Pesto Bean Soup

Need a new soup recipe?  This one is fantastic and super easy, and on top of that it's vegetarian and still quite hearty.  Seriously, I loved this soup so much I was eating it for breakfast all week long when I made it.

Pesto Bean Soup
1-2  tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 can canned cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed
2-3oz kale (about 2-3 cups), chopped
1/3 cup (or more) dairy-free pesto (the recipe yields about a 1/3 of a cup)

Directions

Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat and saute the carrots, celery, and onions for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add in the broth and beans and bring to a boil, then cover, lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Stir in the kale and pesto and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This post was shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Indian Spiced Chicken Soup

So, I have this chicken that I absolutely love.  The marinade is divine.  The last time I made it, I had the thought that those spices would make for a great soup base...so, I finally have made it, and it does, in fact, make an absolutely amazing soup!

Indian Spiced Chicken Soup
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
3/4 cup onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon  ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
3 medium potatoes, cubed (about 2-3 cups)*
4 cups chicken stock or broth
2  cups chopped kale*
1 can coconut milk (I used Trader Joe's Lite Coconut Milk)
juice of one lime (~2 tablespoon)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions
In a large sauce pan heat coconut oil over medium high heat, add onion and cook until transparent.  Add in garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in seasoning and cook for a minute, then add in the chicken, potatoes, and chicken stock.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

Remove the chicken from the pot, and allow it to cool for a few minutes, before shredding or cubing it. Return the meat to the pot and add the kale, coconut milk, lime juice and salt and pepper and heat through.

*You could substitute any vegetable you want for the potatoes and kale...cauliflower, chickpeas, broccoli, etc., would all be delicious in this soup.


This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Potato Soup

It is frigid here in Northern Utah.  All I really want is soup lately, I have a harder time convincing my family of that (they aren't huge soup fans), but this one is definitely fantastic and not too bad to whip up on a cold evening.

It's basically my Clam Chowder, minus the clams and clam juice.  So, yeah, easy-peasy, and definitely warming on a cold winter night.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Fridays, and Gluten Free Fridays.

Potato Soup

4 strips of bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup minced onion, about 1/2 small one
3/4 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced carrots
2 cups cubed potatoes
4 cups chicken broth (I used Imagine brand low sodium)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup+ 1/6 cup millet flour
2 cups non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste, if needed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste, if needed

Fry bacon pieces in a large saucepan until crispy.  Remove and drain on paper towels, then crumble.  Add vegetables to bacon drippings and cook for 3 minutes. Add in chicken broth, cover and cook over medium heat until tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Whisk in millet flour until smooth.  Whisk in nondairy milk and stir constantly until thick and smooth.  Stir the milk mixture into the soup. Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper and add in the crumbled bacon.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I think everyone has there own version of beef stew.  This one is fantastic, you can play with the herbs that you add, or leave them out entirely depending on your taste preference or mood.  I was in the mood for rosemary and thyme this time, so that's what I have in the recipe.  This is enough to feed my family for 3 meals.  I freeze the leftovers and then just thaw and reheat for the subsequent meals...it saves me time and money.

Beef Stew
2-2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 3/4" squares
salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 millet flour
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped potatoes
4 cups beef broth (I used Pacific Foods brand, I've also used Imagine brand in the past)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leafs
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt, to taste (depends on how salty your broth is)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons cold water

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high to high heat.  Season meat with salt and pepper and toss in the flour to evenly coat.  Brown the meat in the skillet for 1-2 minutes on each side and place the meat into the slow cooker.  Add in the remaining ingredients, except for the corn starch and cold water.  Cook on low for 10 hours. Thirty minutes before serving time, mix together corn starch and water and add it to the stew.  Turn the heat up to high and cook until thickened. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

This post is featured on Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Turkey Noodle Soup

I made us a turkey on Tuesday, it's a cheap way to cook meat just once for the whole week. So, yes, we'll be eating turkey all week.  Tuesday night I also made the stock for my turkey noodle soup using the turkey frame and it worked amazingly well for the soup we had last night.


This soup is pure comfort food for me...I had three helpings of it and can't wait to eat the leftovers. My nonveggie eaters at least ate the turkey and noodles out of their bowls. :)

Turkey Noodle Soup
1 meaty turkey frame
8 cups water
1 medium onion, quartered
1 gluten-free chicken bouillon cube (I used Edward & Sons Not-Chick'n Bouillon Cubes, because they have it right on the box that it's gluten-free)
1 bay leaf
Chopped turkey (total amount needed is at least 2 cups)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups gluten-free dried pasta
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Break turkey frame into pieces.  Place in an 8 to 10 quart dutch oven.  Add water, onion, bouillon cube, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

2. Remove the turkey frame.  When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones.  Discard bones and skin.  Cut meat into bite-size pieces, if needed add enough chopped cooked turkey to equal at least 2 cups, set the meat aside.  Discard bay leaf.

3. Strain the broth, discarding solids. Skim fat from broth. (Since I did this the night before, I placed the broth in a tupperware container in the fridge, by the next day the fat was very easy to skim off the top). Note: If you are making the broth the day before, this is when you would store everything in the fridge until you are ready to make the soup.

3. Place the broth in a large saucepan, or back into the same dutch oven. Bring the broth to a boil.  Stir in carrot and celery.  Reduce and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.  Add in the pasta and cook until tender, but firm, time will depend on the type of pasta you are using, mine took about 7 minutes.  Stir in turkey and parsley and heat through. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Imagine Organic Tomato Soup -- Review

My little ones used to love eating their grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup (Campbell's), so obviously we haven't had that since the diet change.  I know, I could just make soup, but, the whole point of even having the soup was having an easy throw together lunch that requires little effort.
Well, Saturday when I was grocery shopping and buying more of my favorite chicken broth (Imagine Organic Free-Range Chicken Low-Sodium Broth), I found this soup (Imagine Light in Sodium Creamy Garden Tomato Soup).  My older son was so excited to try it, I didn't realize he was missing tomato soup so much. 

So, this soup was really incredible.  It's just a heat and serve, so no adding water, etc.  It's gluten, soy and dairy-free, and really, really yummy.  My older son loved this soup so much, he not only dipped his sandwich in it, he actually ate the soup by itself as well (which never happened with the Campbell's soup, back in the gluten days). 

I got the soup on sale for $2.87/quart and it was worth it.  It's getting 10 out of 10 from me.  Also, if you go to their website, you can get a $1.00 off coupon. :)

Zuppa Toscana

My very favorite soup at Olive Garden was there Zuppa Toscana, so today I made it.  I used Savoy Cabbage, instead of Kale, because I got some with my bountiful basket today. It definitely hit the spot.

Zuppa Toscana

6-8 slices bacon
3/4 cup onion, finely diced (it was 1/2 onion for me)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (it was 3 cloves for me)
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 large Russet Baking Potatos sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices (or 2 medium ones)
4 cups Chicken Broth or stock
2 C. Kale (like I said, I used Savoy Cabbage, you could also use swiss chard, as well)
2/3 C. So Delicious Coconut Milk (I used the unsweetened this time, because that's what I had)

In a large sauce pan cook bacon over medium high heat until crispy, remove, crumble, and set aside.  Add onion to bacon drippings and cook until transparent.  Add in garlic and cook for another minute.  While the bacon, onions, and garlic are cooking, in a skillet cook the sausage until done, breaking up just like you would for ground beef. :)  Set aside. Once onions and garlic are cooked, and the chicken broth and potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, but aren't falling apart.  Add the Kale, bacon, and sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the coconut milk and heat through.



This is Savoy Cabbage, in case you were wondering. :)



Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

My kids actually call this soup "Kung Fu Panda Soup" or "Noodle Soup"...but, hey, we'll call it anything they want, if they eat it! :)  This soup is easy, and can be made simpler by using cooked leftover chicken or turkey, chicken broth, and dried gf noodles.  I adapted my recipe from here and the noodle recipe from here. Okay, so why in the world am I making noodles?  I wanted to experiment, and they turned out pretty good.  But another main reason, I wanted to use up some egg yolks.  If you haven't noticed, I use a lot of egg whites, but not so many egg yolks...so I have been on a quest to use my egg yolks, so I'm not wasteful.  And by the way, did you know you can freeze your yolks and whites? Like I said, I'm usually after the whites, when I'm separating eggs, so I haven't had to freeze those yet, but for yolks just place them in a ziploc bag, add a small pinch of salt and squeeze out of the air...voila, ready for the freezer.  And if you've forgotten how many yolks are in one bag, one tablespoon = one yolk. :)

Chicken Noodle Soup

2 lb meaty chicken pieces (I used drumsticks)
6 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 recipe of fresh egg noodles or 1 1/2 cups dried gf noodles
1 teaspoon dried parsley


1. Place chicken in a slowcooker, cover with water, then add onion, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and bay leaf.  Cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken is done.

2. Remove chicken from broth.  When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones.  Discard bones and skin.  Cut meat into bite-size pieces; set aside.  Discard bay leaf.  Skim fat from broth. (I actually use a fat-separating pitcher, because I suck at skimming fat).

3. The broth can be kept in the slow cooker (put on high heat) or moved to a large saucepan, which ever you choose. Bring the broth to boiling.  Stir in carrot and celery.  Simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.  Add in the noodles and cook ~2-5 minutes for fresh noodles or dried ones until tender, but firm.  Stir in chicken and parsley and heat through.


Homemade Gluten-free Egg Noodles
3 1/2 cups plus more for dusting  Silvana's All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks, beaten
2 eggs beaten
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoon olive oil

1. In a large bowl stir together flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture.  In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks and the whole eggs.  Add water and oil.  Add the egg mixture to the flour and mix well.  It should be a stiff dough, not crumbly or wet; adjust flour or water if needed.

2. Sprinkle countertop with flour and knead the dough a couple of times to make sure it won't crumble. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into at least four equal portions.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a paper thin rectangle (it will be as thin as you can get it, hopefully about 1/16"). Dust the surface of the dough with flour and loosely roll the dough into a spiral.  Cut into 1/4" strips, shake strips to separte, then cut into 2-3" lengths.  Or instead of rolling up dough, you could leave it in the rectangle and use a pizza cutter to cut into noodles.

4.  At this point the noodles can be added into the soup or they you can dry them for a couple of hours, then place them in a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 8 months.

Clam Chowder with Salty Pistachio Flatbread Crackers

I love Clam Chowder, but haven't had it in ages...it's one of those cold weather foods, so it probably has been since last winter.  So I thought it would be a perfect time to make a gluten free, dairy free, soy free version of this recipe. I did also change amounts of veggies, and added bacon (because everything's better with bacon!). I've also been imagining these pistachio crackers to pair with the soup, since I made the rosemary almond ones. And the saltiness from the cracker was the perfect match to this soup.  The other great thing about these crackers?  They make a great dessert when dipped in melted dairy-free chocolate!

Clam Chowder

4 strips of bacon, cut into 1" pieces
2 (6.5 oz) cans minced clams
1/2 cup minced onion, about 1/2 small one
3/4 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced carrots
2 cups cubed potatoes (I used Yukon golds)
~2/3 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup+ 1/6 cup sweet rice flour
2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Fry bacon pieces in a large skillet until crispy.  Remove and drain on paper towels, then crumble.  Add vegetables to bacon drippings and cook for 3 minutes. Drain juice from clams over the vegetables, and add enough water to cover (I added 2/3 cup).  Cook over medium heat until tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Whisk in sweet rice flour until smooth.  Whisk in coconut milk and stir constantly until thick and smooth.  Stir in the vegetable/clam juice mixture.  Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in clams just before serving.  When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper and add in the crumbled bacon.

Salty Pistachio Flatbread Crackers

1 1/2 cups roasted pistachios, ground into a meal (I put mine into a blender)
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 egg 

In a large bowl, combine pistachio meal and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and egg. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Roll the dough into a ball and press between 2 sheets of parchment paper to ⅛ inch thickness. Remove top piece of parchment paper. Transfer the bottom piece with rolled out dough onto baking sheet. Cut dough into 2-inch squares with a knife or pizza cutter. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden. Let crackers cool on baking sheet for 30 minutes, then serve. These are softer than a cracker, hence the flatbread name, if you cook them longer they may get crisper. The picture above shows them dipped in melted dairy-free chocolate.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday for 4/12/11, go here to see it and other fantastic recipes.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Yesterday, there was a church activity that I was helping with.  At that activity there was dinner...and there was going to be at least 5 people there that were gluten intolerant, and 2 of us who were also dairy intolerant.  So, I wanted to make an awesome soup, and I did. :)  To go along with it I brought Rosemary Almond Crackers, which were probably the biggest hit, and my walnut bread, which I made in mini muffin pans.  The gluten-free gals last night did not miss out on anything, instead we indulged. :)

I totally forgot to take pictures of the soup, but it was beautiful. :)

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

serves 12+

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups carrots, finely diced (~18 baby carrots)
1 1/2 cups celery, finely diced (~4 stalks)
1 1/2 cups onion, finely diced (~1 medium)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 quarts chicken broth (I used Imagine organic, just to make sure it's soy-free as well)
2 1/2 lb chicken, cut into 3/4" cubes (~4 breast halves, you really could add more chicken, I just didn't have that much chicken in the house)
1 cup wild rice (you now the long black rice, not a blend of different rices)
1 cup rice blend (now here's where your rice blend comes in...)
2 bay leaves
2-3 tablespoons dried parsley
1/4 cup soy-free margarine
1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add carrots, celery, and onion.  Cook 5-6 minutes, or until softened.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

Add chicken broth, chicken, rice, and bay leaves.  Bring to a simmer and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.

Remove bay leaves, add parsley.  Melt margarine in a separate saucepan, mix in flour to make a roux.  Add the roux to the soup and mix well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: the longer it cooks the thicker it gets, because the rice will continue to asborb the broth.

White Chili

It's raining...fall is definitely here, so I need some soup or chili or something.  I found this white chili recipe and figured today would be a perfect day to try it out.  It was wonderful, it's not quite as thick as a chili, so its more like a green chili chicken soup, but still, absolutely fantastic.  The recipe is also below, just in case the link ever stops working, or you are like me and just don't feel like clicking on the link. ;)

White Chili

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used just under 1/4 teaspoon myself)
3 15-ounce cans great northern beans, rinsed
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used chicken stock for a deeper flavor)
4 cups diced cooked skinless turkey, or chicken
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in chiles, oregano, cumin and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Stir in beans and broth; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Add turkey (or chicken) and vinegar; cook for 5 minutes more. Yields 6 servings.  The soup freezes well, also.

Black Bean and Sausage Soup

Okay, from my previous posts you know I have veggie haters in my house, but most of them like beans...so I thought I'd sneak in some veggies with the beans and maybe we would have success.  Well, everyone tried the soup, so it was an improvement over past meals.  I really enjoyed the soup, and it's really not hard to make.

Black Bean and Sausage Soup

2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained (reserve about 3/4 of one can)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)

1 teaspoon  ground coriander

1/4  teaspoon  salt

1/8  to 1/4 teaspoon  cayenne pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces cooked, smoked turkey sausage

Directions

In a large saucepan combine beans, broth, water, onion, celery, coriander, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Blend soup mixture with immersion blender or in a regular blender (if you're like me and don't have an immersion blender) Stir in remaining beans and the sausage; heat through. Makes 4 servings.

Curried Butternut Soup

Nothing says autumn like soup, especially squash soup.  I found this recipe and modified it for the crockpot.  I still haven't been able to convince my family that food cooked with curry and coconut milk is heavenly...but that just means more for me.  I served it with sandwiches in hopes that they would at least dip their grilled cheese in the soup, but no, I'm still the only one that likes squash and curry.  I think I may use some of the leftover soup as a sauce for chicken and rice tomorrow (meaning I'll use it and they can have chicken how they want it), I'll let you know how that goes.

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2-3 teaspoons red or green Thai Kitchen curry paste - hot or mild, to taste (start with less if you prefer it mild)

4 cups diced butternut squash (it was half of my squash)

4 to 6 cups light broth

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

½ to 1 cup coconut milk

Add the onion, celery, curry paste, squash and broth to a crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or if you're like me and don't have one, use a regular blender and do it in batches) till smooth. Stir in coconut milk. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Warm through gently and serve.

Serves 4-6.