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Feeling under the weather? You can make this soup in ONE POT and in just 7 minutes! No chopping or peeling required. Vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free if you use gluten-free noodles!
Quick & Easy Sick Day Soup
This fall/winter season has not been good to me. Usually, I have an incredible immune system…but I’ve been sick 3 times in about 3 months. My immune system can barely come up to breathe!
During times when you’re sick, it can be a struggle to still eat healthily. And eating healthy food can be tough when you don’t want to be in the kitchen for more than 10 minutes. We often resort to store-bought soups – and the selection for soup is better than it used to be, but oh man, that sodium!
I love a good chickpea noodle soup and try to keep some prepped in the freezer, but I quickly went through it during my early sick days. Plus, it requires a good amount of chopping. The LAST thing I want to do when I have a fever is stand at the counter and chop carrots.
During my last round of sickness, I came up with a super quick, easy, but still nutritious solution – what I call my 7-Minute Sick Day Soup! It’s even made in one pot. You just need some veggie broth or bouillon, canned white beans, spinach, and noodles.
I like to use mini vermicelli noodles. They cook quickly and are easy to eat. I find them in the soup aisle at my grocery store, not in the pasta aisle. If you cannot find them, just grab a box of regular vermicelli noodles (or spaghetti) and break them up into 1-inch pieces. You can also use another noodle, like macaroni, but the cooking time will increase and you might also have to add more broth.
Hope you enjoy this easy soup recipe. Feel better!
Ingredients
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup mini vermicelli noodles*
- 1/2 cup canned white beans** drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach packed
- any seasoning to taste - garlic, pepper, etc.
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, bring the broth to a boil on high heat.
- Add in the noodles and cook for 5 minutes (or adjust the time to the noodle you are using - just take 2 minutes off the recommended cooking time.)
- Add in the beans. Boil for another 2 minutes or until the noodles are tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the spinach, and cover the pot until the spinach is wilted. Add in any seasoning as you see fit.
- Serve warm!
Kiran
I’ve been sick for a few days and have been binging on soups. Was super excited to find this especially because of the minimal amount of ingredients that were needed – actually luckily for me I had EVERYTHING that was listed!
I did however spice it up for my own personal preference. I went ahead and added thinly sliced yellow onion (sautéed) as well as 6 pieces off garlic pressed (I am such a garlic lover – and of course it has great properties for your health). On top of this I added in some Harissa. (I love all my soups kind of on the spicier end! Totally helps with the sinuses also!
Overall – SUPER enjoyed this simple recipe!! Thank you so much. Definitely will be one of my new go to soups for sick days!
Sharon
can you use can spinach?
Karissa
Sure!
Lindsay
Which seasoning did you personally use? I need a little more guidance 🙂 Thanks!
Karissa
I usually add a pinch of black pepper and about 1/4 tsp of garlic powder. It really depends on how seasoned or bland the vegetable stock you use is!
Ann
Consider using frozen spinach if you don’t have fresh. I always keep a bag in the freezer and stir it in at the end of any soup (or other dish) that needs more “greens”.
Bryan
My wife is the one that always gets sick, she’d love this haha thank you!
Gelisgi
I make a version of this even when I’m not sick; just in a hurry. I use rice noodles. Sometimes I toss in a few left over veggies. It’s totally yummy!
Karissa
Thank you for sharing!
kathleen selivanoff
Won’t beans make a person gassy and more uncomfortable when they are already sick?
won’t beans make a person gassy
Karissa
I suppose that depends on your current diet – my body is used to beans and they don’t make me gassy. If they bother you, you can just skip them!
Kiran
This would depend on the type of illness you may be enduring. The beans provide a good source of protein which is great when you are sick. If you are experiencing stomach issues that too – it will depend on the type of stomach issues – the beans may actually be beneficial. Passing gas may help to relieve uncomfortable pressure buildup for some people. 🙂