Homemade Soup for the Sick College Girl’s Soul

Easy Homemade Soup for a Sick College Girl
 
After I got back to my apartment from classes last Tuesday, I found myself stuck down by a throbbing headache, sore throat and fever. Not to mention my legs were so sore, I felt as though I did 40 reps of squats while holding a baby hippopotamus on my back. One trip to MedExpress later and it was confirmed, I had the flu.

As I curled up in my bed contemplating watching another episode of trashy reality television, I realized how much I missed my mom. Being sick in college means no endless supplies of Ginger Ale, no drawn baths with soothing herbal salts and worst of all, no mom’s homemade soup at your request.
 
It was this stipulation that made me further despise the flavorless canned soup I had in my pantry. I needed some homemade soup. However, I didn’t want to go to the grocery story and I couldn’t stand to cook something that required a lot of effort. (Partially because I really couldn’t stand, because I was fatigued and hopped up on Codeine cough syrup. But mostly because I am a horrible chef, even in my prime health.)
 
Finally after some Internet searching I found a remedy for my in-need-of-homemade-soup dilemma on ModCloth’s blog.
 

Garlic Veggie Soup
Serves six. 
 

• 1 ½ quarts water
• 4 potatoes, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 large bulbs garlic, peeled and diced
• 1 ½ teaspoons thyme
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste

1. Bring water to a boil
2. Add vegetables, garlic and spices
3. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, until all of the veggies are soft and mushy
4. Puree mixture in a blender
5. Serve hot

 
The smells and taste of this soup instantly made me feel at home. Plus the veggies used are packed with vitamins geared to help rebuild the immune system.  In fact garlic is so rich with antibacterial properties it’s routinely used to treat symptomsof the cold and flu.
 
Besides making this soup to cure my homemade cravings, here are a few other tips for tackling the flu as a college student:
 
1. Rest Rest Rest
This sounds so simple; however resting is key to feeling better. I know the girls all go out for ½ off martinis each Wednesday, but they’ll forgive you for missing out just this once. Trust me, keep your incubus of viral plague self in bed for a while.
 
2. Drink Drink Drink
Not ½ off martinis. Stick to a lot of clear liquids and tea. If you can, try Echinacea tea because the healing powers of this herb match those of garlic.
 
3. Keep Up With Reading
This may be hard, seeing as all you want to do is sleep. However when you’re feeling up for it, turn off the Desperate Housewives reruns and read a few chapters in that text book.
 
4. Email Your Professors
Missing class is inevitable when your sick, but letting your professors in on your situation is vital to keeping up and staying on good terms. Shoot them a quick email to explain your absence and let them know you’ll get in touch with a classmate to stay on top of what you’ve missed. Also, getting an excuse from the doc makes your absence more credible.
 
 

With all of these tips, getting back to the grind will be a lot easier.
 
Do you have any more tips for a sick student or easy homemade soup recipes you’d like to share? Post away.