Clean, Dairy-Free Chicken and Dumpling Soup.

Clean eating | Dairy-free | Soy-free | NEW Gluten-free option

UPDATED 5/23/17 with gluten-free option!!!

Winter has finally reached Florida! We woke up to temperatures in the low 40s, and after spending most of December in the 80s–including a record high 86 degrees on Christmas, for crying out loud–it feels magnificent. Time to bring out the soup! This is what we had for dinner tonight.

This soup (albeit not the clean version) was a comfort-food lifesaver during the cold months we lived in Switzerland. It was nice to have something familiar when we were feeling homesick, and it was easy enough to make in our tiny blue rental kitchen with limited kitchen tools that it made frequent appearances on our little linoleum table.

I’ve adapted the original recipe to make it clean and dairy-free. Also, because we all know the dumplings are the best part, for our little family I usually cut the soup recipe in half but keep the dumpling recipe whole so there’s enough for everyone to enjoy.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Adapted from here

Soup:

• 1-2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3-4 large carrots, scrubbed well and chopped
• 1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, raw or cooked (see variations in instructions below)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour + 1/2 cup cold water, to thicken broth*
• heaping 1/2 cup frozen peas

Dumplings:

• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour*
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• heaping 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 cup minus 1 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil

* Gluten-free variation:
In broth, substitute 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 1/4 cup cold water to thicken.
In dumplings, substitute 1 cup gluten-free flour of choice (I used a blend of equal parts millet, brown rice, and tapioca flour), plus 1/4 tsp guar gum. Whisk liquid mixture well before incorporating into dry mixture; you might not use all of the liquid.

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add vegetables and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth, water, and chicken (if using uncooked chicken). Bring to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, start the dumplings. Add vinegar to a measuring cup and fill to the 1-cup line with almond milk. Let sit several minutes until curdled. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add oil to almond milk and stir. Then gradually add wet ingredients to dry, stirring as you go, until a soft dough is formed. You will not need all of the liquid.
3. Remove the chicken from the soup to a plate. Add salt, thyme, and pepper to the soup.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and cold water, then whisk into the hot broth. Stir in frozen peas, bringing it back to a simmer, then cutting up cooked chicken and adding it to the soup.
5. Working quickly, drop teaspoonfuls (yes, teaspoon–they’ll expand right away) of dough all over the surface of the boiling soup. Cover the pot and simmer 12-15 minutes without lifting the lid to allow the dumplings to cook.
6. When the dumplings are fully cooked, lift the lid and break dumplings apart with your serving spoon. Serve immediately.

Almost-Chili Taco Soup.

Now that Mini-Munchkin is nearly three months, I probably have to stop using the “I have a newborn” excuse & start posting a little more regularly.

With that, here’s the first of what will likely be many quick-prep meals for those nights when you have literally 5 minutes in the kitchen.

A friend of mine from my local chapter of the National MOMS Club brought this dish over after I had the Mini-Munchkin. This thick, hearty, almost-chili soup was an instant hit, so I asked her for the recipe. It was so easy she was actually embarrassed to give it to me! But I love easy, so I’m not embarrassed at all to share this with you.

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 3/4 cup water*
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 2 cans black beans, undrained
• 2 cans corn, drained
• tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, etc., for serving

*or however much your particular taco seasoning calls for

1. Brown the ground beef. Drain.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add taco seasoning & water. Stir.
3. Add remaining ingredients. Stir.
4. Cover; simmer until heated through or as long as you want.

That’s it! Yum!

Valentine’s Day Soup & Sandwich.

I feel like tomato soup is just ideal for Valentine’s Day. If you’re not in Florida, where it hit 80 today, it’s still cold enough for soup in February. Plus, the soup is PINK! Could this be any more perfect? Yes, if you add a heart-shaped sandwich!

For our little family, I made a half recipe of this creamy tomato soup, with one tweak, & then served it with grilled cheese sandwiches on whole-wheat bread cut into heart shapes with a large cookie cutter. Comforting & delicious! (Oh, & lower in fat than a cream-based soup!)

Here’s how I made it:

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 small clove garlic, pressed
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped, plus additional leaves, chiffonade, for garnish
• 3 oz. softened Neufchatel cheese
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 can (15 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion & garlic & saute about 2 minutes, until tender.
2. Reduce heat to low & add paprika, basil, & cream cheese. Gradually stir in milk & soup & stir until smooth.
3. Turn heat back up to medium & add tomatoes, stirring constantly & breaking up tomatoes further by squashing them with the back of a wooden spoon, until hot.
4. Serve with heart-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches!

Get Your Craft On Tuesdays

Hamburger Vegetable Soup.

We’re sick. It’s raining. This calls for soup.

We’re not a big chicken soup family, so this is my go-to when we’re feeling crummy. It’s quick (less than 30 min.), delicious, & uses ingredients that I almost always have on hand. Plus, it has chicken broth in it, which is feeling great on my raw throat right now, but doesn’t have that chicken soup taste that reminds me of months of morningsickness.

My good friend Wendy found this on AllRecipes & brought it to us when I wasn’t feeling well. I asked for the recipe & then adjusted it to fit our tastes & family size a little better, & she actually prefers this version! This will serve 4; double it if you have a larger family.

• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 (1 oz.) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 small (8 oz.) can tomato sauce (if doubling, just use a 15-oz. can)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped (we ran out; pretend there’s celery in my picture)
• (I omit the onion it calls for because it’s plenty oniony with the soup mix. So that was on purpose, in case you’re looking at the original recipe & wondering.)
• 8 to 12 oz. frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup pasta (I used rotini & farfalle tonight, but our favorite is the Ronzoni kind with a full serving of veggies in every ounce. If you’re using smaller pasta, like elbow macaroni, use less.)

1. Bring all but the last two ingredients to a boil in a large stock pot. This takes awhile, so that’s why I start it first.
2. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a saute pan. Season it well (I love this Garlic Pepper Seasoning) & drain it.
3. When the soup is boiling, add the ground beef & pasta, then simmer until the pasta is al dente.

What do you make when The Plague takes over your house? Anyone else out there have a pregnancy-induced soup aversion?

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup. (Quick! Make this before the weather gets too nice!)

I woke up on the third day of spring to this:

Snow, sleet, hail, rain, & thunder. Definitely a soup day.

This recipe is another one from Williams-Sonoma’s The New Slow Cooker, & I was able to use extra chicken I had in the freezer from the Herbed Chicken Thighs I made awhile back. This came together so easily! I made a half recipe & still had some left over after the 3 of us ate our fill (& My Husband The Hungry went back for seconds!), but I’m posting the 6-serving full recipe from the cookbook for you.

• 1 can (15 oz.) crushed tomatoes (I used diced & it worked fine)
• 1 to 1 1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 to 2 jalapeno chilies, seeded & chopped
• 5 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 lbs. skinless, bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• 3 limes
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 3 bay leaves
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• pepper
• 15 oz. corn, frozen & thawed, or fresh (about 5 ears)
• 2 small avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, & diced
• cilantro
• tortilla chips

1. Combine tomatoes, onion to taste, garlic, jalapeno to taste, & 1 cup stock in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into slow cooker.
2. Add chicken, remaining stock, the juice of one of the limes (I just did a generous squeeze of bottled juice), vinegar, cumin, bay leaves, salt, & some pepper.
3. Cover; cook on low 5 hours. The chicken will be very tender.
4. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, remove the bones & any excess fat, & shred the meat. Skim off the fat from the liquid & remove the bay leaves. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker.
5. Add the corn; cook on low 15 minutes (if using fresh corn, cook 30 minutes).
6. Ladle the soup into bowls; garnish with avocado chunks, cilantro, & chips. Cut the remaining limes into wedges & serve with the soup.

Single Serving Split Pea Soup

Here’s another great contributor post, this one from my awesome sister-in-law Lisa. While most of us cooks/crafters/etc. have learned what we know from observation &/or muddling through, Lisa actually MAJORED in this stuff! Aside from being a fantastic cook, she is a terrific seamstress (she sewed her own prom dress & The Munchkin’s blessing dress), & knits & crochets. She lives in Utah, but would probably rather be in St. Petersburg, as you’re about to see. наслаждайся! Enjoy!

St. Petersburg

When I read about Tidy Mom’s Soup-a-Palooza, I was excited to share my favorite recipe, yellow split pea soup. I first had it in St. Petersburg, Russia, as a student. The lady I lived with served soup as a part of every supper, which was new to me. She would make a large pot of soup that simmered on the stove all day and it would last two or three days.

One day, she asked my roommate and I if we would eat pea soup. We said yes, but I was a bit hesitant because I thought it would be more like French split pea soup.  I was pleasantly surprised with this variation. There are two main differences. First, (most obvious) the peas are yellow and not green. Second, the finished soup is not blended.

After coming back to the States, I researched different recipes to see if I could recreate her soup. I also wanted to find a way to make smaller portions, since I was cooking for myself and didn’t want many leftovers. This recipe is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp chicken boullion
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup yellow split peas, rinsed
• 1 carrot
• 2 small red potatoes
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 3-5 cooked slices of bacon
• salt and pepper, to taste
• dill (optional)

Carrot, potatoes, split peas, bacon, onion (l-r)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, dissolved the chicken boullion into the water. Add the peas and bring to a simmer. Simmer 30 minutes on medium heat.

2. Chop the carrot, potatoes, onion and bacon slices. Add to the soup. Bring back to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook at least 30 minutes.

Before adding the other vegetables.

I prefer to cook my soup for 1-2 hours longer, so all the vegetables become very soft.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add dill, if desired.

Everything that had dill in Russia had a lot of dill. Practically a forest. Dried dill is okay, but fresh dill really tastes better. If you are on a budget, like me, dried is a better deal.

This recipe will make about 2 servings.

For other ideas, come join Soup-a-Palooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by Bush’s Beans, Hip Hostess, Pillsbury and Westminster Crackers!