14 Quick Noodle Bowls for Comfort Eating *and* Comfort Cooking

It started with a tickle in my throat. Then, my whole body ached, my lymph nodes throbbed, and I saw stars every time I moved too quickly. By the time I got home Monday night, the thermometer read 103° F and I felt like death.

When you’re sick, you need something comforting and soothing. And (in my very recent experience) the best sustenance comes from a bowl.

And I’m not alone. In an interview with NPR back in 2015, the great Nigella Lawson (forever may she reign), discusses the particularly fortifying power of "bowl food":

For me, bowl food, I suppose it does rhyme with soul food. And it has that same connotation of food that bolsters you. However, I think that perhaps also people associate that sort of food sometimes with maybe blandness. You know, I do want flavor. I want it to be punctuated by heat. I like fire. I like tanginess. But most of all, I do like the feeling of eating when every spoon or forkful is reassuring me the same as the last. And for me, that is one of the most wonderful ways to eat. I mean, I think, really, you know, if I had to I would be very happy if I ate food out of a bowl for the rest of my life.

In my hour of need, a bowl of warm chicken noodle soup relieved my burning throat and brought me back to life. So, if you feel a tickle in your throat, or are just craving a comforting meal, here are 14 wonderful, slurpy noodle bowls to inhale:

What's your favorite bowl food? Share them in the comments below!