Meal Ideas and Recipes for Treating the Common Cold (Main Dishes)

Are you on a quest for meal ideas and recipes with flu-fighting potential? In this section, you can explore a wealth of recipes for main dishes starring some of the best foods for treating the common cold and flu. But before you get started on any these recipes, you may want to explore the section Diet for Common Cold Prevention as well as the section Best Foods for Fighting Colds and the Flu.

Asparagus with Quince Jam and Walnuts

Turbo-charge your anti-flu diet by indulging in this delicious asparagus dish. Asparagus is one of the best sources of glutathione, a natural compound with strong antioxidant and anti-viral properties. Also the walnuts featured in this recipe pack an antioxidant punch.
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Shrimp and Mushroom Risotto

This easy recipe helps you create a risotto that's full of flavor and nutrients. Mushrooms deliver plenty of ergothioneine, an antioxidant amino acid that has been shown to be highly effective at scavenging free radicals. Shrimp are loaded with vitamin D which has been shown to have protective effects against the common cold.
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ACE Salad

This summery salad works like magic to soothe your soul—and protect you from colds and flu. It is loaded with the ACE vitamins (pro-vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E) that are famous for boosting the immune system.
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Arugula, Avocado and Tomato Salad

Popular in Italian cuisine, arugula contains several compounds that make it an excellent weapon against colds and flu. Also tomatoes and avocados are supercharged with vitamins and antioxidants.
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Beet and Carrot Soup

This recipe combines beets and carrots to create an enticing crimson soup that also helps prevent colds and flu. Several studies have found betacyanin—a phytochemical responsible for beets' red-magenta color—to exert strong antioxidant effects. Also carrots are rich in antioxidant and immune-boosting nutrients, including beta-carotene and vitamin C.
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Leek and Garlic Omelet

This omelet is a quick and easy way to get some allicin along with your morning eggs as both garlic and leeks provide this flu-fighting phytochemical. The eggs, on the other hand, provide plenty of vitamin D which has been shown to have protective effects against colds.
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Wholewheat Pasta with Nettle Pesto

This pasta dish won't sting you; it will only do your body good. Young, blanched nettle leaves are wonderfully edible, and they are packed with antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, and flavonoids. The various antioxidants found in nettle are known to have a synergistic effect and to protect each other from oxidation, thereby enhancing the overall antioxidant prowess and of this delicious immune system boosting dish.
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Stir-Fried Asparagus with Quinoa Noodles

Not only is this asparagus dish downright delicious, it also makes an excellent meal for fighting the common cold. Asparagus tops the list of foods with the highest concentration of glutathione, a 'master antioxidant' that has gained the spotlight in recent years and that can give a real boost to your immune system.
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Apple and Onion Soup

This recipe features apples and onions, two of the most concentrated dietary sources of quercetin. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid that has shown promising potential for suppressing rhinoviruses which are the underlying cause of the common cold.
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Wholesome Winter Pea and Watercress Soup

Watercress is a superhero food packed with nutrients, and it has traditionally been used to treat cold symptoms such as runny nose and coughs. Also the green peas and onion in this soup are beneficial as they help strengthen the immune system.
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Hot Tomato Soup

Tomatoes are chock-full of antioxidants which give a real boost to your immune system, but also the garlic, shallots, and basil used to add flavor to this scrumptious soup possess immune-boosting and flu-fighting properties. Garlic provides an excellent source of allicin, a compound that has strong anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity against infections, while shallots and basil are chock-full of flavonoids that provide antioxidant protection.
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Curried Carrot Soup

This hearty carrot soup, rich in antioxidants, is seasoned with famous flu-treating spices, including ginger, curry, garlic, and onion.
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Sweet Potato Soup with Thyme

This delicious soup is chock-a-block with nutrients that help ward off colds. Sweet potatoes provide an excellent source of vitamin C and other antioxidant compounds while onions and ginger help clear mucus and fight bacteria.
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Salmon Salad

This salmon salad is packed with astaxanthin, a carotenoid that gives salmon its pink color and that has strong antioxidant properties. In addition, this dish contains plenty of red onion and capers which are among the best dietary sources of quercetin, a bioflavonoid that has shown promising potential for suppressing rhinoviruses which are the underlying cause of the common cold.
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Carrot and Avocado Salad

Both carrots and avocados are packed full of antioxidants that boost the immune system, making this salad an excellent weapon against the common cold.
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Beet and Carrot Salad with Ginger

Several studies have found betacyanin—a phytochemical compound responsible for beets' intense purple color—to possess strong antioxidant properties. Also carrots are rich in antioxidant and immune-boosting nutrients, including beta-carotene and vitamin C.
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For more recipes that help fight the common cold and flu, go to the main recipe directory of HealWithFood.org's Guide to Fighting the Common Cold and Flu.