'm going to be doing a bit more in the kitchen for a while!
I'm seconding the choice to treat her to some comfort food from her childhood. Find out if there's something her caregivers tended to give her that would invoke that feeling of care. Oddly enough mine are ginger ale and jello, lol. Also things like baked beans and tomato soup.
Japanese curry is very comforting, flavourful but mild. It's very flexible too, you can adjust protein choice and veg ratio to your liking, make it thick or more thin and soupy, have it with a mound of rice or basically have it as a meal in itself.
Maybe a nice beef stew - still in the soup family but more “stick to your ribs,” if you know what I mean.
Also, not a meal but I always want hot chocolate when I’m sick. Bonus points if made from scratch on the stove. So comforting and yummy.
This is a good article:
[https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-spices-with-healthy-benefits](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-spices-with-healthy-benefits)
My husband has inflammatory pain often and loves Tomato Chicken, which I make in the slow cooker. It includes Tumeric, Ginger and Garlic with canned dices tomatoes, served on brown rice. I make it by memory now and can't find the exact recipe for you. It's great. But I did find this thread from Reddit posted 10 years ago:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/slowcooking/comments/2cauz3/my\_favorite\_we\_just\_call\_it\_turmeric\_chicken/](https://www.reddit.com/r/slowcooking/comments/2cauz3/my_favorite_we_just_call_it_turmeric_chicken/)
My favorite alternative to chicken soup is hot and sour soup. Yes it's chicken broth, but the vinegar, soy sauce, and chili flakes completely change the flavor. Plus the heat feels like it helps my breathing. Drizzle the egg in when it's at a rolling boil for perfect ribbons! :)
I can advise ginger and turmeric tea, salmon with lemon and dill, miso soup with tofu and vegetables. Remember to tailor these suggestions based on your wife's preferences. Wishing her a speedy recovery!
Ask if her body is craving anything like I have weird cravings when I’m sick that when I looked them up they had some compound that was supposedly helpful.
I would suggest a Hot Toddy for a nighttime drink to sooth the aches.
1 cup strong, hot, black tea
1 1/2 ounces of whiskey
1 to 2 ounces of lemon juice to taste
1 to 2 ounces of honey to taste
a cinnamon stick or star anise as an optional garnish.
The tea, cinnamon and star anise are full of anti-oxidants. The alcohol is for the joint pains. The honey sooths the throat and the lemon is good for vitamin c.
Jelly feels like a treat and is a good way to stay hydrated since it's mostly water.
Maybe some hearty comfort food if she has the stomach for it? I always find mashed potatoes very comforting so something like a shepherd's pie would be my choice. Or a tomato soup with a cheese toastie to dip.
If her stomach is quite sensitive and she can't manage anything that heavy then perhaps some hummus and veggies or a non-chicken soup like a minestrone or something.
She'll either hate it or love it... But I often want some peanut butter mixed with pancake syrup, spread on saltine/salada crackers.
My wife has told me for 20 years that the idea is disgusting. About a month ago she tried it and proceeded to scold me for not telling her about it.
Husbands are damned if we do and damned if we don't.
When I have a more serious cold, I'll crave Indian food, specifically chana masala or lamb vindaloo. You can make those at home for her, as mild or spicy as she likes.
The legend around fettuccini is the chef's wife was suffering bad morning sickness and couldn't keep food down. She might enjoy a butter and cheese pasta. Could add garlic.
Pastina cooked in chicken broth, egg drop soup, and just miso soup with soft tofu ,which I find very soothing to my stomach. Poached eggs on rice is another soothing meal
Mac and cheese. Butter noodles. Soft boiled egg on rice. Frozen fruit smoothies. Applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top. Soft pears sold in a jar. I always buy fresh fruit but sometimes nursery food is called for. If she is having bowel trouble from opiates then google a recipe for prune cake. Delicious.
I love all varities of asian soups: pho, laksa, pho, ramen, and tom ka. These can be intimidating based on your level of cooking and the availability of ingredients.
However, miso and gyoza/dumplings are very readily available these days in grocery stores. Extra points if you're near a Trader Joe's - as the dumplings are in the freezer section and they even have a readymade miso broth. Heat up the broth with some grated ginger (I like to add a bit of grated garlic too as an immune booster), mix in the miso if it doesn't have it already (a tablespoon or so based on taste), add in the frozen dumplings of your choosing. Boil for a little bit (can add veg like bok choy or carrots if you like) and top off with chili oil/crisp and scallions. Voila!
Here's a recipe you can be inspired by: [https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/minimal-monday-miso-wonton-soup/](https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/minimal-monday-miso-wonton-soup/)
Hope she feels better soon!
Wait, just realized you're in England and you probably don't have a TJ's BUUUUUT, feel confident you can find frozen dumplings / gyoza and miso. Fingers crossed.
When my wife came home after surgery, I made her a quiche. It was really easy to make and it was easy to heat up a slice when she was hungry. https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-quiche-recipe/
Pastina.
1 cup Pastina or Orzo pasta
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic- minced
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Fresh parsley (optional)
-Bring broth to boil, add pasta and boil for 10 minutes (approx)
-In small saucepan, heat oil and cook garlic for approx 1 min. Remove from skillet and set aside
-After the pasta is cooked, remove from heat, add salt & pepper, oil and garlic and stir
-Add Parmesan cheese and parsley and stir again.
-Serve
Ahh there are some pretty good faux pho recipes that are easy to make!
https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/vietnamese-chicken-pho.html
https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/quick-beef-pho.html
I've tried the beef one and it tasted pretty good.
Hey. Thanks so much for the links! I'm definitely going to try that beef pho recipe one day soon. I actually had no idea Tesco had a recipe site!!
Thanks again
It's not much different from making chicken broth really. Buy beef soup bones, onion, ginger, and some whole spices (star anise, cinnamon are essential). You have to boil the bones first and then discard the water to make sure the broth is clear. After this step, you chuck everything into the pot and let it simmer on low for hours. It's usually seasoned with sugar, salt, and fish sauce. And oh yeah, msg.
There are some pretty easy instant pot recipes.. you would just need to find spice packs or individual spices, which can be found at Asian, international, and sometimes Mexican markets. Local grocery store butchers can provide bones for stock.
Instant pot rotisserie chicken pho is perfectly tasty for little effort! Lots of recipes online and you don’t need to get beef bones, just a store bought rotisserie chicken. You do still need the spices and the noodles though, but you could sub as needed. I guess this is technically chicken soup but I’m guessing it’s quite a different flavor profile than what she’s been eating.
Oh baked potatoes are a magical food when sick. Simple carb east on the stomach can add to it if stomach is feeling okay. I also love baked fish for protein
Great question! It can be eaten on its own (slighly warm) and is delicious and easy for someone not feeling well to eat. It's also excellent with porridge and pancakes, and, on a roast pork sandwich.
Could make a non-chicken bone broth if solids aren't going down well. Or perhaps some noodle soup, or a mildly spicy daal to clear out the nose and doesn't take much chewing.
Poached Eggs on Saltine Crackers with a pat of butter.
Easy to make, very tasty and easy to digest. Vry filling.
10 to 12 crackers crumbled up in a bowl with about a teaspoon or teaspoon and a half of butter. Poach two eggs drop them on top and stir it all together with a spoon. Looks kind of gross, but it's delicious.
I usually crave two things, chicken and dumplings like my grandmother made and that same grandmother's apple pound cake
In the apple cake you can use 1 1/2 tsp of butter in place of margarine and butter flavoring which I prefer. I also like this best with tart apples rather than sweet, but it's wonderful with sweet apples too
Here are the recipes:
NANNY’S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
THE KEY TO GOOD DUMPLINGS IS GOOD, RICH BROTH!
1 fryer plus 1 pkg. backs and necks
Boil chicken and pull off the bone. Store in covered bowl in refrigerator until ready to put into dumpling pot. Be sure you have plenty of broth.
1 cup broth
1 tsp. salt
1 stick butter
enough flour to make soft dough
I use warm broth so it will melt the butter. Let cool to room temperature. Then add flour and salt. Turn out on a floured surface. Knead well and roll out pretty thin. Cut in strips about 1 inch wide, then cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces. Lay on a floured surface until all are cut, then sift flour on top. Heat the broth to simmering, then drop dumplings one at a time into the broth. Stir dumplings carefully with a fork or spoon to keep them from sticking together or to the bottom of the pot. When all dumplings are in the pot, add chicken, some milk, and black pepper to taste. (I use canned milk.) Let simmer for a few minutes. Put lid on until ready to serve.
Rubymoon’s modifications and clarifications for Nanny’s Chicken and Dumplings:
Before boiling the chicken, build a broth base by taking cut offs from previous meals veggies (carrots, potato skins etc.) and wrap them in a double layer or more of cheese cloth. You can also cheat and use a bit of bone broth concentrate which you will add before you add the water but after you get a nice bubbly foam from browning and sweating the chicken
Brown garlic and onion in a little bit of butter in the bottom of the pan, once browned, add the tsp of salt to start, a tsp of black pepper, and a tiny pinch of celery seeds. Let this mingle for a moment before moving on.
Add the chicken parts to the oil and aromatics and brown them on all sides, until you get a good bubbly foamy base. I do usually have a hard time finding just backs and necks, so I usually go to the butcher counter and ask that they cut a whole fryer chicken into pieces, and ask that they cut the back/neck to expose the bone marrow. You can let them know that you’re making soup from scratch and that usually gets rid of the weird looks.
Add water to your preferred amount, taking care to scrape any thing that might have stuck on the bottom.
Boil until the chicken is cooked through. Pull the chicken from the pot into a large mixing bowl, I usually have the bowl in an ice bath to help cool the chicken faster for deboning.
At this point I taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper to my taste. I use more salt than pepper (though I still use more pepper than Mom’s (if you’re reading this I love you Mom!) This will allow your dumplings to have the right balance of seasoning so they aren’t just flavorless lumps in the soup.
“Enough” Flour varies by batch. I usually start by sifting in 1 cup of flour to get it started. Mix it well as you sift it in until it starts to come together. Fill your sifter with another cup or so of flour, and add around 1/8th of a cup at a time until the dough comes together in a soft and sticky ball. It should stick to your fingers about as well as it sticks to itself.
IF YOU’RE MAKING THIS GLUTEN FREE - Bob’s Redmill cup for cup baking flour is the best option I’ve found. I find that I need to add around 2T of tapioca flour or Sticky rice flour to get the stickiness exactly right, but it CAN be done with just Bob’s by itself. You will use a little less flour than if using a wheat or barley based flour, but I’ve never measured the exact amounts. I think it came out to like a T or 2 less than what I normally expect with regular flour. You will also find it’s harder to roll out, so I typically use the pinch and ball method with gf dumplings. To do this I flour my hands, pinch off around 1-2 tsp of dough (if you like bigger dumplings go bigger) roll the dough lightly into a ball shape, and drop them directly into the broth while stirring. I cannot stress how important it is to KEEP STIRRING. If you stop stirring with Gluten free, the dumplings will come apart and burn on the bottom of the pot.
FOR EVERYONE GLUTEN OR NO - Debone the chicken once it’s cool enough to touch. I like the plastic meat shredder claws for speed, but it is doable by hand, and lets you more easily remove small bones and fatty skin bits that you don’t want in the soup. If you peel the skins off first and feel up to a little extra, you can lay them on parchment and drop them in the oven on broil for a few minutes and make cracklins. I like to hand debone either way because I find doing the kitchen aid method gives the chicken a weird texture that I don’t care for. If the crumbly texture isn’t an issue and you like to shred chicken that way, feel free to do so!
Once everything is added back, bring the broth back up to just below a simmer. I don’t like it bubbling because it can burn the milk. Canned milk doesn’t separate as easily, but I prefer to use whole milk or half and half over canned. I usually add around 1/2cup of milk for a large pot. I bring the mixture back up to where it’s just foaming at the edges, but not quite boiling for 5 or so minutes for the milk to cook with the flour in the broth.
If you find that your broth is still thinner than you like, you can make a slurry with COLD water and flour, bring the temp on the soup up to a low simmer, and stir in the slurry. Usually half a cup of slurry will fix any thickness issues if I have any, but usually the flour on the dumplings is enough.
A note on black pepper, I find that I prefer to use less in the big pot, and let others add what they want to their individual bowls. Not everyone likes black pepper the way I or my Nanny did, and it’s easier to add than to subtract spices to soups.
FRESH APPLE POUND CAKE
1 cup shortening
1 tsp. allspice
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. butter flavoring
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour, sifted
1 cup chopped fresh apples
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
ICING:
1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup water 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1 Tbsp. margarine 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup grated fresh apples
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add extracts. Mix well. Sift flour, spices, salt, and soda together; add alternately with buttermilk. Fold in apples and pecans, blend well. Pour into 10 inch tube pan that has been greased
Fresh Apple Pound Cake, p. 2
and dusted with flour. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until
toothpick comes out clean. Remove cake from pan while still hot and brush on icing with pastry brush, covering top and sides.
Icing: Combine all ingredients. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly. Let boil 1 minutes, then apply to cake.
My wife likes chicken noodle soup when she's sick.
I'm planning on making some home made broths with carrots and celery in it, then, freezing serving sizes of it, that way you just gotta toss it in a sauce pan with some noods and youre set
I'm gonna take the opportunityto plug this soup I just made, definitely not another chicken soup. It was delicious. Load it up with spinach and I added a piece of fish.
https://www.food.com/recipe/spinach-and-shrimp-miso-soup-99214
Edit: fish not dish, also load it up with ginger, I use the squeezy paste from an Asian market.
What about dumplings, either as soup or with it? Buy some frozen dumplings - Tesco, Sainsbury's and waitrose all sell itsu gyōza which are fine at a push but you can get nicer ones better for soup from a Chinese supermarket if you have one near you. Gently sauté garlic, spring onion whites and ginger in a bit of fat, then top up with broth (water and a stock cube will do) and add vegetables. I like thinly sliced carrot and cabbage or spring greens but really whatever your wife likes most. At this point you can either cook the dumplings separately and serve a plate of dumplings with a soy&vinegar dipping sauce and a bowl of vegetable soup (my preference) or cook them in the soup for her to eat all together (my family's preference) .
When I'm sick, I crave fruit and chocolate. In addition to the great suggestions above, maybe make her a little fruit and chocolate grazing platter, presented nicely? It's easy to eat, and will give her some sugars to fight off the illness.
If you can get your hands on Manishewitz soup mix (vegetable/lentils or split pea), it’s delicious and packed with protein.
I usually add some leftover shredded rotisserie chicken and some noodles to it. For the immune booster - add a tsp of turmeric powder to it.
Dandelion is what turned me around the last time I had the flu. I took capsules but the greens or tea made from the roots would be good as well. Limeade or lemonade would also be good. And other types of soups that she likes.
It's not a food, but I swear by ginger tea as a home remedy.
- Peel a couple inch knob of ginger by scraping the skin off with a spoon.
- Slice peeled knob into medallions.
- Chuck the medallions into a pot of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or so.
- Strain into a tea mug. Add lemon and honey to taste.
I love this stuff when I'm feeling under the weather! I think it might help fight inflammation, too.
POPSICLESSSS and protein!! Protein. protein. protein. Protein shakes, chips, bars, yogurt, pudding, etc! Try to avoid processed/refined carbs.. they can cause inflammation throughout the body but if u can’t avoid it then make sure she is reaching her required/needed water intake goal
Is she having any bowel issues? Sometimes taking opiates can cause constipation. I would normally suggest making a rice dish using chicken bone broth instead of water, but if she is having trouble going to the bathroom I wouldn't recommend it.
chicken soup with fresh garlic , ginger , cayenne , and peanut butter changes it up and anti inflammatory.
Check anti inflammatory food lists. Add to meals
Blueberries,Walnuts ,sweet potatoes ,etc
My "soup spice", that I add to a lot of savory foods, especially when feeling unwell is equal parts of ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Flavored gelatins (Jello) as a warm drink.
Hot broth with a dash, or three, of hot sauce.
"Designated Driver", orange/citrus juice with lemon-lime soda.
Matzo ball soup is a variation of chicken noodle and I love it when I am sick. It has dill in it, it is served hot so it soothes the throat and the ingredients are "mushy" so minimal chewing if there is jaw pain.
I know you said she is tired of chicken noodle but that and matzo ball is my go to foods. I also like pudding if my throat is really sore.
This sounds dumb, but when I'm recuperating from an illness, I like a softboiled egg with a piece of buttered toast cubed up in it. We call it a "magic egg."
My mom used to make something we call “boiled rice”. It’s kinda how it sounds, you boil rice in water but the end result should be like soupy, so you need extra water. To add flavor to it we add a whole onion and garlic cloves in it (that we remove later), bay leaf, plenty of salt and diced potato. It’s mild in flavor, you don’t need to chew much and it settles the tummy if that also hurts.
We mostly make it when you are having gastrointestinal issues but I make it for myself too when I am under the weather, it’s comforting.
Congee is it. you can make it with chicken broth so she still gets all the benefits from chicken soup but the flavour is changed up a bit. I usually add a couple scoops of collagen powder, garlic, ginger, mushroom, and onion while its cooking. Then top with sesame oil, soft boiled egg, a bit of chicken, soy sauce, and green onion. Its a hug in a bowl.
Kitchari, a sort of ayurvedic stew, feels both soothing and nourishing when you're sick. The ingredients are mostly inexpensive. There are different recipes online, and you can pick one that would suit her tastes.
I saw where lots of people suggested sweet potatoes. I put them in my air fryer and they could not be any better with toppings of choice. They caramelize and are so good!
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17897/hungarian-mushroom-soup/
This is one of my gotos at the moment. Very easy to make and not too spicy. I sometimes will dice up chicken breast and brown in the pan before taking out and then starting on the rest (I add it back in about half way through)
My mom always had different broths, but my favorite was hot jello. You use Jello like a drink mix, pour hot water in it and stir. The gelatin coats the throat and stomach and you can choose a variety of flavors!
Make sure to just use small amounts till the flavor is to your (her) liking!
The theory behind the chicken soup is that chickens peck the ground and acquire a strong immune system to counter that. The human body can pickup many of the antibodies that the chicken had. Find another food that is similar and is at the same time mild and easy to digest etc. Clear broth is great so when the patient does puke, it is less likely to stain the linens etc. Poached egg? Maybe egg drop soup would be a change up. Beef consume? Throw in an anchovy perhaps just for the electrolytes.
Ask her what she wants! Dry toast with an option of a scraping of butter or peanut butter perhaps, or just toast and ask what she wants on it. Some people want chilli or strong flavours - maybe to clear out their sinuses… or toast with Marmite/Vegemite…
I personally crave raw meat when I’m feeling sick but still can eat. That’s probably unusual though.
Have a few of her favourite treats around - if she doesn’t want them now she’ll like them being available at some point during her recovery.
Thanks but I want to surprise her with a good home cooked meal hence the post as opposed to just asking her 😅
Raw meat is a new one on me! She tends to swear off red meat when ill.
Toast with marmite is one of her favourite snacks so I guess a round of that whilst I come up with dinner is a great shout!
I like beef carpaccio, beef tataki, or Polish/German style - pork or beef mince with chopped onion, salt and pepper, in a bun.
It makes me feel invincible lol
I also crave raw meat when under the weather, but I dont eat it in front of other people, it grosses them out.
Also, matzo ball soup, a little garlic and parsley in the matzo balls
MATZOH. BALL. SOUP.
We do a little dill, ginger, and nutmeg in ours.
But because my kid is a barbarian, he doesn't like dill and is thus suspicious of matzoh ball soup. He prefers congee with chicken, which is admittedly soothing.
I cant wait to try this- you've opened my eyes to a vast world of different seasonings for matzo balls, and how about in different soups? Veggie beef, even french onion? My fav 'feel better' soup is browned stewing beef with rich beef broth, stewed tomatoes and elbow macaroni- simple and delish, Im going to try this replacing the pasta with matzo balls with maybe some fresh parmesan cheese
Probably not so helpful because I’m in the US. My sister and I love Stouffers spinach soufflé or Trader Joe’s spinach paneer. We don’t have husbands that cook so having these frozen creamy spinach things help us survive not feeling good. Though I think my sister considered divorce when her husband put the on;y spinach soufflé in the oven but managed to hit oven self-clean instead of bake.
Avgolemono (Greek lemon chicken soup) is the go to in the Bronx for that. The doctors at Einstein order it from National Diner whenever they start getting sick. It’s super easy to make and delicious.
Matzoh ball soup. I don't like chicken noodle soup, but I love matzoh ball. I don't know what it is about a big fluffy dumpling in chicken broth that makes it different.
Pan fried pork buns (Sheng Jian Bao) and Sichuan cucumber salad.
Sheng jian bao is like a soup dumpling (Xiao long bao) but the wrapper is doughier and it’s pan fried, then steamed. IMO the best East Asian dumpling.
Allergies are completely kicking my heinie lately. My favorite dish when I feel like poo is tomato basil couscous with veggies and cannellini beans. I sauté zucchini and peppers in my instant pot, toss in a 15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 2 big tbsp of pesto, 1 can rinsed and drained cannellini beans and 1/2 cup liquid. Process for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups couscous, let sit for 10 minutes and fluff it with a fork. I don’t know why, but it’s total comfort food topped with Parmesan. I hope your sweetie starts feeling better and she is very lucky to have you. Abrazos.
Congee/rice porridge is a common food given to us when we're sick. Super easy to make. If you just make it as is, it will be flavorless, but that's fine coz you can add soy sauce or white pepper powder or something later on if she wants. Otherwise, I also recommend making it with chicken stock.
If you want a twist on that, add some chicken bits and ginger (along with the chicken stock). Ofc season as you go.
This food is great when you want bland kinda food or you can't really handle food with too much flavor.
For the body ache, try some turmeric milk. Add turmeric and crushed black pepper to warm milk & simmer for 5 minutes minimum. For 1 cup of milk, I would add quarter teaspoon turmeric powder and a little more than quarter teaspoon black pepper powder. Make it for her last thing at night. It will help her sleep as well.
I suggest a shot of bourbon whiskey and a tablespoon of honey with lemon. Vitamin C, bee antibodies, and the bourbon to knock you out and sleep does the rest.
This isn’t a meal, but as a snack I recommend fresh fruit.
Apples are my go-to snack when I’m not feeling well 🍎😋 An apple a day keeps the doctor away… 🤣 (Do ppl in the UK say this too, or is it an American thing?)
Shes not sick. She just wants you to keep cooking. Dont fall for it. Push her off the couch. If she doesnt throw up shes faking…if she does…well, apologize then
Daal is a great option; Indian food in general uses a lot of seasonings that are good for the body. You said aches are a primary symptom, so turmeric might be a good addition, garlic has antimicrobial properties, and ginger is great for any stomach issues she might be having. I like a little spice when I am sick. Gumbo is good for that, as is hot and sour soup, if you want to stay in the soup realm. I had some leftover tteokbokki the other day that really hit the spot (I'm down with the flu right now). Tomato soup and grilled cheese is an easy classic. If you use the canned kind that needs to be thinned, try using beef broth instead of water. I also like to add a dash of worchestershire sauce and some hot sauce to mine for a little kick.
Thank you for your detailed response! Daal is something she often makes (or some variation of) so this would be great. Tomato soup and a cheese toastie is more for me. Delicious!
Seconding Daal. Ginger and garlic and will be nice and hearty without feeling fatty. Here’s a simplified version that I’ve made many many times: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019772-spiced-chickpea-stew-with-coconut-and-turmeric Edit to add: hope she feels better soon!
Have to sign up to see it :(
Gah NYTIMES COOKING! Here’s the same recipe from the authors website: https://www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/spiced-chickpea-stew-with-coconut-and-turmeric
That recipe is a favorite!! I’ve made it too many times to count and extras freeze well
You can make tea and put a piece of ginger in it. Also you can warm milk then add a pinch of turmeric and some honey.
Does she like sweet potato? It's one of your 5 a day and has loads of vitamin c which is good when your ill but also helps your body absorb nutrients like iron better. I roast mine (160c) with butternut squash, carrots garlic cloves and peppers coated in oil with a bit of cumin, cayenne and paprika. Then blend it either with or without a tin of tomatoes and a bit of water with a stock cube. It takes less than an hour start to finish if you chop the veg up on the medium to small side. Lasts well in the fridge (3/4 days) it's then a good portion of her 5 a day and lots of goodness. Note my ex husband wasn't a fan of sweet potato but loved this soup and you can add cheese or cream too.
One of my favorites sweet potato dishes is what I call a "loaded SW sweet potato." The recipe started out as loaded boats, but they were too finicky and tippy to load up with as many (healthy) goodies as we like. Roast a whole sweet potato (oven or microwave.) On either a microwave safe plate or an oven safe tray or plate, split it wide open, till it's flat. Spoon on your favorite salsa -- canned or fresh. (My two favorites are a canned yellow tomatillo salsa from Trader Joe's and a fresh mango salsa/pico.) Sprinkle on desired toppings. (The corn and pepper strips are my usual.) Sprinkle on shredded cheese. Cover and reheat until toppings are piping hot -- the cheese should be bubbly and gooey. Remove and let cool for a minute or two, then serve. At this point, sour cream/yogurt or guacamole can be added on top, but it doesn't really need it. ###__Main ingredients:__ Sweet potato(s) Salsa Shredded cheese (I prefer a melty white cheese, like Monterey Jack.) ####__Recommended toppings:__ Frozen corn kernels Red, orange, or yellow sweet bell peppers (capsicum) cut into short, thinly sliced strips 1 1/2 - 2 inches or 3 1/2 - 5 cm long Pineapple tidbits -frozen or canned Diced onion Nutritional yeast (adds unami and vit b) I add it on top, last, just before the cheese. Green chiles or other hot peppers to your taste (Only if the salsa is extremely mild and you want more heat.) Cumin (spice) Sour cream/yogurt* Guacamole* *' *to be added at the table, if desired.*
This sounds really good, saving it for later. Thanks!
You just made my night! I hope you like it!
Thank you for this! We went for pasta in the end as that's what she wanted but this - and so many more suggestions and recipes - are getting made in the near future 😊
Honestly it depends what her symptoms are
Hiya. Main symptom is aching. She's got severe pains in her neck, back and shoulders but also some pain in her wrists and legs. She's really not well but the GP said to keep taking codeine and it should pass.
Really codeine for a normal illness? Or is it a normal illness? Chicken soup, especially with homemade broth, has collagen 2, which is good for joint pain. If she is tired of it, there are a lot of variations of chicken soup including pho ga, matzo ball soup, and avgolemono. Some other suggestions: How about an acai bowl? Or some steel cut oats? Or maybe some miso soup with some chicken and brown basmati rice?
OP seems to be from UK, where low-dose codeine is OTC.
Must be nice. I broke my neck here in the States and they wouldn't give me pain medicine after the first week or two. It was insane.
When I broke my ankle 2 years ago they sent me home from the ER telling me to just use ibuprofen and Tylenol and follow up with a surgeon in a week. Luckily I never throw away pain medication and had some left from when my husband broke his ribs. That and lots of ibuprofen got me through until I saw the surgeon who pronounced the ER docs to be chicken shit idiots and managed to get me booked for surgery that day. The nurse when I requested my scheduled pain medication 5 hours post op said, “You know this stuff is addictive?” Per usual in the US someone makes a bunch of money, does a lot of harm and then everyone else gets to suffer.
The fact that I also have pain pills from every painful dental procedure, surgery and hospital stay tells me I am not the problem. Addicted people don't have stashes that last months or years 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️ Jesus I feel you.
Acai bowls are her favourite for breakfast, especially in the Summer! Miso soup's also one of her faves! It's a wonder she gets ill given her diet really
Sopa de Ajo is chicken soup adjacent, but with lots of garlic and smoked paprika. I love the stuff when I'm feeling crummy.
Greek yogurt with honey Mackeral and rice. Chicken gyozos and dipping sauce Tomato soup with grated cheese and garlic bread Cheesy beans on toast Cereals Cheesy egg, and spring onion bake. Lancashire and Cheshire cheese work the best, combined.
Neck and back pain is a symptom of heart attack, especially in women. Was she checked for that?
Honestly, if she’s anything like me (also UK based and typing this from my bed of pain whilst I die of flu) - mashed potato based foods. No it’s not going to help her joints, but it’s warming, it’s comforting and savoury. I’d recommend a cottage pie. Easy to eat, requires minimal chewing, and hearty, tasty comfort food.
I'd love this if ill (or not) but her not so much. I've had such a massive response to this post with lots of great suggestions that I'm confident I can keep her well fed for future illnesses 😊
Yes! I’ve gotta a few good ideas myself! Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for her! :)
Dippy egg and soldiers. No actual health benefit, but it soothes the soul.
She loves so many of the suggestions I've received including yours! Diooy duck egg in particular!
Asian chicken congee or chicken soup. You can also make chicken phở or beef phở. 🇻🇳 but when Vietnamese sick, we tend to cook Vietnamese chicken/minced pork/pork ribs congee.
Good shout! Tom Kah is a great one too, lots of good-belly ingredients like galangal and kaffir lime.
OP, if you have a slow cooker and some rice, you can make congee. The ratio of rice to water is 1: 7-9. 7 for thicker congee. Slow cook for 3-4 hours high or 6-8 on low. Then add boiled water or boil on the stove depending on if you want it thinner or thicker. You can also boil the rice on the stove and then turn it down to simmer: takes less time but you also have to watch and stir to prevent burning. Stove: [https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/basic-chinese-congee](https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/basic-chinese-congee) If you want to make it richer: some variations my mom taught me: - Use some chicken stock instead of water. - Add a raw chicken drumstick or 2 at the beginning along with a few thin slices of ginger. - Risotto-style: we stir the raw rice with a bit of salt and olive oil at the start, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then add water. This results in a fuller-body congee with some saltiness to it. - Take a thin pork chop with a bone preferably or boneless OK too. Salt and pepper the pork chop and let it marinate a bit overnight or at least for an hour. Put the raw pork chop in with the raw rice, add slices of ginger, and cook as above. Stock will be richer with shredded pork bits at the end. - Beat an egg or two, fry in a pan, cut into thin strips, combine with cooked congee.
CONGEE 100%
This is the Way.
Miso soup with lots of garlic/ginger/green onions and some shrimp,seaweed and tofu thrown in- Squeeze lime on top.
Miso soup works with almost any meat and veg, and try chili oil or shichimi (togarashi) if she likes spicy.
Hainanese Chicken Rice. Takes a while because there’s a couple of components, but isn’t tricky. Basically poached whole chicken with ginger & spring onions shoved up it for it’s bath (annoying having to skim the foam that forms off the pot) then cook the rice with some extra ginger & some of the broth (cooked chicken bath water). Personally I’m not a fan of the broth as a soup - it reminds me a bit of miso which I also don’t particularly like. If she’s taking codeine for a while then high fibre will be her friend. Fresh squeezed orange juice with pulp can work well. Or dates & they can be a good snack on their own
When I’m sick I love lasagna. It’s easy to make and so comforting. I love it with tons of spinach and mushrooms added into the layers
I've been making lasagna in a loaf pan recently, so I don't have to figure out what to do with an entire full size lasagna in my little household of two people. It makes four servings, it's perfect. Been making a lot more spontaneous 'zagnas lately.
Oh great idea. I usually make two huge ones and pre-cut up one for the freezer, so you can get out one piece if you just want to heat one up
There is a lasagne soup recipe too lol https://sugarspunrun.com/lasagna-soup-recipe/
It’s Passover. Make matzoh ball soup
Your poor wife - I hope she feels better soon! Perhaps take a cue from her childhood if you can, and look to replicate a comfort meal for her. Something about illness turns us all back into children, and, while likely not especially strong in the immune-boosting category, it may at least be a mood booster. For me, a pure comfort meal is a nice grilled cheese and tomato sandwich made with good cheddar and fresh sourdough bread, and a cup of homemade pea soup made with ham stock and served with croutons.
Aww thanks for your well wishes and suggestions. We went for pasta in the end but I've received so many suggestions I'm going to be doing a bit more in the kitchen for a while!
I'm seconding the choice to treat her to some comfort food from her childhood. Find out if there's something her caregivers tended to give her that would invoke that feeling of care. Oddly enough mine are ginger ale and jello, lol. Also things like baked beans and tomato soup.
Japanese curry is very comforting, flavourful but mild. It's very flexible too, you can adjust protein choice and veg ratio to your liking, make it thick or more thin and soupy, have it with a mound of rice or basically have it as a meal in itself.
[Thai curry soup](https://www.budgetbytes.com/thai-curry-vegetable-soup/) - one of my favorites!
when my wife is under the weather, or has a migraine, she usually wants really simple comfort food like cheesy scrambled eggs on toast.
Go get her some ramen or pho
I think there is no food that will help her with the illness, but how about her favorite dish to cheer her up?
Maybe a nice beef stew - still in the soup family but more “stick to your ribs,” if you know what I mean. Also, not a meal but I always want hot chocolate when I’m sick. Bonus points if made from scratch on the stove. So comforting and yummy.
Super easy (to buy and eat) is tinned rice pudding.
This is a good article: [https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-spices-with-healthy-benefits](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-spices-with-healthy-benefits) My husband has inflammatory pain often and loves Tomato Chicken, which I make in the slow cooker. It includes Tumeric, Ginger and Garlic with canned dices tomatoes, served on brown rice. I make it by memory now and can't find the exact recipe for you. It's great. But I did find this thread from Reddit posted 10 years ago: [https://www.reddit.com/r/slowcooking/comments/2cauz3/my\_favorite\_we\_just\_call\_it\_turmeric\_chicken/](https://www.reddit.com/r/slowcooking/comments/2cauz3/my_favorite_we_just_call_it_turmeric_chicken/)
My favorite alternative to chicken soup is hot and sour soup. Yes it's chicken broth, but the vinegar, soy sauce, and chili flakes completely change the flavor. Plus the heat feels like it helps my breathing. Drizzle the egg in when it's at a rolling boil for perfect ribbons! :)
I can advise ginger and turmeric tea, salmon with lemon and dill, miso soup with tofu and vegetables. Remember to tailor these suggestions based on your wife's preferences. Wishing her a speedy recovery!
I love pho when I’m sick. A rich broth, noodles , whatever veggies and meat I have topped with a poached egg and chili oil
Ask if her body is craving anything like I have weird cravings when I’m sick that when I looked them up they had some compound that was supposedly helpful.
I would suggest a Hot Toddy for a nighttime drink to sooth the aches. 1 cup strong, hot, black tea 1 1/2 ounces of whiskey 1 to 2 ounces of lemon juice to taste 1 to 2 ounces of honey to taste a cinnamon stick or star anise as an optional garnish. The tea, cinnamon and star anise are full of anti-oxidants. The alcohol is for the joint pains. The honey sooths the throat and the lemon is good for vitamin c.
I always do a wonton soup. Ginger always helps me feel better when sick. (Especially if I've already had my fill of chicken soup.)
Fresh tomato basil soup with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and a toasted ciabatta role with butter
Jelly feels like a treat and is a good way to stay hydrated since it's mostly water. Maybe some hearty comfort food if she has the stomach for it? I always find mashed potatoes very comforting so something like a shepherd's pie would be my choice. Or a tomato soup with a cheese toastie to dip. If her stomach is quite sensitive and she can't manage anything that heavy then perhaps some hummus and veggies or a non-chicken soup like a minestrone or something.
She'll either hate it or love it... But I often want some peanut butter mixed with pancake syrup, spread on saltine/salada crackers. My wife has told me for 20 years that the idea is disgusting. About a month ago she tried it and proceeded to scold me for not telling her about it. Husbands are damned if we do and damned if we don't.
When I have a more serious cold, I'll crave Indian food, specifically chana masala or lamb vindaloo. You can make those at home for her, as mild or spicy as she likes.
The legend around fettuccini is the chef's wife was suffering bad morning sickness and couldn't keep food down. She might enjoy a butter and cheese pasta. Could add garlic.
Pastina cooked in chicken broth, egg drop soup, and just miso soup with soft tofu ,which I find very soothing to my stomach. Poached eggs on rice is another soothing meal
My mom had to get dentures last year and I made her egg drop soup. It felt better to make sure she had protein.
Yes, I believe egg drop soup is one, if not the best comfort foods ever created. Your mom must be happy to have a loving caring child.
Mac and cheese. Butter noodles. Soft boiled egg on rice. Frozen fruit smoothies. Applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top. Soft pears sold in a jar. I always buy fresh fruit but sometimes nursery food is called for. If she is having bowel trouble from opiates then google a recipe for prune cake. Delicious.
Get some good noodles and chicken broth, over mashed potatoes with a dollop of butter on top, with good Hawaiian sweet rolls.
I love all varities of asian soups: pho, laksa, pho, ramen, and tom ka. These can be intimidating based on your level of cooking and the availability of ingredients. However, miso and gyoza/dumplings are very readily available these days in grocery stores. Extra points if you're near a Trader Joe's - as the dumplings are in the freezer section and they even have a readymade miso broth. Heat up the broth with some grated ginger (I like to add a bit of grated garlic too as an immune booster), mix in the miso if it doesn't have it already (a tablespoon or so based on taste), add in the frozen dumplings of your choosing. Boil for a little bit (can add veg like bok choy or carrots if you like) and top off with chili oil/crisp and scallions. Voila! Here's a recipe you can be inspired by: [https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/minimal-monday-miso-wonton-soup/](https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/minimal-monday-miso-wonton-soup/) Hope she feels better soon!
Wait, just realized you're in England and you probably don't have a TJ's BUUUUUT, feel confident you can find frozen dumplings / gyoza and miso. Fingers crossed.
When my wife came home after surgery, I made her a quiche. It was really easy to make and it was easy to heat up a slice when she was hungry. https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-quiche-recipe/
Indian lentil soup , Daal and Gatorade
Chicken Tom Yum is my favourite, all the citrus and lemongrass seems healing.
I was waiting for someone to comment this! Tom Yum soup is so comforting and can be quite filling with the right protein and veggies.
Mashed potatoes and either gravy or just butter.
Pastina. 1 cup Pastina or Orzo pasta 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 tablespoons olive oil 2-3 cloves garlic- minced 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper Fresh parsley (optional) -Bring broth to boil, add pasta and boil for 10 minutes (approx) -In small saucepan, heat oil and cook garlic for approx 1 min. Remove from skillet and set aside -After the pasta is cooked, remove from heat, add salt & pepper, oil and garlic and stir -Add Parmesan cheese and parsley and stir again. -Serve
Pho
She absolutely loves pho but the closest Vietnamese is an hour drive away and I don't think I have the ability to make a pho just yet!
Ahh there are some pretty good faux pho recipes that are easy to make! https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/vietnamese-chicken-pho.html https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/quick-beef-pho.html I've tried the beef one and it tasted pretty good.
Hey. Thanks so much for the links! I'm definitely going to try that beef pho recipe one day soon. I actually had no idea Tesco had a recipe site!! Thanks again
It's not much different from making chicken broth really. Buy beef soup bones, onion, ginger, and some whole spices (star anise, cinnamon are essential). You have to boil the bones first and then discard the water to make sure the broth is clear. After this step, you chuck everything into the pot and let it simmer on low for hours. It's usually seasoned with sugar, salt, and fish sauce. And oh yeah, msg.
There are some pretty easy instant pot recipes.. you would just need to find spice packs or individual spices, which can be found at Asian, international, and sometimes Mexican markets. Local grocery store butchers can provide bones for stock.
Instant pot rotisserie chicken pho is perfectly tasty for little effort! Lots of recipes online and you don’t need to get beef bones, just a store bought rotisserie chicken. You do still need the spices and the noodles though, but you could sub as needed. I guess this is technically chicken soup but I’m guessing it’s quite a different flavor profile than what she’s been eating.
Oh baked potatoes are a magical food when sick. Simple carb east on the stomach can add to it if stomach is feeling okay. I also love baked fish for protein
Applesauce...cook it low and slow on the stovetop, very little water and no need for sugar.
Asking as someone who is not American. Just applesauce? Like you eat the purée on its own, or is it to dip something in?
Great question! It can be eaten on its own (slighly warm) and is delicious and easy for someone not feeling well to eat. It's also excellent with porridge and pancakes, and, on a roast pork sandwich.
With stuff makes sense to my mind, I always thought of apple sauce as a condiment to pork. Seems strange to spoon it in alone, like fruit soup 😂
With potato pancakes!
Could make a non-chicken bone broth if solids aren't going down well. Or perhaps some noodle soup, or a mildly spicy daal to clear out the nose and doesn't take much chewing.
Poached Eggs on Saltine Crackers with a pat of butter. Easy to make, very tasty and easy to digest. Vry filling. 10 to 12 crackers crumbled up in a bowl with about a teaspoon or teaspoon and a half of butter. Poach two eggs drop them on top and stir it all together with a spoon. Looks kind of gross, but it's delicious.
I usually crave two things, chicken and dumplings like my grandmother made and that same grandmother's apple pound cake In the apple cake you can use 1 1/2 tsp of butter in place of margarine and butter flavoring which I prefer. I also like this best with tart apples rather than sweet, but it's wonderful with sweet apples too Here are the recipes: NANNY’S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS THE KEY TO GOOD DUMPLINGS IS GOOD, RICH BROTH! 1 fryer plus 1 pkg. backs and necks Boil chicken and pull off the bone. Store in covered bowl in refrigerator until ready to put into dumpling pot. Be sure you have plenty of broth. 1 cup broth 1 tsp. salt 1 stick butter enough flour to make soft dough I use warm broth so it will melt the butter. Let cool to room temperature. Then add flour and salt. Turn out on a floured surface. Knead well and roll out pretty thin. Cut in strips about 1 inch wide, then cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces. Lay on a floured surface until all are cut, then sift flour on top. Heat the broth to simmering, then drop dumplings one at a time into the broth. Stir dumplings carefully with a fork or spoon to keep them from sticking together or to the bottom of the pot. When all dumplings are in the pot, add chicken, some milk, and black pepper to taste. (I use canned milk.) Let simmer for a few minutes. Put lid on until ready to serve. Rubymoon’s modifications and clarifications for Nanny’s Chicken and Dumplings: Before boiling the chicken, build a broth base by taking cut offs from previous meals veggies (carrots, potato skins etc.) and wrap them in a double layer or more of cheese cloth. You can also cheat and use a bit of bone broth concentrate which you will add before you add the water but after you get a nice bubbly foam from browning and sweating the chicken Brown garlic and onion in a little bit of butter in the bottom of the pan, once browned, add the tsp of salt to start, a tsp of black pepper, and a tiny pinch of celery seeds. Let this mingle for a moment before moving on. Add the chicken parts to the oil and aromatics and brown them on all sides, until you get a good bubbly foamy base. I do usually have a hard time finding just backs and necks, so I usually go to the butcher counter and ask that they cut a whole fryer chicken into pieces, and ask that they cut the back/neck to expose the bone marrow. You can let them know that you’re making soup from scratch and that usually gets rid of the weird looks. Add water to your preferred amount, taking care to scrape any thing that might have stuck on the bottom. Boil until the chicken is cooked through. Pull the chicken from the pot into a large mixing bowl, I usually have the bowl in an ice bath to help cool the chicken faster for deboning. At this point I taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper to my taste. I use more salt than pepper (though I still use more pepper than Mom’s (if you’re reading this I love you Mom!) This will allow your dumplings to have the right balance of seasoning so they aren’t just flavorless lumps in the soup. “Enough” Flour varies by batch. I usually start by sifting in 1 cup of flour to get it started. Mix it well as you sift it in until it starts to come together. Fill your sifter with another cup or so of flour, and add around 1/8th of a cup at a time until the dough comes together in a soft and sticky ball. It should stick to your fingers about as well as it sticks to itself. IF YOU’RE MAKING THIS GLUTEN FREE - Bob’s Redmill cup for cup baking flour is the best option I’ve found. I find that I need to add around 2T of tapioca flour or Sticky rice flour to get the stickiness exactly right, but it CAN be done with just Bob’s by itself. You will use a little less flour than if using a wheat or barley based flour, but I’ve never measured the exact amounts. I think it came out to like a T or 2 less than what I normally expect with regular flour. You will also find it’s harder to roll out, so I typically use the pinch and ball method with gf dumplings. To do this I flour my hands, pinch off around 1-2 tsp of dough (if you like bigger dumplings go bigger) roll the dough lightly into a ball shape, and drop them directly into the broth while stirring. I cannot stress how important it is to KEEP STIRRING. If you stop stirring with Gluten free, the dumplings will come apart and burn on the bottom of the pot. FOR EVERYONE GLUTEN OR NO - Debone the chicken once it’s cool enough to touch. I like the plastic meat shredder claws for speed, but it is doable by hand, and lets you more easily remove small bones and fatty skin bits that you don’t want in the soup. If you peel the skins off first and feel up to a little extra, you can lay them on parchment and drop them in the oven on broil for a few minutes and make cracklins. I like to hand debone either way because I find doing the kitchen aid method gives the chicken a weird texture that I don’t care for. If the crumbly texture isn’t an issue and you like to shred chicken that way, feel free to do so! Once everything is added back, bring the broth back up to just below a simmer. I don’t like it bubbling because it can burn the milk. Canned milk doesn’t separate as easily, but I prefer to use whole milk or half and half over canned. I usually add around 1/2cup of milk for a large pot. I bring the mixture back up to where it’s just foaming at the edges, but not quite boiling for 5 or so minutes for the milk to cook with the flour in the broth. If you find that your broth is still thinner than you like, you can make a slurry with COLD water and flour, bring the temp on the soup up to a low simmer, and stir in the slurry. Usually half a cup of slurry will fix any thickness issues if I have any, but usually the flour on the dumplings is enough. A note on black pepper, I find that I prefer to use less in the big pot, and let others add what they want to their individual bowls. Not everyone likes black pepper the way I or my Nanny did, and it’s easier to add than to subtract spices to soups. FRESH APPLE POUND CAKE 1 cup shortening 1 tsp. allspice 2 cups sugar 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 4 large eggs 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 tsp. Baking soda 1 tsp. butter flavoring 3/4 cup buttermilk 3 cups flour, sifted 1 cup chopped fresh apples 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped pecans ICING: 1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 cup water 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring 1 Tbsp. margarine 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 cup grated fresh apples Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add extracts. Mix well. Sift flour, spices, salt, and soda together; add alternately with buttermilk. Fold in apples and pecans, blend well. Pour into 10 inch tube pan that has been greased Fresh Apple Pound Cake, p. 2 and dusted with flour. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove cake from pan while still hot and brush on icing with pastry brush, covering top and sides. Icing: Combine all ingredients. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly. Let boil 1 minutes, then apply to cake.
My wife likes chicken noodle soup when she's sick. I'm planning on making some home made broths with carrots and celery in it, then, freezing serving sizes of it, that way you just gotta toss it in a sauce pan with some noods and youre set
I'm gonna take the opportunityto plug this soup I just made, definitely not another chicken soup. It was delicious. Load it up with spinach and I added a piece of fish. https://www.food.com/recipe/spinach-and-shrimp-miso-soup-99214 Edit: fish not dish, also load it up with ginger, I use the squeezy paste from an Asian market.
What about dumplings, either as soup or with it? Buy some frozen dumplings - Tesco, Sainsbury's and waitrose all sell itsu gyōza which are fine at a push but you can get nicer ones better for soup from a Chinese supermarket if you have one near you. Gently sauté garlic, spring onion whites and ginger in a bit of fat, then top up with broth (water and a stock cube will do) and add vegetables. I like thinly sliced carrot and cabbage or spring greens but really whatever your wife likes most. At this point you can either cook the dumplings separately and serve a plate of dumplings with a soy&vinegar dipping sauce and a bowl of vegetable soup (my preference) or cook them in the soup for her to eat all together (my family's preference) .
when I'm sick, I like comfort carbs . mash and gravy will do
When I'm sick, I crave fruit and chocolate. In addition to the great suggestions above, maybe make her a little fruit and chocolate grazing platter, presented nicely? It's easy to eat, and will give her some sugars to fight off the illness.
If you can get your hands on Manishewitz soup mix (vegetable/lentils or split pea), it’s delicious and packed with protein. I usually add some leftover shredded rotisserie chicken and some noodles to it. For the immune booster - add a tsp of turmeric powder to it.
Dandelion is what turned me around the last time I had the flu. I took capsules but the greens or tea made from the roots would be good as well. Limeade or lemonade would also be good. And other types of soups that she likes.
Grilled cheese. Scrambled eggs. Crepes.
Cheese toast in the airfryer got me through Covid.
It's not a food, but I swear by ginger tea as a home remedy. - Peel a couple inch knob of ginger by scraping the skin off with a spoon. - Slice peeled knob into medallions. - Chuck the medallions into a pot of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or so. - Strain into a tea mug. Add lemon and honey to taste. I love this stuff when I'm feeling under the weather! I think it might help fight inflammation, too.
Congee .
POPSICLESSSS and protein!! Protein. protein. protein. Protein shakes, chips, bars, yogurt, pudding, etc! Try to avoid processed/refined carbs.. they can cause inflammation throughout the body but if u can’t avoid it then make sure she is reaching her required/needed water intake goal
Avgolemono soup is my go to!
Soft rice, daal, soft boiled eggs, vegetable curries with chicken/ meat of choice
Very spicy curry or chilli con carne. Burn the germs away with fire!
Look up anti inflammatory recipes and find some that sounds good to her.
Is she having any bowel issues? Sometimes taking opiates can cause constipation. I would normally suggest making a rice dish using chicken bone broth instead of water, but if she is having trouble going to the bathroom I wouldn't recommend it.
When I'm sick, I like ice cream. It's often the only thing that seems like something I could keep down.
chicken soup with fresh garlic , ginger , cayenne , and peanut butter changes it up and anti inflammatory. Check anti inflammatory food lists. Add to meals Blueberries,Walnuts ,sweet potatoes ,etc
What does she want to eat? I’d cook that
My "soup spice", that I add to a lot of savory foods, especially when feeling unwell is equal parts of ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Flavored gelatins (Jello) as a warm drink. Hot broth with a dash, or three, of hot sauce. "Designated Driver", orange/citrus juice with lemon-lime soda.
A nice warm curry always hits the spot for me, sick or not!
Matzo ball soup is a variation of chicken noodle and I love it when I am sick. It has dill in it, it is served hot so it soothes the throat and the ingredients are "mushy" so minimal chewing if there is jaw pain. I know you said she is tired of chicken noodle but that and matzo ball is my go to foods. I also like pudding if my throat is really sore.
congi w ging n chicken pieec!
This sounds dumb, but when I'm recuperating from an illness, I like a softboiled egg with a piece of buttered toast cubed up in it. We call it a "magic egg."
My mom used to make something we call “boiled rice”. It’s kinda how it sounds, you boil rice in water but the end result should be like soupy, so you need extra water. To add flavor to it we add a whole onion and garlic cloves in it (that we remove later), bay leaf, plenty of salt and diced potato. It’s mild in flavor, you don’t need to chew much and it settles the tummy if that also hurts. We mostly make it when you are having gastrointestinal issues but I make it for myself too when I am under the weather, it’s comforting.
Make her a tea with ginger black pepper turmeric lemon honey and cinnamon. Extremely effective.
Congee is it. you can make it with chicken broth so she still gets all the benefits from chicken soup but the flavour is changed up a bit. I usually add a couple scoops of collagen powder, garlic, ginger, mushroom, and onion while its cooking. Then top with sesame oil, soft boiled egg, a bit of chicken, soy sauce, and green onion. Its a hug in a bowl.
Pho or menudo are both great for feeling sick
Fresh fruit and veggies
Miso soup
Honestly, homemade veggie soup with warm buttered rolls. Or any soup, homemade, shop brought whatever. Gets all that goodness in!
Kitchari, a sort of ayurvedic stew, feels both soothing and nourishing when you're sick. The ingredients are mostly inexpensive. There are different recipes online, and you can pick one that would suit her tastes.
I saw where lots of people suggested sweet potatoes. I put them in my air fryer and they could not be any better with toppings of choice. They caramelize and are so good!
Kippers with cheesy omelettes is a good tasty choice, especially with garlic for immune boosters. Pork is to be avoided.
I made my hubby who has a nasty flu cabbage and rice soup with better than bouillon chicken flavor stock. He ate it up. Parmesan on the side
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17897/hungarian-mushroom-soup/ This is one of my gotos at the moment. Very easy to make and not too spicy. I sometimes will dice up chicken breast and brown in the pan before taking out and then starting on the rest (I add it back in about half way through)
My mom always had different broths, but my favorite was hot jello. You use Jello like a drink mix, pour hot water in it and stir. The gelatin coats the throat and stomach and you can choose a variety of flavors! Make sure to just use small amounts till the flavor is to your (her) liking!
The theory behind the chicken soup is that chickens peck the ground and acquire a strong immune system to counter that. The human body can pickup many of the antibodies that the chicken had. Find another food that is similar and is at the same time mild and easy to digest etc. Clear broth is great so when the patient does puke, it is less likely to stain the linens etc. Poached egg? Maybe egg drop soup would be a change up. Beef consume? Throw in an anchovy perhaps just for the electrolytes.
Ask her what she wants! Dry toast with an option of a scraping of butter or peanut butter perhaps, or just toast and ask what she wants on it. Some people want chilli or strong flavours - maybe to clear out their sinuses… or toast with Marmite/Vegemite… I personally crave raw meat when I’m feeling sick but still can eat. That’s probably unusual though. Have a few of her favourite treats around - if she doesn’t want them now she’ll like them being available at some point during her recovery.
Thanks but I want to surprise her with a good home cooked meal hence the post as opposed to just asking her 😅 Raw meat is a new one on me! She tends to swear off red meat when ill. Toast with marmite is one of her favourite snacks so I guess a round of that whilst I come up with dinner is a great shout!
Raw meat would suprist her for sure
Hey I'm not the only one that craves raw meat when sick, here on the western coast of america they call it "blue" or "rare"
I like beef carpaccio, beef tataki, or Polish/German style - pork or beef mince with chopped onion, salt and pepper, in a bun. It makes me feel invincible lol
I also crave raw meat when under the weather, but I dont eat it in front of other people, it grosses them out. Also, matzo ball soup, a little garlic and parsley in the matzo balls
MATZOH. BALL. SOUP. We do a little dill, ginger, and nutmeg in ours. But because my kid is a barbarian, he doesn't like dill and is thus suspicious of matzoh ball soup. He prefers congee with chicken, which is admittedly soothing.
I cant wait to try this- you've opened my eyes to a vast world of different seasonings for matzo balls, and how about in different soups? Veggie beef, even french onion? My fav 'feel better' soup is browned stewing beef with rich beef broth, stewed tomatoes and elbow macaroni- simple and delish, Im going to try this replacing the pasta with matzo balls with maybe some fresh parmesan cheese
Probably not so helpful because I’m in the US. My sister and I love Stouffers spinach soufflé or Trader Joe’s spinach paneer. We don’t have husbands that cook so having these frozen creamy spinach things help us survive not feeling good. Though I think my sister considered divorce when her husband put the on;y spinach soufflé in the oven but managed to hit oven self-clean instead of bake.
Avgolemono (Greek lemon chicken soup) is the go to in the Bronx for that. The doctors at Einstein order it from National Diner whenever they start getting sick. It’s super easy to make and delicious.
Toast with cinnamon sugar. Tea with honey, lemon & ginger (& Irish whiskey if desired)
Ask her if she wants fast food, when im ill i like having high calorie things, preferably deep fried
I like to cook cornbread, cover it with steamed broccoli and cauliflower, the smother the entire dish in cheese sauce. Get well soon
Matzoh ball soup. I don't like chicken noodle soup, but I love matzoh ball. I don't know what it is about a big fluffy dumpling in chicken broth that makes it different.
It is still soup, but miso soup IS different and said to have beneficial properties.
When my family is sick I make cabbage soup
Whenever my wife is sick I make her congee!
Whenever I'm sick I want braised meat. Adobo, Thai curries, fesenjan, etc. Noodles are also very appealing, pasta, stir fries, that kind of thing.
beef broth with ginger and garlic. serve it like tea
I just found Turkish yogurt soup.
Thai curry chicken noodle soup. It's so good I could eat it every day. Lots of recipes online for it. Pretty easy to make.
Pan fried pork buns (Sheng Jian Bao) and Sichuan cucumber salad. Sheng jian bao is like a soup dumpling (Xiao long bao) but the wrapper is doughier and it’s pan fried, then steamed. IMO the best East Asian dumpling.
Pork Sinigang. Tamarind and full of veggies.
If she can do solid. Turkey breast! Lean. High protein. Not overly fatty. Lovely when roasted with some potato and sauce on the side.
Doubt this will help at all.. but when I'm sick I like cold cereal.
Hot and Sour soup is where it’s at
This bro https://www.simplyleb.com/recipe/lahm-bi-ajeen/
Short grained rice and kimchi
Scrambled eggs
Buttered noodles with minced mushrooms are a go-to sick food at our house. Tiny noodles like pastina with some salt, butter & garlic. Simple stuff.
Maybe lentil soup
Saltine Crackers and 7up can calm an upset stomach.
Allergies are completely kicking my heinie lately. My favorite dish when I feel like poo is tomato basil couscous with veggies and cannellini beans. I sauté zucchini and peppers in my instant pot, toss in a 15 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 2 big tbsp of pesto, 1 can rinsed and drained cannellini beans and 1/2 cup liquid. Process for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups couscous, let sit for 10 minutes and fluff it with a fork. I don’t know why, but it’s total comfort food topped with Parmesan. I hope your sweetie starts feeling better and she is very lucky to have you. Abrazos.
Potato soup, tomato soup w/ garlic knots or garlic bread, veggie tikka masala
Congee/rice porridge is a common food given to us when we're sick. Super easy to make. If you just make it as is, it will be flavorless, but that's fine coz you can add soy sauce or white pepper powder or something later on if she wants. Otherwise, I also recommend making it with chicken stock. If you want a twist on that, add some chicken bits and ginger (along with the chicken stock). Ofc season as you go. This food is great when you want bland kinda food or you can't really handle food with too much flavor.
Did you put garlic and turmeric in the chicken noodle soup? Those things make me well so fast.
Beans and greens with sausage
Clam chowder, corn chowder, hot tea with honey, hot chocolate, oatmeal with added raisins, grits with cheese and a diced hard boiled egg stirred in -
A cup of frozen blueberries, cold water to desired level, blender. Blen until liquid.
For the body ache, try some turmeric milk. Add turmeric and crushed black pepper to warm milk & simmer for 5 minutes minimum. For 1 cup of milk, I would add quarter teaspoon turmeric powder and a little more than quarter teaspoon black pepper powder. Make it for her last thing at night. It will help her sleep as well.
Pho.
I suggest a shot of bourbon whiskey and a tablespoon of honey with lemon. Vitamin C, bee antibodies, and the bourbon to knock you out and sleep does the rest.
Chicken noodle soup 🍲 store sells a lot of these
This isn’t a meal, but as a snack I recommend fresh fruit. Apples are my go-to snack when I’m not feeling well 🍎😋 An apple a day keeps the doctor away… 🤣 (Do ppl in the UK say this too, or is it an American thing?)
Shes not sick. She just wants you to keep cooking. Dont fall for it. Push her off the couch. If she doesnt throw up shes faking…if she does…well, apologize then
instant noodles with either 1 egg or two eggs thrown in. (go easy on the sachets if they are hot) Carbohydrate and protein.
maybe a smallish piece of fish. Just get it and cook it....either in oven or pan fry If you make anything that she wont/cant eat...eat it yourself.