to 1 pound Polish sausageCREAM SOUPS
Asparagus Soup
Curried Cream of Tomato Soup
Crab or Lobster Bisque
Easy Cream of Chicken Soup
CHOWDERS
Fresh Corn Chowder
Polish Potato Chowder
BEAN SOUPS
Greek Bean Soup
Navy Bean Soup, Yankee Style
Portuguese Vegetable Soup with Kidney Beans
SPECIALTY SOUPS
Gazpacho
French Onion Soup
Japanese Chicken-Noodle Soup
SEE ALSO
Creamed Soup Base
Onion Soup Mix
If it’s soup for lunch (or dinner), the celiac or wheat-allergic person soon discovers one can seldom open a can or packet. That lovely collection of soups on the grocery shelves usually contains gluten in the form of pasta, barley, or wheat for thickening. Even the vegetable soups may be started with a base of gluten-laced bouillon.
As in most of our cooking, it’s back to scratch. That’s not all bad, for homemade soups are far more tasty and nutritious than commercial soups. Only since I started making my own soups have I begun to enjoy them as complete meals.
The recipes on the following pages cover tastes for every palate. Some, I hope, will become your favorites, as they have mine. I make them in large batches to pack in serving-sized freezer bags for several later meals. If you lay the bags flat while freezing, they take little room and defrost easily. One visitor, who admitted his wife was a can-opener cook, upon seeing my collection of frozen soup, remarked, “Gosh, look at that. You could live for a year without opening a can.”
Not quite. But I can have a great meal of thick soup on the table while my home-baked (frozen) bread is defrosting. So can you with a bit of extra planning.
For a handy ready-made soup mix when a recipe calls for canned soup, see the Creamed Soup Base on page 335.
Mild and creamy with the gentle flavor of spring, this may be used as a soup or as a sauce to flavor chicken and pork casseroles. It is easy to make because you use canned asparagus, but if you prefer a cream-colored sauce—one tester said her children didn’t like the pale green appearance—use French or blanched asparagus.
One 10-ounce can cut asparagus (see Note)
4 tablespoons sweet rice flour
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
½ teaspoon pepper (white preferred)
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk or nondairy liquid
Drain the asparagus, reserving liquid. Blend pieces in a blender.
Pour the blended asparagus into a large saucepan. Add the flour, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in the reserved liquid and the chicken broth. Add the onion and garlic powders. Cook for a short while and then add the evaporated milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened slightly to a thin cream soup texture. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.
NOTE: You may substitute one 10-ounce package of frozen asparagus, cooked according to package directions.
A delicate touch of curry spices up an old favorite. This quick and easy soup can be served hot or cold. For a heartier soup, add crab or lobster (see below).
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
2 cups tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons white rice flour
1½ cups rich milk or nondairy liquid
In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the tomatoes, onion, dash of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are clear. Remove to a blender and puree.
In the same saucepan, melt the rest of the butter. Stir in the curry powder and rice flour and immediately add the milk. Cook until thickened.
Return the pureed tomato mixture to the thickened sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and heat. Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve cold. Makes 4 servings.
CRAB OR LOBSTER BISQUE: A super soup and so easy! Add at the final heating one 6½-ounce can crab or lobster or ½ cup fresh crab or lobster. Serve hot topped with your choice of grated Cheddar cheese or chopped fresh parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
I created this in desparation when the doctor put me on a soft-food diet. Since then, I’ve found many uses for this quick and easy cream soup. Use it for casseroles, as a topping for rice or potatoes, or take it in the Thermos as a hot dish for lunch.
One 5-ounce can chunky chicken
2 cups chicken stock or 2 teaspoons chicken soup base (see Note) with 2 cups hot water
Salt to taste (optional)
3 tablespoons rice flour
2 tablespoons water
1 cup milk or nondairy liquid
In a food processor, chop the chicken (plus liquid in can) into small chunks.
In a medium saucepan, place chopped chicken, chicken stock, and water. Bring to a boil. Salt to taste if necessary.
Blend together the rice flour and the water. Stir into the stock and cook until thickened. Add the milk and bring to the boiling point but don’t boil. Remove from heat. Makes 4 servings or approximately 4 cups soup to use in casserole dishes. May be frozen.
NOTE: I use Crescent Chicken Soup Base, but there are other gluten-free brands on the market. Always read the ingredients list to be sure that your base is gluten free. If unavailable, substitute 2 cups chicken broth.
This soup, adapted from Bonnie S. Mickelson’s recipe in Hollyhocks and Radishes, is farm-fresh tasting and deliciously satisfying. Serve it with chunks of Rapid-Rise French Bread (page 41) for a full meal. Bonnie says the real flavor comes from freshly picked corn boiled only 3 minutes. Even though I tried this in midwinter and used frozen corn, it was still delicious. Canned whole kernel corn can also be used.
1 cup onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
¾ cup celery, chopped fine
2 tablespoons green or red bell pepper, diced
1½ cup cubed new potatoes
2 tablespoons rice flour
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried sage, crushed
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups corn (about 4 ears) or 16 ounces frozen corn
1½ cups light cream plus ½ cup milk or 2 cups nondairy liquid
Salt and pepper to taste
Bacon bits and parsley, for garnish (optional)
In a large kettle, sauté the onion in butter until soft. Add the celery, bell pepper, and potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the flour; cook 2 minutes longer. Add the marjoram, basil, sage, and chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Stir in the corn, cream, and milk. Add salt and pepper. Reheat but do not boil. Garnish, if desired, with the bacon bits and parsley. Makes 6 servings.
This thick, rich, hearty soup with the extra vegetables and sausage is great when first made and even better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to blend. When reheated, it may need thinning. It’s a quick and easy chowder.
to 1 pound Polish sausage
½ cup chopped onion (½ medium onion)
½ cup shredded carrot
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 cups sliced potatoes (3 medium)
1½ cups chicken broth
1 cup milk or nondairy liquid
1 tablespoon rice flour
½ cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
If the sausage is cooked, dice it and set aside. If uncooked, cook fully, then dice.
In a large kettle or Dutch oven, sauté the onion and carrot in the margarine until soft. Add the potatoes and chicken broth. Simmer until potatoes are cooked, about 5 minutes. Mash them until no lumps appear.
Blend milk into the flour and add to the potato mixture. Bring to a boil and add the diced sausage. Heat through (do not boil) and add the frozen peas. Cook 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately or cool and reheat later. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
A Greek chef aboard a cruise ship shared his secret to this tasty soup: cook the vegetables the night before and soak the beans at the same time. The next evening you will have only an hour’s cooking before dinner. For an even richer, tastier soup, add kielbasa sausage or cook a ham hock with the vegetables. Like many stews and soups, this is even better the next day. It also freezes well for another meal.
½ cup dry baby lima beans
½ cup dry pinto beans
½ cup split peas (green or yellow)
9 cups water, divided
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 cups celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
2 cups beef broth (see Note)
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
teaspoon red pepper
¾ pound kielbasa sausage, sliced, or 1½ pounds ham hock (optional; see Note)
The night before: In a large bowl soak the lima beans, pinto beans, and split peas in 6 cups of the water with the salt. In a large Dutch oven or kettle, melt the butter. Sauté the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are clear. Add the beef broth and 2 cups of the water. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat and refrigerate overnight.
One hour (or more) before serving: Drain the beans and rinse. Add them plus 1 or more cups of water (to desired consistency) to the vegetable-beef broth. Add the thyme and red pepper. Bring to boil and simmer for 50 minutes or longer. If desired, add the sliced sausage during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Makes 8 servings.
NOTE: If using the ham hock, cook it with the vegetables and replace the 2 cups of beef broth with water. Leave it overnight; the next day, skin and bone the ham, chop the meat, and return it to the soup during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
A great bean soup—hearty, delicious. This is good when first cooked but even better (as many soups are) the next day. It freezes well for later use. Remember the beans need to be presoaked. Many recipes for beans suggest boiling and then using the water in which the beans were boiled. I prefer the soaking and draining method suggested here to eliminate much of the gas often caused by the beans.
2 cups dried navy beans
cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, chopped
¼ teaspoon thyme
One 5.5-ounce can V-8 juice
1½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
Pepper to taste
Boiling water as needed
l½-pound ham hock
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
Wash the beans and soak overnight in cold water. Drain and rinse.
Heat the oil in a large kettle or Dutch oven. Sauté the garlic and onions until clear. Add the beans, thyme, V-8 juice, salt, and pepper. Cover with enough water to come 2 inches above the beans.
Wash the ham hock and add it to the kettle.
Bring to boil and lower the heat. Cover and cook slowly until the beans are very soft and the ham falls from the bone, 2½ to 3 hours. Remove ham bone and skin. Chop ham into bite-sized pieces and return it to the soup. To thicken, remove about 1 pint of beans and mash or pulverize them in a blender. Return to the kettle along with the lemon juice and parsley. Cook about 5 minutes longer. Makes 8 servings.
with Kidney Beans
A rich-flavored, hearty soup for those cold days, this one needs only bread or biscuits to make a meal. Then treat yourself to a dessert. Make ahead for extra flavor. Or make it and freeze some for another meal. For the sausage you may choose a “light” one and still have excellent flavor. Add pepper if you prefer more seasoning.
5 cups chicken broth
1 pound kielbasa sausage, diced
2 cups potato, peeled and diced
One 14-ounce can kidney beans, drained
One 14½-ounce can stewed tomatoes
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup diced carrots
½ head green cabbage, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
In a large soup pot, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower heat to a simmer and cook, stirring once in a while, for about 2 hours. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.
I assumed this cold vegetable soup from Spain was made of only vegetables until I ate some and had a toxic reaction. Then I discovered that it often contains bread. The following version is not traditional but is flavorful and gluten free. The dab of sour cream for topping is purely an American touch and may be replaced with slices of avocado.
One 14½-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1½ cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons NutQuik, ground fine, or 12 blanched almonds, ground
1½ teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
Dash cumin (optional)
One 5.5-ounce can V-8 juice
Sour cream or avocado slices, for topping
In a blender or food processor, puree the tomatoes. Remove and combine with the chicken broth.
In the blender, place the NutQuik, parsley, garlic, bell pepper, and cucumber. Blend until fine. Slowly add the olive oil, salt, cumin, and then part of the chicken broth-tomato mixture.
Remove from blender and add the remaining broth and the vegetable juice. Chill for at least 2 hours. Whisk just before serving. Garnish with your choice of sour cream or avocado slices. Makes 4 or 5 servings.
An old favorite for the table and often called for in recipes, French Onion Soup can be served immediately or frozen in one-cup packets, then used when a casserole calls for onion soup. The recipe can easily be doubled. The French bread may be replaced with another GF bread, if desired.
¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine
2 to 3 large onions, sliced
3½ cups beef broth
½ cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 slices GF French Bread (page 41; optional)
½ to ¾ cup grated Swiss cheese
In a large kettle, melt the butter and slowly cook the onions until translucent and slightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add the beef broth and sherry. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Near the end of the cooking time, add the Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt.
To serve, place each slice of bread, if desired, in the bottom of an individual ovenproof bowl. Fill bowls with soup. Top with a layer of grated cheese. Cook under the broiler until the cheese melts. Serve at once. Makes 4 servings.
A friend confessed to me she was so hungry after hiking Mount Fuji that without realizing it she ate her noodle soup with chopsticks. The following soup is so thick and chunky you could do the same. This is a variation of the nábemono (things in a pot) from Japan. It’s a full-dish meal and has traditional Japanese visual appeal with a combination of colors and shapes. You may use homemade pasta (page 228) or purchased GF vermicelli.
2 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
1 egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sake or dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 teaspoons GF soy sauce
¾ cup uncooked GF vermicelli
1 cup carrots, sliced diagonally
6 Napa cabbage leaves, in 2-inch squares
6 green onions, in 1-inch lengths
8 mushrooms, sliced (shiitake or button)
Wash chicken breasts and slice into thin slivers; combine with the egg white, cornstarch, and sake. Set aside.
In a large kettle, bring the chicken broth, water, and soy sauce to boil. Break noodles to short lengths and add them to the broth. Cook for about 4 minutes. Add the carrots, cabbage, onions, and mushrooms. Cook until carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve Japanese style in deep bowls with large ceramic spoons. Makes 4 or 5 servings.