Gluten Free French Onion Soup Recipe

I'll admit - this is one that I really hated giving up when we all went gluten free.

This past weekend, our neighbor traded me some chard and leeks from his garden for some kale from ours.  I immediately thought "French onion soup" because leeks are one of the main ingredients, and this would be a chance to try my hand at a gluten free version of one of my all-time favorite soups.  French onion soup is always so hearty and rich.  It really warms you up from the inside out, and keeps you warm on blustery days like we've had this week from the leftovers of Sandy.  And even though it's a bit time consuming, it's really rather simple to make, especially with some staples from your pantry.

SPH Gluten Free French Onion Soup
A few tablespoons of olive oil
A few tablespoons of butter
2 small-ish leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced into fairly narrow slices
5 medium onions, sliced into narrow half-moons
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic (I use the kind from the jar)
1-2 teaspoons dried thyme - to taste
1 quart beef stock (I use Pacific brand Organic Beef Broth)
Gluten free bread slices, either toast on the side like the photo or use slices of a gluten free baguette
Melty cheese of your choice - I used mozzarella because that's what I had on hand, but traditionally gruyere or Swiss is used - figure on a generous handful of shredded cheese per bowl

In a large soup pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the butter, and allow it to melt.  Lower the heat, add the leeks and onions, and stir.  Continue stirring occasionally, every few minutes, until leeks and onions are completely wilted down.  To like a third of their original size.  By cooking these low and slow you release the starches from the vegetables, which will help thicken the soup a little bit.  Now add the garlic and thyme.  Stir for a minute or two to warm the garlic and thyme through.  Add the stock and stir well.  Simmer just until the stock starts to reduce.  Sorry, I don't have a time for this.  It's an eyeball-it kind of thing.  Serve in individual bowls with melted cheese and crusty bread.  If you really want to get fancy, put the bowls of soup on a cookie sheet.  Top each with a baguette and cheese, and stick under your broiler for just a few minutes, until cheese is melted.

This one is definitely worth the time - enjoy!

Pull It from the Pantry Gluten Free Black Bean Soup Recipe

Had a hankerin' for some black bean soup, and stared at the pantry shelf...

So I did the smart thing - I looked on allrecipes.com.  Not one (NOT ONE!) seemed to match what was on my shelf.  And monthly shopping wasn't happening for a few more days.  So I looked really hard at the ones that sounded the most tasty to me.  What do they have in common?  What can I substitute?

This is the result:

SPH Gluten Free Black Bean Soup
2 cans black beans
1 can sweet corn
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen brand)
1 can full of chicken stock (use whatever stock you prefer - I used Pacific brand organic free-range chicken)
olive oil
1/2 pound of carrots, diced (I had half of a 1-pound bag of baby carrots left from making carrot cupcakes)
2-3 stalks celery, diced (if they have leaves, even better)
1 onion, diced
@ 2 T. minced garlic
1 T. chili powder (or to taste)
2 t. cumin (or to taste)
2 t. oregano (or to taste)
1 t. black pepper (or to taste)
salt to taste - and don't taste until just before serving!
shredded cheese and sour cream for toppings, if desired

Start with the base for your soup.  In a large soup pot, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat.  I used enough to just cover the bottom, so I'm guessing it's a few tablespoons.  Add diced onion, and cook until onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  While my onion was cooking, I diced up my carrots and celery.  When onion is done, add spices, carrots and celery to the pan.  This will allow your spices to get all warm and cozy and release maximum flavor in your soup.  Stir for a minute or two, just to warm the spices, then add the garlic.  Stir for another minute or two.  Add the tomatoes and their juice to the pan.  Then, fill that can with stock, swirl it around and dump it into your soup pot.  Cover, and allow to simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or til your carrots are tender.  Pour contents of pan and 1 can of black beans into a large blender or food processor.  Puree til fairly smooth.  Pour back into pot, and add remaining can of black beans and can of sweet corn.  Stir well to combine.  Cover and heat again for another 10-15 minutes, or until everything is heated through.  Taste for salt and adjust other seasonings, if needed.  Serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream and/or shredded cheese if desired.

The next time I make this, I might try using some browned chorizo.  You know, brown the chorizo in the oil first and allow it to drain while I did everything else.  Then, at the end, adding it back in.  Something to think about the next time I get a taste for black bean soup.

Enjoy!

Princess Makes It Monday - Happy Chinese New Year!

Some homemade not-takeout tonight - and in the crock pot!

If you have recently gotten the news that you need to go gluten free, or if you are just looking for some delicious, simple recipes, you MUST BUY Stephanie O'Dea's two cookbooks - Make It Fast, Cook It Slow and More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow.  Everything is cooked in the crock pot, and everything is gluten free.  In fact, when Hubby got the news, I knew we'd be fine because I had been following Stephanie's blog.  I had a stack of recipes just from the blog under my apron strings, and we were ready to rock and roll!

So tonight, in honor of Chinese New Year, Princess is making Broccoli Beef, based on the recipe in Make It Fast, Cook It Slow of page 350.

Broccoli Beef
1/4 c. soy sauce (I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which are GF)

2 T. dry white wine (we used water)
2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 t. sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced (we used a big spoonful from the jar)

1 T. brown sugar (we used raw turbinado)

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes (we used a good couple dashed cayenne pepper - use the amount that has your desired heat level)

1 pound beef, cut in thin strips (we used rib steak)

1 16-oz. bag broccoli, defrosted
Hot white rice

If you choose to slice your own beef instead of buying it sliced, cut it while it's partially frozen.  It's way easier to get those really thin slices.  Also, by slicing your own, you can better control the fat of the meat.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for beef.  Stir to coat, then add to crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  If your beef is partially frozen, you may want to start it out on high for an hour or 2, then drop the heat.  Steam broccoli, and serve with beef, over rice.

When we do Chinese at home, I make what we call Not Fried Rice.  I picked up this trick from a Rachael Ray recipe.

Not Fried Rice
a few T. olive oil
a few T. butter
1 small onion, diced fine
2 c. white rice
4 c. chicken or beef broth/stock (choose based on what you are serving it with - we are using beef tonight)

Drizzle olive oil into a medium size pan, then add butter.  When butter has melted, add onion and cook til translucent.  Add rice.  Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes, to get rice really coated with the flavorful oil.  Add broth/stock, cover, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 more minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.  This rice, by the way, is phenomenal in soups, because it brings its own flavor to the table - no more bland white little floaties.

Enjoy your dinner, and as we welcome the Year of the Dragon, may fortunes find their way to you.  Take good care of yourself in the year ahead.  Wishing you successes, longevity and health!