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When I was a child, my mother didn't believe in antibiotics when I had the cold. Unless I was sitting for a major exam, she would let the cold run its course. She would give me herbs, chicken soup or porridge and make me drink lots and lots of water to flush all the toxins from my system. A bowl of chicken soup was the best 'comfort' food for my aching throat and congested chest. My mum would make the chicken soup Indian style too, with a dash of turmeric, tomatoes and lots of spices to drive the fever down. It always worked, for my body and mind.
But when I turned vegetarian not so long ago, I found 'comfort food' harder to come by (truth be told, I didn't know where to look). Living on my own, I didn't have my mother at hand to make me vegetable soups, plus I worked long hours. So apart from some canned soup or instant noodles vegetable soups for dinner, I settled for antibiotics and cough medicine to get me through my bouts of cold.
After I started graduate school (and had a bit more time on my hands on the evenings I didn't have classes), I started experimenting with cooking again. I found some pretty easy vegetarian soup recipes that made me as feel good as my mum's chicken soup did as a child (I think the relief that some chicken was happily running around also helped, my mum is still a great cook by the way).
These recipes are not mine, but I've found all of them tasty alternatives to chicken soup for when I have a cold or a quick, nutritious meal after a long day at work. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have! Below are the links to my favourites:
Vegetarian Miso Soup (simple yet hearty, I like to add vegetables)
Vegetarian Power Protein Soup (a great way to use leftover cooked brown rice)
Tomato Rasam (you can serve this with white rice, but it's better on its own when you have a cold)
Vegetable Soup With Astralagus
Clear Onion Soup (great with multigrain bread or a baguette)
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