Dishes for a cold.

I also like pho when I'm sick, but Sam's recipe looks great, too! Heidi, from 101 Cookbooks, has a Miso Tahini soup along similar lines: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/miso-tahini-soup-recipe.html

My favorite and it's quick and easy.
Coconut Milk Soup with Chicken:
1 Chicken Breast
1 can of Coconut Milk
1 can of Low Sodium Chicken stock
1 touch of ginger or ginger powder or galangala. (sp)
2 tsp of lime zest.
1 tsp of "Thai Kitchen" red curry paste (or more to taste).
Peanut oil.
Limes for Garnish and serving.
Fish sauce (or salt)
Green onions for optional garnish
Mint or basil for optional garnish.
Optional: Mushrooms and or Tofu cubes.
Grind or fine chop chicken breast, and sautee with the oil and the red curry paste, ginger, Lime zest, and mushrooms (if using) until cooked.
Add the coconut milk and cook down a few mins.
Add the chicken stock and simmer about 15 mins.
Add the tofu at this point if using.
Add Fish Sauce if you have it...if not adjust add SALT to taste.
To serve put a very generous amount of lime juice in the bowl with the soup and garnish with the mint/basil or green onions.

You put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up.

Thanks guys, chicken soup it was, with a little siracha for good measure. She already made chai earlier in the day, but thanks for all of the suggestions guys.

Chicken soup, esp Vietnamese chicken soup with ginger and shallots. Ginger tea, with fresh ginger root infused with boiling water, add honey and lemon. Turmeric tea is a good anti inflammatory if you can find the fresh root.

This is more a respiratory balm, but she will thank you. Empty a few herbal teabags into a bowl of boiling water: chamomile or mint are good. She should put a towel over her head to capture the steam. You get a facial at the same time but don't put your face too close to the hot water. Have lots of tissues on hand.

Agree with Pegeen. Suffering from a bad cold myself and eating chicken soup (with kreplach and matzoh ball) as I write this at this very moment, in fact. Wasn't up to making it though, so I opted for take out from the local deli. Our place sells just the broth, which is a nice option if if you don't have time to make it yourself.

Definitely Jewish penicillin (chicken soup). Like LBF said, no dairy.
http://food52.com/recipes/20653-reform-jewish-penicillin

Lots of fluids. Stay away from dairy(cheese)because it clogs you up iirc. chicken soup w/ rive or veggies and olemon would be good.

If you have chicken and rice, all you need is some broth or, preferably, stock (home made if possible), perhaps a few vegetables, and you have a nice hot, nourishing and steamy (good for the nose) soup.