Soothing vegan foods to eat when sick

Sore throat.

Coughing.

Fever.

We do our best to avoid it, but sometimes cold and flu season nabs you anyway.

Suddenly you’re sucking on lozenges, sipping chamomile, taking baths, and using a heating pad to soothe those aching muscles.

Depending on your symptoms, you may want cold, refreshing smoothies. They’re handy, because they also work as breakfast or a snack.

Other times, warm, broth-y soups are appealing. They seem to take the sting out of a sore throat.

Finally, as sickness subsides and the appetite returns, it’s time for heartier fare like grits, refried beans, and potatoes.

So if you should get hit by a bug, here are some soothing foods to eat when sick to get you through.

Just add blanket, comfortable pillow, good reading material, and a purring cat.

(By the way, this list of soft foods also works after dental work!)

In this post:

Rooibos iced tea is made with freshly juiced peaches & loose red rooibos tea.

Poured over ice, it’s a cool, refreshing drink that’s not overly sweet.

This carrot apple juice blend is made with carrot, apple, celery, romaine, and cucumber.

It’s a hydrating and nutrient-dense drink that goes down easily.

This cherry smoothie packs a wallop of flavor.

It can be made with or without dark leafy greens for an extra boost of nutrients.

Mango banana smoothie gives you a taste of the tropics.

It includes the floral flavors of mango, ripe banana, and vanilla soy milk.

Deliciously light & sweet, strawberry cashew milk is pure pleasure.

It’s packed with real strawberries, unlike those powdered drinks of yore.

This velvety chocolate peanut butter smoothie brings together everyone’s favorite duo.

You can eat it for breakfast. But it tastes like dessert.

This simple blueberry banana smoothie is made with just five ingredients.

It includes blueberries, bananas, spinach, chia seeds, and cashew milk.

A creamy cashew kale smoothie is packed with antioxidants, thanks to all of those greens.

But the flavor is deliciously sweet and mild!

Vegan chicken noodle soup basically wrote the book on what to eat when sick.

With plenty of veggies, vegan chicken, and egg-free noodles, you’ve got a full nourishing meal in a bowl.

Plus, this one-pot meal is ready in 30 minutes!

This brothy potsticker soup is great on a scratchy throat.

It’s packed with onions, garlic, kale, and carrots.

It’s extra easy to make, because it includes frozen potstickers. That means lunch or dinner is ready in no time.

This brothy miso soup comes together in just 15 minutes. Perfect for when you don’t have the energy to stand over the stove.

It’s full of good-for-you ingredients like onions, garlic, bok choy, and mushrooms.

For an extra punch of protein, add cubed tofu.

Nothing says cozy comfort like tomato soup.

This full-bodied soup has a wonderful depth of flavor from the addition of sun-dried tomatoes.

Vegan potato soup is velvety smooth.

Then it’s piled high with seitan bacon, non-dairy cheese, and green onions.

Go light or heavy on the toppings, as your appetite & throat allows.

Curried red lentil soup makes great use of pantry staples.

And a hit of spice from curry powder warms you up from the inside out.

Ready in 25 to 30 minutes!

Split pea soup is a satiating meal in a single pot.

It’s filled with carrots, onions, celery, garlic, and barley.

The warming flavors of creamy vegan mushroom soup are reminiscent of stroganoff without the noodles or vegan risotto without the babying.

With the fragrant addition of rosemary, thyme, garlic, and onions, this soup packs a wallop of homey deliciousness.

Creamy vegan gnocchi soup recipe is loaded with pillowy potato dumplings, savory vegan sausage, softened kale, and a luxurious cashew broth.

It uses packaged gnocchi, which is really convenient & easy.

This sweet potato peanut stew includes chickpeas for an extra dose of protein.

Make a big pot of stew one day for easy meals throughout the week. The flavors only get better with time.

Vegan ramen noodles give that store-bought packet a serious upgrade.

With a miso tahini broth, it’s wonderfully full-bodied.

Finish with whatever toppings you like.

Vegan wild rice soup is hearty & nourishing.

It’s filled with cubes of chicken-style seitan, kale, carrots, celery, and wild rice. It’s finished with a creamy cashew broth.

Double lentil mushroom barley soup is a complete meal in a bowl.

This soup includes brown and red lentils, collard greens, mushrooms, and barley.

If you love the powers of spicy food to clear out your head, look no further than coconut curry kabocha squash soup.

This warming soup is beautifully balanced with the sweetness of apple and maple syrup. Plus, the velvety texture is ideal for sore throats.

As a kid, vegetable beef soup always nursed me back to wellness again. Now I like to make vegan vegetable beef soup instead!

Filled with vegan steak, barley, and plenty of veggies, it’s a soup that’s a complete meal.

Still not ready for hard or crunchy foods?

Fill up on these soft foods, perfect for sore throats or dental work.

Enjoy vegan refried beans on their own. Or roll them into a tortilla with guacamole for a soft & cozy burrito.

Add jalapeño slices, non-dairy cheese, or hot sauce to increase the yum factor.

Kitchari is a lightly spiced Indian rice and lentil dish. It’s soft on the throat, but full of satiating protein.

At the holidays, I could happily make a meal of mashed potatoes.

So when a scratchy throat has got you down, give into it and enjoy every spoonful.

This comforting vegan potato salad is dotted with pickles, onions, and a pinch of paprika.

Keep a batch in the refrigerator for something cool & filling.

It’s easy to make your own hummus with just a few ingredients and the help of the food processor.

Serve with pita for dipping, or roll it into a tortilla with some shredded vegetables for a tortilla pinwheels.

With the help of an air fryer, baba ganoush is on the table in no time.

(I give standard oven directions as well!)

A cozy bowl of vegan grits is so warming.

Top with a pat of non-dairy butter for some comforting goodness.