Get Well Soup

A nourishing, easy-to-make Get Well Soup packed with soothing ginger, turmeric and lime. Perfect for prepping ahead when you are in need of a comforting, nutritious recovery meal.

One thing I get is that the last thing anyone wants to do is cook when they are feeling sick. So, something I like to do is occasionally make a soup like this that I can freeze in advance just in case I do end up sick. It’s what I did right before I ended up getting sick, and I’m so grateful I did because all I had to do was reheat this. A god send when I felt like death and didn’t have the energy to get out the cutting board.

So, that’s all to say, be prepared. Make some soup!

Why You’ll Love This Get Well Soup

• Great to prep ahead. Make this soup with the intention of storing it for later when you’re not feeling well. It freezes well, so all you have to do is reheat it.
• Easy to adjust to your palate. Use the tips in this post to properly adjust the salt or acid in your meal to make the flavors pop to your liking.
• Packed with nutrition to help you recover. This soup is full of soothing, antioxidant-rich ingredients like onions, garlic, ginger, kale, cilantro, and turmeric. These wonderful nutrients help revitalize and nourish you.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Couscous: I recommend pearl couscous for this soup, but feel free to use any small pasta you prefer, such as mini shells, orzo, ditalini, or pastina. If you change the pasta, make sure to adjust when to add it and how long to cook based on the pasta’s recommended cooking time.
• Good Quality Vegetable Broth: For soups like this, I tend to use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base reconstituted in water, which is nicely concentrated with good depth of flavor. Feel free to use your favorite umami-rich broth instead!
• Onion: I used a yellow onion, but red onion or shallots also work well here.
• Scallion: Use the white portion for cooking and the green ends for garnish.
• Pepper: I like spice because it helps clear out the sinuses! If you’re not a fan of spice, feel free to replace it with a poblano pepper or a regular bell pepper.
• Garlic: I’m a strong believer in using a good amount of garlic for soup. If that’s not for you, just use less to your liking.
• Mirin: Mirin is a Japanese cooking wine made from rice that provides both extra umami and light sweetness. You can find it in the same section as soy sauce in most stores. If you can’t access it, the best alternative is to use cooking sake mixed with sugar. A dry cooking wine works too, but it will change the flavor slightly. If you can’t have wine, just leave the mirin out and add extra lime juice towards the end of cooking to balance the flavors.
• Ginger: To make ginger easier to grate, clean the root and stick it in the freezer. Once frozen, grating becomes much easier.
• Turmeric: A little goes a long way. I recommend using about 1/4 teaspoon, but feel free to add up to 1/2 teaspoon for the whole pot. For full nutritional benefit, don’t forget to add a few cracks of fresh black pepper to help absorb the antioxidant curcumin more efficiently. If you don’t like the taste, feel free to skip it.
• Lime: Acid from things like lime can help to brighten up a soup when you feel like something is missing. If you don’t want to use lime, lemon works equally well.

How to Make Get Well Soup

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the thinly sliced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until it starts to turn golden.

Add the onion with a pinch of salt and continue to sauté for 3 minutes, or until the onion softens.

Add the scallions and pepper. Stir well for about a minute, then add the remaining grated garlic, ginger, and turmeric. Sauté for another minute until fragrant.

Deglaze the pan with mirin, scraping the bottom with a spatula to lift any browned bits. Pour in the broth, then add the couscous and bay leaf. Stir to combine.

Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Taste the broth and adjust the salt to your liking (I added about 1/2 teaspoon, which was perfect for me). Loosely cover with a lid and cook for 13-15 minutes, or until the couscous is cooked through.

Add the kale and cilantro, stirring until the kale has fully wilted. Remove the pot from heat.

Squeeze in the lime juice and add a few cracks of fresh ground black pepper. Stir well, taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.

Serve each portion of soup with a serving of baked tofu, a sprinkle of the remaining scallions, and extra lime wedges if desired.

Expert Tips

• Portion to make life easier. I never expect anyone who’s sick to make a full soup from scratch—that’s just not realistic! Instead, when I’m feeling well, I make a batch of soup like this and freeze individual portions in a Souper Cube tray for those inevitable days when I get sick. This way, you can reheat one in the microwave or on the stovetop when you’re low on energy.
• Protein options. To boost protein, I opted for tofu crumble on top. Feel free to swap this with white beans or chickpeas when the soup is simmering with the couscous.
• Taste and adjust your soup. My favorite trick for adjusting soup flavor is to make the recipe as written, then bring the soup to a simmer. Once simmering, taste the broth and ask yourself if something is missing. Spoon out a little broth and use that as a “testing vessel.” Sprinkle it with salt or add a little acid, like lime juice, to see if that improves the flavor. If it’s too strong, dilute with a little more water. Once you know what the soup needs, adjust the entire pot accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Make It Balanced

You can serve this soup base with any protein you love:

• Stir in beans like white beans or chickpeas when adding the broth and couscous.
• Cube some soft tofu to add to the broth as it simmers, or bake tofu nuggets to add on top when serving.
• Add edamame to the broth when stirring in the kale.

More Comforting Soups to Try

• Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Garlic Scallion Oil
• Ginger Miso Brothy Soup with Crispy Shredded Sesame Tofu
• Butternut Squash White Bean Soup with Crispy Sage
• Charred Cauliflower Sweet Potato Soup
• Chipotle Red Lentil Potato Soup

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

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