Not feeling well? Here are some soup ideas to help you get better

A cruise to sunny Cozumel and Belize should not result in spending the last two cruise days in bed with the flu.

Unfortunately for me, it did, and I am still pushing through this mess. This is not the way to usher in 2020.

For six days, I enjoyed the land excursions and activities on board, but let’s just say, food was not my friend on Days 7 and 8.

My friend, Melanie, with whom we cruised with her family, kept saying, “dry toast and soup, dry toast and soup.” I put the pillow over my head to muffle these words, but she was right.

Few things taste better when sick than the comfort of a warm bowl of soup. It seems to penetrate the whole body.

A few Coast friends have spent the holidays sick with colds, flu and the like. The high and low temperatures are not helping one bit, but a bowl of good soup certainly does.

Since this is flu season and the weather are a mixed bag, I thought I would offer some soups that seem to help the savage flu bug or that are perfect for families’ hectic back to school and work routine.

Martha Stewart seems to have the remedy for just about everything, especially her hot soups for the sniffles. This chicken noodle soup is ready in just over an hour and is nourishing with its root veggies.

Studies have shown that hot soups really are healing to the body.

This chicken noodle soup is from her latest book, “One Pot 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot, and More.”

A favorite of mine is fresh mushroom soup, which I had on board the ship. It was rich and flavorful, and secretly I could have eaten a second bowl.

Chef Wolfgang Puck makes an easy mushroom soup that takes 40 minutes from start to finish.

Years ago, I tasted this recipe that was a prize-winner in The Beaumont Enterprise-Journal’s recipe contest in Beaumont, TX. Now beer is not a beverage I enjoy, but I like the flavor of this soup.

One-Pot Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) cut into 8 pieces

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

5 cups water

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

4 medium carrots, sliced 1/2-inch thick on the diagonal

2 celery stalks, sliced 1/4-inch on the diagonal

12 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus chopped leaves for serving

2 ounces angel-hair pasta

In stockpot, combine chicken, broth, water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, skimming off foam from surface with a large spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, skimming frequently. Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery and parsley. Simmer, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Remove parsley and chicken, discarding back, neck and parsley. Let cool, the tear meat into bite-size pieces. Skim fat.

Return broth to a boil and add pasta; simmer 5 minutes. Sire in 3 cups chicken (reserved remaining chicken for another use. Season soup with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley leaves. Serves 8. – From Martha Stewart’s “One Pot 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot, and More.”

Mushroom Soup

1 pound firm white mushrooms, cleaned

1 medium lemon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon minced parsley

Sprinkle the mushrooms with lemon juice. Place in food processor, coarsely chop them.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and lightly sauté the shallots. Add the mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the cornstarch to the soup and continue to simmer 10 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning to taste.

Serve in warm bowls. Sprinkle with minced parsley. – Recipe by Wolfgang Puck

Cheese and beer soup

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth, warm

1 1/2 ounces heavy cream

16 ounces cheese spread

6 ounces beer

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 /2 teaspoon yellow food coloring

1/4 cup chives

In a heavy pan, melt butter, add flour slowing and mix until completely blended. Add chicken broth and cream slowly; mix until smooth and thick. Add cheese and mix again until cheese is melted, and soup is smooth. Add beer slowly, along with Worcestershire sauce and food coloring. Blend well and add chives. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve piping hot with popcorn garnish on each serving. Makes 8 servings.

Andrea Yeager can be reached at ayeager51@cableone.net and Cooks Exchange, 205 DeBuys Road, Gulfport, MS 39507.