{"id":1956,"date":"2026-01-29T19:55:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/?p=1956"},"modified":"2026-01-29T19:55:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:55:51","slug":"i-tried-the-cozy-chicken-soup-our-readers-swear-by-when-theyre-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/?p=1956","title":{"rendered":"I Tried the Cozy Chicken Soup Our Readers Swear by When They’re Sick"},"content":{"rendered":"


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It’s a tale as old as time\u2014when you are sick and down-and-out, nothing beats a hearty, brothy soup. As a food editor, I’ve come across my fair share of soup recipes, and I’m always tinkering with something new. When I’m cooking and feeling well, I add a little bit of this and a little bit of that, until it strays far from its original form.\n<\/p>\n

But when I’m sick, I don’t want to mess with much. A little bit of seasoned broth, a cozy noodle, and fresh herbs are all I can muster. This year’s flu season hit me hard. I was sick with the flu and absent an appetite for the first few days, but finally ready to cook something around day three. I came across this recipe, which takes only about 20 minutes of prep time, 30 minutes of cooking time, and just a handful of ingredients I happened to already have on hand and at the ready.\n<\/p>\n

The best part? Its review section was freshly updated with praise from Allrecipes members who made this for their sick loved ones, and for themselves. I was inspired to see what all the fuss was about, so I got to cooking\u2014and now I can’t wait to make it again.\n<\/p>\n

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What Makes This Soup Special <\/span> <\/h2>\n

Much like avgolemono (a silky emulsion of eggs, chicken, and broth in Greek cuisine), this soup is wonderfully lemony. The substantial addition of squeezed lemon juice doesn’t just brighten fresh greens, tender chicken, and aromatic broth\u2014it’s also pleasantly astringent, helping the flavors cut through for those who are especially congested. This makes it an ideal soup for sick-day nourishment, anytime.\n<\/p>\n

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How To Make The Coziest Sick Day Soup <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Jen Causey \/ Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey \/ Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle\u00a0<\/p>\n

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  1. Prepare orzo. <\/strong>This recipe calls for cooking the orzo to al dente before incorporating it into the soup. This way, the orzo pasta remains toothsome and tender\u2014without soaking up too much of the surrounding broth.<\/li>\n
  2. Cook aromatics.<\/strong> In a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, cook carrots, celery, and onion until softened. Add the garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper, and stir to coat until fragrant.<\/li>\n
  3. Add chicken broth.<\/strong> Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook until the vegetables are soft and tender, about 10 minutes.<\/li>\n
  4. Add lemon, chicken, reserved orzo. <\/strong>Stir in chicken (a prepared chicken, such as shredded rotisserie chicken, is a great option), lemon juice, lemon zest, and reserved orzo, and cook until heated through. Add spinach until its bright green and tender. Orzo should be tender as well.<\/li>\n
  5. Serve warm in individual bowls. <\/strong>Add Parmesan cheese and extra lemon as desired.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Praise From the Allrecipes Community <\/span> <\/h2>\n

    This recipe has been a favorite among Allrecipes members during this winter’s rampant cold and flu season. In just the past month, multiple reviewers have prepared it either for themselves or for their loved ones who are sick.\n<\/p>\n

    “I made this for my daughter’s family when they were all sick with the flu,” says reviewer Lydia Pace Workman. “My daughter and her family just loved it.” Workman also shared she added a little turmeric to her own version along with the herbs\u2014something she always does for her soup dishes.\n<\/p>\n

    And she’s not the only one! “Made this for my sick daughter,” says Allrecipes member Dina Zarlenga Corbitt in a five-star review. “Delicious!”\n<\/p>\n

    Even sick reviewers have chimed in on the powers of this golden-brothed stew\u2014sharing that it is worth every bit of effort even when you’re feeling less than 100 percent. “Great, especially when I\u2019m feeling under the weather,” says reviewer shelia. “The lemon is perky and all the other ingredients build upon each other to an absolutely delicious meal.”\n<\/p>\n

    Get the recipe:<\/strong> Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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    It’s a tale as old as time\u2014when you are sick and down-and-out, nothing beats a hearty, brothy soup. As a food editor, I’ve come across my fair share of soup recipes, and I’m always tinkering with something new. When I’m cooking and feeling well, I add a little bit of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kitchen-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1956"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}