Foods To Eat When You Have a Cold

[DanielColeman]

Although it isn't traditional for a man from the UK, the thing that really makes me feel better is congee, with something incredibly spicy on top.

I mean painfully spicy.

[plum tart]

When I was young and flush and lived downtown in Montreal, whenever I had a cold I would head to one of the many Indian curry restaurants nearby and eat the hottest curry I could find - usually a vindaloo. The heat of the curry would restore my sense of smell and clear my head. I would then, relish the marvellous complexity of spices, and vinegar, and pepper and feel much improved.

At other times when I was in bed with a cold, my Lebanese boyfriend would cook me his version of a hot and sour soup full of ginger and red pepper, chicken giblets, rich chicken stock, bean thread noodles and lots of ginger. It too was a marvellous restorative.

And later on, my husband to be made me a lamb stew - the plain Irish kind, and although it wasn't hot and because I was in love, it soothed my cold, slept and awoke refreshed.

Now that I have grown up and must nurse myself, I make my mother's split pea and ham soup. I squeeze a little lemon juice on it. It is fine for a cold too but really, a vindaloo is best!

[Piers]

Something with lots of garlic and chillies: an eye-watering gai pad grapow (Thai chicken fried with holy basil), or a garlicky Indian curry. Dal. Spinach stir-fried with garlic and ginger. Tom yum goong (hot and sour prawn soup). Sweat that mother out!

[Beebs]

I like congee with chicken, because it's comforting and goes down easily. When I start to feel a bit more alive, it's hot-and-sour soup for me, preferably when my husband makes it, but I'll settle for Knorr's packaged H&S soup.

[Zacky]

I agree with the chillie route and always have a batch of kick-ass spicy Indian tomato and red lentil soup (rasam) in the freezer. I add loads of fresh tumeric root, which just feels like you're creating a cold cure. Sinuses melted, tummy bubbling.

Of course, then there's the single malt whisky...

[Le Master]

Whenever I feel I'm coming down with a cold, I load up on garlic, red onions and jalapeños. I'll cook that in with some chicken tenderloins in salsa. I also get plenty of vitamin D3 (between 5,000 and 10,000 IUs) and drink A LOT of water. I really haven't been sick in many years (*knocks on wood*).

[Paula E]

Miso soup. Absolute ambrosia when I have a cold. And when I don't, for that matter.

Hot buttered rum helps too.

[Mel Z]

I go for a sort of rice porridge--slightly overcooked rice in a little more liquid than usual, with the liquid of choice being homemade chicken broth (with a dash of extra salt). Warm, salty, and gentle on the throat. I wonder why some of us seem to crave salt when under the weather? Maybe it helps motivate us to drink our 8/day!