Saturday, November 7, 2009

My Favorite Soups

Chicken and Dumplings adapted from my favorite cookbook, The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook
A comfort food that tastes like something grandma would make!

Soup:
2 carrots, chopped (or more)
2 stalks celery, chopped (or more)
2 T olive oil
2 cups diced cooked chicken (can be leftovers)
10 cups free-range chicken stock
1 tsp sea salt (or more)
parsley
pepper (optional)

Dumplings:
1/3 cup arrowroot powder
1 cup freshly-milled wheat
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup milk or almond milk
1 egg

Saute carrots and celery in olive oil in large pot over medium heat. When soft, add chicken, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a slow simmer about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Mix arrowroot, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add milk and stir until moist. Add egg. Stir well. Wet hands with water and drop about 16 balls of dough and parsley into soup. Be sure that the soup is barely simmering, because if you boil it, the dumplings will fall apart. Cover pot, turn heat as low as possible, and cook about 15 minutes. When done, add salt and pepper to taste.


Turkey/Chicken Noodle/Rice Soup with Spinach adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook
A good way to get lots of veggies without noticing! :)

1/2 medium onion
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
4 scallions, sliced (or 1 tsp dried chives)
1 T olive oil
2 cups turkey or chicken meat (can be leftovers)
8 cups free-range chicken stock
pinch of thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt (or more)
2 oz. pasta or brown rice or quinoa (or more)
1 10-oz. package chopped frozen spinach
fresh ground pepper (optional)
1 tsp. hot sauce (optional - I'm too wimpy for this!)

Saute onion, celery, carrots, and scallions in olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat until soft. Add broth, turkey or chicken, thyme, and salt to pot. Cook 25 minutes at a simmer. Then add pasta or brown rice or quinoa. (If pasta, cook until just done. If others, make sure they are soft.) Add spinach, pepper, and hot sauce. Cook at slow simmer until nice and hot.


Chicken Corn Chowder adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook

2 T olive oil
2 oz. nitrite-free bacon, diced (2 - 3 slices)
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, cup up
3 small potatoes or 3 medium red potatoes, cubed small
4 cups free-range chicken stock
cooked chicken, cut up or shredded (can be leftover)
3 cups milk or almond milk
3 cups organic fresh or frozen corn
2 T flour
sea salt and pepper
parsley (optional)

Cook bacon in oil over medium heat until crispy. Add onion and celery and cook until soft. Add potatoes and broth. Cook at a simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add milk and corn. Cook about 20 minutes more. Add chicken. If you desire a creamy chowder, combine flour with some of hot soup in a little bowl, stirring until smooth. Add back into pot. (I skipped this step last time and it didn't turn out as well.) Stir in well. Add salt and pepper, and cook a little longer to thicken slightly. Serve with a little chopped parsley if desired.


Mix and Match Chicken Soup

One thing that whole foods cooking has taught me is what and why foods go together. Soup is one of the easiest things to "play" with. Basically, you can saute veggies (such as onion, carrots, celery) in olive oil and add free-range chicken stock, pasta or brown rice or quinoa if desired, cooked chicken or turkey, and spices to make your own creation. Add lemon juice if desired.

1 comment:

  1. Melissa, I wanted to take a moment to compliment you on a very nice, well planned blog. You clearly have a talent for this kind of thing. I recently started a blog and from time to time I like to look at other people's work so that I might improve upon my own. Thank you for sharing. Best wishes, good luck and God Bless.

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