Chicken Gumbo - A Gluten Free Version

Chicken Gumbo  (my gluten free version)

Adapted from “Southern Sideboards” © 1978

Chop 2 large onions, 4 stalks celery, 1 green or red pepper, set aside.

Make a roux in a heavy soup pot:  ¼ cup oil and 1 heaping Tablespoon brown rice flour.  Stir constantly over medium high heat until a rich dark color is achieved (compare to an old copper penny for color depth).

Add the chopped vegetables to stop the roux process.  Stir over heat until the vegetables are soft.  While the vegetables are cooking, add 3 finely minced or crushed garlic cloves. 

Add these next ingredients, then simmer 30 minutes:

2 cups chicken broth

1 can tomatoes – stewed or diced

4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon thyme

4 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons parsley

Add chicken pieces, leftover cooked chicken, Cajun sausage, etc. as desired  (I add about 1.5 lb meat – may be precooked or uncooked – then deboned and shredded after cooking)

Add 1 bag frozen okra ( 12 oz. is what I am able to find in Montana)

Cook gumbo over medium heat for 2 – 3 hours, stirring occasionally.  Serve in bowls over a mound of rice with pepper sauce on the side.

Recipe can be doubled and freezes well.

To make a soup version – increase broth and add cooked rice so dish is all inclusive.

Curried Yam Soup - Wheat, Gluten, Dairy Free Recipe

Curried Yam Soup

1 large onion, caramelized in 2 tablespoons olive oil

Add 2 large peeled and cubed yams

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

1 rounded tablespoon curry powder

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper as desired (I add about 1 teaspoon each, since my homemade chicken broth is not salted)

Cover with chicken or vegetable broth (about 1 - 2 quarts depending on the size of your yams and onions.)  Simmer until yams are thoroughly cooked.

When yams are very tender, remove from heat and remove bay leaf.

Add 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk and stir to distribute.

Transfer to a blender in batches and puree until smooth. 

Makes a creamy thick and flavorful soup.  Sprinkle the top with chives or sliced green onion.

Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe - Nondairy, Gluten Free

Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 large bunch of broccoli chopped (reserve choice florets for garnish)

2 large carrots, diced

1 onion, chopped

2 large stalks of celery, chopped

Saute vegetables in 2 tablespoons  olive oil (or other oil of choice).

Cover with 1 quart rich chicken broth and simmer until all vegetables are very tender. (may use vegetable stock for a vegan soup).

Mash the well cooked vegetables with a potato masher to break the vegetables down a bit.

Add the reserved florets for the final 5 minutes of cooking.

Make a roux by mixing 2 T brown rice flour and 2 T tapioca starch with 1/2 c water.  When the roux is smooth, add 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk of your choice (I use So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk, which is thick and does not add a coconut taste to the soup).

When the broccoli garnish is cooked, add the roux and stir to distribute, simmer until thickened and serve.

May add fresh grated nutmeg, parsley, or GF croutons.

This soup keeps well in the refrigerator and freezes well.

Black Eyed Pea Sausage Soup

Black Eyed Pea Sausage Soup

New Year’s Luck Soup (a soup version of Hoppin’ John)

2 lb dried black eyed peas

1 lb cooked link sausage of your choice (I used a chicken sausage – Adelle’s Pineapple-Bacon)

3 quarts chicken or vegetable broth plus water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

3 cups carrots, chopped

3 cups celery, chopped

6 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 bay leaves

1.    Sort through black eyed peas, removing pebbles, debris, etc.   Cover black eyed peas with water – about 2” above the level of the peas in your pot.  Soak for 4 hours or overnight.

2.    Caramelize onions in olive oil, then add the other vegetables and sauté them until all are tender.

3.    Add vegetables and bay leaves to stockpot and add drained, soaked black eyed peas.  Add broth.  Add more liquid as needed to keep the peas submerged during cooking.  Simmer several hours until peas are soft. 

4.    At this point, you may wish to remove several cups of the mixture and puree in the blender to make a creamier soup base.  Return the puree to the pot and add the diced cooked sausage and Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Simmer 30 minutes longer, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

5.    For my New Year’s Open House, I made this soup the day before and reheated to serve it from the crock pot.  The flavor seemed to improve the second day.

Butternut Squash Soup

 This is a recipe from Meshell.  She was gifted with a squash from Grandma's garden and she made this delicious soup!  I do not eat any food in the gourd family, so I was not able to enjoy it beyond a tiny taste.  Yum!

Buttercup Squash Soup
Adapted by Meshell Shumaker

1 medium to large size Buttercup squash
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 small, or 1 large, yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock

Generous pinch of ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the squash in half, scoop out seeds and stringy insides, then prick flesh with a fork. Brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil on flesh and set halves face down in baking sheet in approximately 1/2 inch of water. Bake for about 45 minutes until flesh is soft.
3. While squash is baking, caramelize onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
4. After squash is tender, scoop flesh out of skin.
5. In a food processor, add roasted squash, onions, coconut milk, stock, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. Serve.

Makes approximately 8 servings.

Green Soup

Green Soup

2 tablespoons oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped (optional)

3 carrots, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

16 oz. green leafy vegetables of your choice (kale, spinach, Swiss chard or any combination of them)

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Juice of 2 limes or 1 lemon

Heat oil in deep 4 to 6 quart pot.  Cook onion until it begins to caramelize.  Add carrot and celery and cook them until they begin to soften.  Add green vegetables and cook until they begin to wilt.  Add broth and cook until the carrots and stems of the greens are soft.  Add the seasoning.  Scoop 2 or 3 cups at a time to the blender and puree.  Add the lemon or lime juice to the puree and serve.