With all of the germs traveling through the community, I thought it would be good to fix a comfort food that has been given the label as the traditional soup to help one recover from a cold.
I made chicken soup today with some of the ingredients left in the refrigerator. I sauteed a frozen chicken breast in a bit of olive oil. Then I added 4 cups of low salt chicken broth and allowed the meat to come to a running boil. I turned the burner down to low and cooked for an hour.
I added two potatoes,4 medium carrots, and a stalk of celery. (No egg noodles made this gluten free). I brought this back to a boil then reduced it to low until the carrots and potatoes were tender. The last 5-10 minutes of cooking I added carrot greens to the pot.
If noodles were being added, you could cook egg noodles in a separate pot (using chicken broth as the liquid). When done, the noodles could be added to the rest of the soup.
Livestrong has many tips for how to modify Chicken Soup Recipes for the desired health benefits you are seeking.
The health benefits of chicken soup can be found by following this link. Details about the anti-inflammatory properties are expanded in the article. Another source for additional information on health benefits is linked here.
Making the soup caused me to wonder what the VEGETARIAN VERSION of Chicken Soup was. I found a recipe on Food.com for Vegan Veggie Dumpling Soup that I will try (and modify to make gluten free). After I finish my Chicken Soup, I will try this recipe and make modifications to make it Gluten Free.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Monday Meal Make-Over White Bean Soup
This week I tried another bean soup make over. I had some dry white beans that I re-hydrated but canned beans can be used instead!
I took two cups of (rinsed/cleaned) dry white beans and soaked them overnight in 2 cups of water and 2 cups of vegetable broth. The next morning I cooked them slowly for a few hours until they were soft, to taste. I like the batch to have some that melt in my mouth a a few that have a little texture.
In the soup pot I placed the following: a few tablespoons of olive oil, 6 large carrots (cut to your size preference), 4 cloves of garlic (minced), an onion (chopped finely), and a stalk of celery (chopped to your size preference). I sauteed them until translucent.
Then I added the re-hydrated beans, 6 cups of vegetable broth (chicken or beef could be used), 2 teaspoons of thyme and 1-3 bay leaves (to taste...I used 1). A potential add-in at this point is cooked sausage - chicken or pork - cut into small pieces.
Simmer until the beans are soft - which will take 1-2 hours.
Serving Suggestions - choices an be GLUTEN Free and/or VEGETARIAN:
a wedge of bread
a coup of soup and a half-sandwich
cheese, cracker, and fruit
hummus and pita
NEXT TIME ... I'll share pictures!
I took two cups of (rinsed/cleaned) dry white beans and soaked them overnight in 2 cups of water and 2 cups of vegetable broth. The next morning I cooked them slowly for a few hours until they were soft, to taste. I like the batch to have some that melt in my mouth a a few that have a little texture.
In the soup pot I placed the following: a few tablespoons of olive oil, 6 large carrots (cut to your size preference), 4 cloves of garlic (minced), an onion (chopped finely), and a stalk of celery (chopped to your size preference). I sauteed them until translucent.
Then I added the re-hydrated beans, 6 cups of vegetable broth (chicken or beef could be used), 2 teaspoons of thyme and 1-3 bay leaves (to taste...I used 1). A potential add-in at this point is cooked sausage - chicken or pork - cut into small pieces.
Simmer until the beans are soft - which will take 1-2 hours.
Serving Suggestions - choices an be GLUTEN Free and/or VEGETARIAN:
a wedge of bread
a coup of soup and a half-sandwich
cheese, cracker, and fruit
hummus and pita
NEXT TIME ... I'll share pictures!
Monday Meal Make-Over ... Black Bean Soup
One of my New Year;s resolutions is to try a new recipe each week. The recipe I choose I need to make sure is GLUTEN FREE so that I can eat it, but I also look to find ways to modify it to be vegetarian to allow the recipe to be accessible to the vegetarian segment of the population.
Last week I made Black Bean Soup. Sorry I did not post it sooner!
I re-hydrated three cups of dry black beans in three cups of water and three cups of vegetable broth. After the beans soaked over night and cooked slowly in simmer for a few hours, I was ready to start. This step can be avoided by purchasing canned black beans.
To make the soup I sauteed a shallot and 4 cloves (of medium size) of garlic with some olive oil in the soup kettle. (An onion can be substituted for the shallot and the garlic can be modified to taste.) I added a chopped red bell pepper after a minute or two. (A stalk of celery and a carrot can be finely chopped to add flavor as well.) I stirred in 2 teaspoons of ground cumin and let the mixture go till the vegetables softened.
I added 6 cups of beans to the kettle after the aromatics began to sweat. To that I added 6 cups of liquid - 3 of water and 3 of vegetable broth. To this mixture I added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
I brought the mixture to a boil, stirring from time-to-time, then reduced the heat to low and covered the kettle. After 20-30 minutes the soup will start to thicken, add more liquid based on your preference.
For a thicker soup, remove 3 cups of soup, blend, and return to the kettle. For a soup that is thinner,serve as is.
Serving suggestions:
cheese and crackers, grilled cheese on the side, or your favorite sandwich
soup can be topped with diced tomatoes or slivered onions (raw or cooked/caramelized)
This soup is vegetarian with the inclusion of vegetable broth. Chicken or beef broth can be used instead - cook to your taste preference and/or health needs.
Last week I made Black Bean Soup. Sorry I did not post it sooner!
I re-hydrated three cups of dry black beans in three cups of water and three cups of vegetable broth. After the beans soaked over night and cooked slowly in simmer for a few hours, I was ready to start. This step can be avoided by purchasing canned black beans.
To make the soup I sauteed a shallot and 4 cloves (of medium size) of garlic with some olive oil in the soup kettle. (An onion can be substituted for the shallot and the garlic can be modified to taste.) I added a chopped red bell pepper after a minute or two. (A stalk of celery and a carrot can be finely chopped to add flavor as well.) I stirred in 2 teaspoons of ground cumin and let the mixture go till the vegetables softened.
I added 6 cups of beans to the kettle after the aromatics began to sweat. To that I added 6 cups of liquid - 3 of water and 3 of vegetable broth. To this mixture I added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
I brought the mixture to a boil, stirring from time-to-time, then reduced the heat to low and covered the kettle. After 20-30 minutes the soup will start to thicken, add more liquid based on your preference.
For a thicker soup, remove 3 cups of soup, blend, and return to the kettle. For a soup that is thinner,serve as is.
Serving suggestions:
cheese and crackers, grilled cheese on the side, or your favorite sandwich
soup can be topped with diced tomatoes or slivered onions (raw or cooked/caramelized)
This soup is vegetarian with the inclusion of vegetable broth. Chicken or beef broth can be used instead - cook to your taste preference and/or health needs.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Soup ... Gluten Free or Vegetarian
I try to purchase food as close to the source as possible. Not only is it healthy but it also reduces my carbon footprint. Yesterday I went to the Farmer's Market and was SHOCKED at how picked over the vendors were! I was pleased to see that they had a great deal of business, and a bit disappointed that I could not get all the produce I normally can. Perhaps many people made a new year's resolution to shop locally and/or purchase organic products?
I have been promoting a Healthy Body Healthy Lifestyle for several years. After a week of 2013 has gone by, I look to share with you again my tips. I'll include GLUTEN FREE and VEGETARIAN options to traditional meals for those of you that need to prepare foods for a variety of "eaters" in your household (or those coming to dinner) as well as exercises and tips to strengthen your mind, body, spirit connection.
For today, a recipe...
For a COLD January day I was looking to pick up ingredients for soup. Including one stop at the traditional grocery store, I had all I needed to make a warm meal!
I cut up half an onion and a stalk of celery. I let them sweat in a pot until they began to brown. Then I added beef stew meat - turning often to get a slight coating on the outside of the meat to seal in moisture. Once the base was set, I added three beef bouillon cube, eight cups of water (I prefer my soup to be low sodium - one cup of water per cub is traditional), and a bay leaf. I brought it to a boil then let it simmer for a few hours. After a few hours I cut the meat into smaller chunks and added organic potatoes and carrots from the farmer's market (diced to desired size). I added a few of the carrot greens as well. I let it cook until the vegetables were tender.
This recipe is GLUTEN FREE but can be made VEGETARIAN as well by preparing BEANS instead of meat. Dry beans can be soaked overnight and rinsed. In the add meat portion of the recipe the re-hydrated beans can be added. More liquid may be needed if the beans soak up too much in the cooking process. Vegetable broth/stock can be used in place of the beef.
Either soup form can be made thicker by adding less liquid OR a greater portion of meat/beans, potatoes, and/or carrots...it's up to you!
This can be served with GLUTEN FREE crackers/bread or traditional crackers/bread.
I have been promoting a Healthy Body Healthy Lifestyle for several years. After a week of 2013 has gone by, I look to share with you again my tips. I'll include GLUTEN FREE and VEGETARIAN options to traditional meals for those of you that need to prepare foods for a variety of "eaters" in your household (or those coming to dinner) as well as exercises and tips to strengthen your mind, body, spirit connection.
For today, a recipe...
For a COLD January day I was looking to pick up ingredients for soup. Including one stop at the traditional grocery store, I had all I needed to make a warm meal!
I cut up half an onion and a stalk of celery. I let them sweat in a pot until they began to brown. Then I added beef stew meat - turning often to get a slight coating on the outside of the meat to seal in moisture. Once the base was set, I added three beef bouillon cube, eight cups of water (I prefer my soup to be low sodium - one cup of water per cub is traditional), and a bay leaf. I brought it to a boil then let it simmer for a few hours. After a few hours I cut the meat into smaller chunks and added organic potatoes and carrots from the farmer's market (diced to desired size). I added a few of the carrot greens as well. I let it cook until the vegetables were tender.
This recipe is GLUTEN FREE but can be made VEGETARIAN as well by preparing BEANS instead of meat. Dry beans can be soaked overnight and rinsed. In the add meat portion of the recipe the re-hydrated beans can be added. More liquid may be needed if the beans soak up too much in the cooking process. Vegetable broth/stock can be used in place of the beef.
Either soup form can be made thicker by adding less liquid OR a greater portion of meat/beans, potatoes, and/or carrots...it's up to you!
This can be served with GLUTEN FREE crackers/bread or traditional crackers/bread.
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