Looking for soup recipes for when you're sick and nothing sounds particularly good? Start with chicken noodle, a simple golden broth or a bowl of lemony soup.
These 19 ideas give you a little inspiration without having to decide on a whole meal.
You can keep things plain or choose something with more toppings. Pick what sounds appealing and suits your stomach. These pictures are inspiration for choosing a recipe, rather than full cooking instructions.
Soup ideas for your next bowl
chicken and curly noodles
We’re starting off with this classic chicken noodle bowl. I love those wide, curly noodles tucked between the shredded chicken, carrot rounds and celery.
If you want to follow the serving idea here, finish your bowl with a little chopped parsley.
golden chicken and carrots
Want the chicken without a bowl full of noodles? This one is for you.
Long pieces of chicken and thick carrot slices sit in golden broth with chopped herbs scattered over the top.
Read also: 20 Main Dish Dinner Recipes and Ideas to Inspire Your Next Meal
I’d keep the garnish simple here and let the chicken and vegetables fill the spoon.
lemon chicken orzo
This lemon chicken orzo soup may just be one of my favorites here. The little pasta shapes sit among chicken and carrots, with feathery dill spread across the top.
Save this idea if you’d rather have small spoonfuls of pasta than long noodles.
chicken and rice
Here’s another chicken soup worth considering if you don’t want noodles. This bowl has rice, chunky carrots and shredded chicken in a golden broth.
The chopped green herbs add a pretty finishing touch without covering everything underneath.
Read also: 20 Chicken Sunday Dinner Ideas From Golden Roasts to Cheesy Bakes
tofu and seaweed strips
Don’t want another chicken bowl? No problem!
This soup has pale tofu cubes topped with sliced green onions, dark seaweed strips and a few sesame seeds.
I love how simple the toppings look. You could borrow that combination for your favorite miso soup recipe.
thin noodles and fresh herbs
If you love lots of herbs, take a look at this bowl. Thin white noodles fill the middle, with chicken pieces, cilantro leaves and green onion rings all around them.
Try serving the herbs on the side if you’d rather add just a little at a time.
simple golden broth
Not in the mood for a bowl packed with ingredients? This golden broth keeps things much simpler.
There are little pale chopped pieces and green herbs across the surface, but no big pile of noodles or vegetables.
I’d choose this style when a mug of broth sounds more appealing than a full bowl.
egg and lemon soup
How lovely is this pale yellow bowl? The pictured avgolemono has a lemon slice tucked against the rim and little sprigs of herbs over the center.
If egg and lemon soup sounds good to you, this is a pretty serving idea to save. I’d keep the extra lemon on the side.
tom yum with shrimp
Looking for something different from chicken soup? This tom yum bowl has curled shrimp, mushroom slices and scattered red chili flakes in an orange-colored broth.
Keep this one for when those flavors sound appealing. You could choose a milder recipe if chili tends to bother your throat or stomach.
golden egg ribbons
I love the big folds of egg in this soup. The ladle shows off yellow ribbons with a few green pieces tucked between them.
If you’re choosing an egg drop soup recipe, save this picture as inspiration for a bowl with plenty of egg rather than lots of extra toppings.
chicken and leafy greens
This is another chicken soup idea, but there’s much more green in this pot. Chopped leafy greens surround shredded chicken, carrot rounds and celery pieces.
The ladle is full of vegetables! Save this one if you’d like your next chicken soup to include more than the usual carrots and noodles.
a thick bowl with scallions
Want something that looks a little thicker than clear broth? This pale, porridge-like bowl has shredded chicken beneath a small pile of chopped scallions and scattered black pepper.
You don’t need an elaborate garnish here. I’d keep the scallions optional when serving your own bowl.
round dumplings and chicken
Those big round dumplings are the first thing you notice! They sit above the golden broth, with chicken, celery and little carrot pieces filling the spaces around them.
If this is the kind of bowl you’re craving, a matzo ball soup recipe would be a good place to start.
chunky polish potato soup
The potato fans have a bowl to save too. This Polish potato soup has large potato pieces, orange vegetable bits and chopped herbs, with a white dollop in the middle.
I especially like that the potatoes are left in chunks rather than blended smooth.
lentils greens and lemon
I love all the color in this pot. Lentils, orange carrot chunks and dark leafy greens fill the broth, with lemon slices and feathery herbs on top.
If you’re after a lentil soup with plenty of vegetables, this gives you a lovely combination to look for.
chicken lime and avocado
This Mexican chicken lime soup goes all out with toppings. There are avocado chunks, diced tomatoes, purple onion, cilantro and white rice around the chicken.
You can keep your own bowl simpler. Try offering the chopped toppings separately so you can choose what sounds good that day.
smooth soup and toasted sandwiches
Sometimes a smooth bowl sounds better than another chunky soup. This orange-red one has a pale swirl across the top, with browned sandwich halves sitting beside it.
For a similar meal, you could pair your favorite tomato soup with grilled cheese. Leave the sandwich for later if you only fancy the soup.
wontons and bok choy
I love how simple this wonton soup looks. Folded wontons sit on one side of the bowl, with bright green bok choy on the other and clear broth around them.
Choose a wonton filling you enjoy if you’re trying this idea. The picture doesn’t show what’s inside.
slow cooker chicken noodle
Last but definitely not least, we have another chicken noodle idea, this time pictured in a slow cooker. Long noodles wind around shredded chicken, diced carrots and celery.
Save this one if you’d prefer to follow a slow cooker recipe. The little scatter of herbs is all the garnish this bowl needs.