THE NEW YORK TIMES – What we want to eat when we’re sick varies, but it ultimately comes down to one thing: comfort.
Here are the recipes our readers love to make when they — or their loved ones — are under the weather.
This sunny tonic from Yewande Komolafe is chock-full of warming ingredients, like citrus (a lot of it), ginger, turmeric and lemongrass.
It will last for a while in the fridge, perfect for portioning as needed and stirring into a mug of hot water. As one commenter put it, “Perfect for a cold, Covid recovery or just a cold winter’s night.”
Recipe: Citrus and Herb Tonic
Ask me or any other Chinese person what they want when they’re sick, and chances are we’ll say congee. Melissa Clark’s recipe uses an Instant Pot for a hands-free bowl of savory porridge in just 30 minutes.
But if you don’t have a pressure cooker, it’s extremely easy to make on the stovetop as well — it will just take a little more time. The white pepper and sliced scallions are small, but transformative additions.
Recipe: Instant Pot Congee
Pastina, which means “tiny pasta” in Italian, makes this soup as fun to eat as it is nourishing.
Making chicken soup from scratch sounds daunting, but with Naz Deravian’s recipe, just toss the chicken breasts into the pot with your onions, carrots and celery and wait until everything comes together.
Recipe: Brodo di Pollo con Pastina (Chicken Soup With Pastina)
4. Lasagna Soup
If you don’t want to assemble and bake a whole lasagna, but want to deliver the comfort of one, Lidey Heuck’s is the recipe for you.
Use a whole jar of marinara sauce and broken lasagna noodles to mimic the dish that everyone knows and loves, but in an easier-to-make form.
Recipe: Lasagna Soup