Category: Soups Stews and Chowders

Borlotti Bean Soup

I love the smooth, creamy texture of Borlotti beans.  Also known as Cranberry beans, they are easy to work with, and an Italian favorite for winter soups.  When using dried beans, an overnight soak followed by a long slow simmer is the secret to success.  For soft, creamy beans that aren’t tough, don’t add salt until the final steps of the preparation.

I make soup frequently over the winter months.  I usually make a small pot, as it’s just the two of us and we don’t want to be eating it for weeks!  This recipe makes about 4 servings, but you can definitely double or triple the recipe for a larger family.

4 servings

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

Soak the beans overnight, then drain and rinse.  Add them to a soup pot with cold, unsalted water and 2 bay leaves.  Cover and simmer 45 minutes, drain and rinse.  Then one more time, back into the pot with cold unsalted water, cover and simmer 45 minutes, drain and rinse.

Wipe the pot clean and add a little olive oil.  Cook the carrots, celery, onion and garlic over low heat until vegetables are translucent and release some of their liquid.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the cooked beans, sage, thyme, turmeric and one more bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken broth and simmer 1-1/2 hours.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Remove from heat and add the cooked pasta or rice.  Cover and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes: ♪♫ If you like a creamier soup, you can partially puree the beans and veggies before adding the pasta.  Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves first!

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Pumpkin Soup with Carrots and Parsnips

Tis the season for all things pumpkin!  This pumpkin soup is so aromatic and naturally sweetened with the addition of carrots and parsnips.  A wonderful fall soup, it is ready in under an hour so you can easily fit it into your schedule.  A great make ahead recipe for your Thanksgiving table!  I made a small batch for the two of us, but you can easily double or triple the recipe.

4 Servings

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Ingredients:

  • 1/4 medium sweet onion, diced (1 cup)
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 clove minced garlic, (1 tsp.)
  • 1 small parsnip, peeled and diced (1/2 cup)
  • 4 small carrots, peeled and diced (1 cup)
  • 2-1/2 cups gluten free chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)
  • gluten free bacon for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Prep the vegetables before you begin.  Dice the onions, carrots and parsnips and mince the garlic.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan or stock pot.  Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes until translucent.

Add the carrots and parsnips and continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

When the onions are beginning to caramelize, you will see a bit of browning in the bottom of the pot, like this.

Add the broth, pumpkin puree, garlic and all of the seasonings.  Cover and simmer on low 45 minutes.

 

While the soup is simmering, toast pumpkin seeds and cook bacon for serving.

When the soup is done, the veggies should be very soft.  Use a stick blender to puree to desired consistency.  You can make it as smooth or as chunky as you like.

Serve with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and bacon (I used turkey bacon).

Notes: ♪♫ For convenience I used canned pumpkin in this recipe.  I’m sure that making your own would be divine!  Always check product labels for gluten containing ingredients.

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Gluten Free Spring Onion Soup

Spring Onions have arrived at the market, and with them the promise of warm weather and sun filled days ahead.  Once a year, I will indulge and purchase a few to make my last soup of the season, before we head into summer.

Spring Onions are sold in bundles like this one with the greens attached.  You can see that the young bulbs have not yet developed their dry, papery skins.  When you get home, you might be inclined to chop off the greens and discard them.  Don’t!  They are incredibly aromatic and will add a nice, savory kick to your soup stock.

This recipe is vegetarian, but you could add meat if you like.  Beans would also be a great addition!

Ingredients:

  • 3 spring onions sliced and quartered, greens reserved
  • 4 carrots, sliced into half moons
  • 4 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. sage
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric
  • 8 oz. gluten free pasta

Preparation:

Remove the greens from the onions, wash them and place in a stock pot. Add water to cover.  You can also throw in the tops of your celery stalks if you like, they too are aromatic and will add more flavor to the base of the soup.

After a 45 minute simmer, the greens have given up all of their goodness and can be removed and discarded.

Next slice and quarter the onion bulbs and add them to the pot along with the carrots, celery and garlic.  You should have about 6 cups total veggies.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the sage, thyme and turmeric.  Stir in the canned tomatoes with their juices.  Simmer 1 hour.

When the soup is ready, add the uncooked gluten free pasta directly into the pot.  It will absorb liquid as it cooks and thicken the broth nicely.  Simmer 5 more minutes or until the pasta is cooked through.  A garnish of chives and it’s ready to serve.

Simple ingredients, with a vibrant burst of spring flavor.

Notes ♪♫ I used Veneziane gluten free Ditalini in this recipe.  Finding gluten free soup pasta is always a challenge, but luckily this brand is available to me locally.  If you can’t find it, don’t hesitate to improvise with larger gluten free pasta shapes like elbows or shells.  You can even use broken lasagna noodles in a pinch!

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Beef Minestrone Soup

This hearty winter soup will warm you to your toes.  It is a complete meal, with stew beef and beans for protein, plus veggies and gluten free pasta to round out the bowl.  I love making bean soups on a Sunday afternoon.  Having soaked the beans the night before, there is plenty of time for them to simmer while I prep the rest of the soup ingredients.  Always check labels for gluten containing ingredients.  In this recipe, choose gluten free canned tomatoes and stock.

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1-1/2 cups mixed beans
  • 1/2 lb. chuck stew beef cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1-1/2 cups diced onion (3/4 large)
  • 1 cup diced carrot (1 large)
  • 3/4 cup celery (2 stalks)
  • 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. sage
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 4 oz. gluten free pasta
  • Italian parsley, for garnish
  • grated cheese, for serving

Preparation:

Soak the beans overnight in a stock pot or Dutch oven.  In the morning, drain and rinse the beans.  Wipe the pot clean and add back the beans with 8 cups of cold water.  Simmer for 2 hours on lowest heat.  Drain and rinse the beans again.

Wipe the pot clean, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and brown the beef.  Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 can of stewed tomatoes, 2 ladles of the cooked beans and 1/2 cup water.  Puree with a stick blender.

Add the pureed mixture, 1 cup beef stock and 1 cup water to the stockpot with the rest of the beans.  Stir well and add the bay leaf, sage and thyme.  Simmer 3 more hours on lowest heat.

When the soup is finished, be sure to pull out the bay leaf!

Boil salted water for pasta and cook according to package directions.  Drain and add to the soup.  Serve with grated cheese and garnish with Italian parsley.

Notes:

♪ I normally shy away from packaged mixed beans because so many of them contain barley.  Luckily, I came across this one by Hambeens that is clearly labeled gluten free!

♫ Can you see the lasagna noodles in my bowl?  Gluten free pasta seems especially prone to breakage.  Every box has some broken bits at the bottom.  Don’t throw them away!  They are perfect to use in soup.

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Tomato Bean Soup with Chicken Sausage

Making soup is one of my favorite ways to clear the pantry.  This wonderful fall soup is a great example of what you can put together from little bits of this and that from your pantry and freezer.  I had a cup of dry beans, some frozen chicken sausage along with the fresh roasted tomato sauce that I made earlier (in case you missed that post, catch it here).  Of course you can use a can of fire roasted tomatoes and canned beans, but don’t shy away from cooking beans from scratch, it’s easy and they are a healthy and nutritious addition to winter meals.  Just follow my step by step instructions!

4-6 servings

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

I had a cup of dry beans in the pantry left over from another recipe, a mix of Borlotti and Great Northern.  You can use whatever beans you prefer (see notes).  Soak the beans overnight in cold water.

In the morning, the beans will have almost doubled in size.  Drain and rinse them, and return to the pot.  Cover with cold water and add 2 bay leaves.  Simmer 2 hours on low heat.

Notice that I started with cold water.  One of the secrets to tender beans is to cook them slowly and gently.  The heat is on very low the entire time, so the water comes to temperature slowly.  When it does reach a boil, I keep it on a very low simmer.  Also note that I did not add salt.  Salt toughens the beans, so we only add it during the final hour of cooking.

After a 2 hour simmer, drain the beans and discard the bay leaves.  Wipe the pot clean to remove all moisture and add one tbsp. olive oil.

To kick up the flavor in this soup, I added 2 chicken sausage links from my freezer pantry, one hot and one mild.  You can use pork sausage, ham or whatever protein you prefer, just be sure it’s gluten free.  Dice the sausage into 1/2″ pieces and cook until any liquid has evaporated and the meat is nicely browned.  Pardon the shaky photo but you get the idea!

Remove the sausage, cover and set it aside until the soup has finished.  Leave any fat and browned bits in the pot and add another tbsp. olive oil.  Add all of the veggies and season with salt and pepper.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Now add back the beans, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, sage and thyme.  Cover and simmer (keep the heat very low) for 1 more hour.

To finish the soup, stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional but I like the spicy kick) and return the sausage to the pot to heat through.

Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh chives and serve with grated cheese.

We really enjoyed this soup, even though it was quite warm this first weekend of autumn!  I’ll be sharing more of my favorite soup recipes in the coming weeks, and I hope you will come by again to see what’s cooking in my Cucina!

Notes ♪♫  Beans are a naturally gluten free food.  However, be wary of the mixed bean packages as some contain barley.  I always rinse my beans thoroughly to limit risk of any cross contact during processing.

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Pork and Bean Soup

Fall temperatures have finally arrived here in New England, and for me that signals the beginning of soup season.  My Pork and Bean Soup is so rich and thick, just what we need to take away that first autumn chill.  This soup is gluten free, nutritious, and full of fiber, which is often sadly lacking in the gluten free diet.

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Fully cooked pork shanks make a wonderful soup base that is surprisingly low in fat.  I buy the Wellshire Farms brand, which is uncured (no nitrites) and gluten free.  They have a handy database on their website to identify gluten and other allergens in their products.

Friends, don’t shy away from cooking with beans.  Once you know how, you will have tender flavorful beans every time!  Making your own means you control the ingredients, including salt content.

Here are some tips.  Always soak beans overnight, don’t take shortcuts.  Rinse the beans before soaking, and change the water again before cooking.  Always start with cold water and plan on 3+ hours cook time at a very low simmer.  Do not add salt until the last hour of cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. dry beans such as great northern, navy, pinto or a mixture.  Use your favorites!
  • 1 fully cooked, uncured ham/pork shank (also called ham hocks)
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1/2 sweet onion
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1 tsp. sage
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1-1/4 cup gluten free soup pasta (I used Le Veneziane Ditalini) 

Preparation:

The night before, rinse the beans well and place them in a stock pot or Dutch oven with cold water.  Cover and soak overnight.  The beans will more than double in size.  After the soak, drain and rinse the beans again.  Clean the stockpot to remove any residue.

Place the rinsed beans back in the stockpot and fill with cold water.  Do not add salt.  Cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours.

Chop the carrots, celery and onion into 1/2″ dice.  Cook the veggies in 1 tbsp. olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Drain and rinse the beans one more time, then add them to a larger stockpot along with the veggies and the pork shank.  Fill to within 2” from the top with water, about 6 cups.  Here is where you add the salt, along with the sage, thyme and bay leaf.  Simmer on low one hour more.

If using gluten free pasta, cook according to package directions.  Transfer the pork shank to a cutting board and chop or shred the meat into small pieces.

Remove the bay leaf and discard, then partially puree the beans and vegetables with an immersion blender.  Don’t skip this step, it gives the soup a nice thick consistency.  If you don’t have a stick blender, you can carefully transfer a few scoops of the soup to a regular blender, puree and return to the pot.  Be very careful not to splash the hot soup!

Lastly, stir in the cooked pasta and shredded pork.  Taste and add more salt if needed.  Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Spoon the soup into shallow bowls and enjoy with gluten free rolls for a hearty lunch.  It really is substantial enough to be a main course!

Like most soups, this one is even better (and thicker) the next day.  We love this kind of meal throughout the fall and winter months.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed the recipe.  I hope you will give my Facebook page a like so that you will continue to see more great meals like this one, made right here in My Gluten Free Cucina!

Notes: ♪♫ I love using a combination of different beans in my soups but avoid the popular mixes like the 16-bean blend.  Many contain barley, and even if not, it may be difficult to tell if a stray grain of barley made its way into the mix.  Bottom line, I just don’t trust the sorting process.  It’s easier to visually inspect the contents of single bean packages.  You can buy several kinds and make your own mixed bean blend.  For soup pasta, I like Le Veneziane gluten free ditalini.  If you can’t find it in store, it is available online.

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Shrimp Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder is one of those recipes that you must make when sweet corn is in season.  We are fortunate to live near several local farms and fresh corn is just a five minute drive up the road.  You can make this chowder with shrimp, crab, chicken or even meatless.  It’s ready to enjoy in about 90 minutes.

Now I know you are asking, can’t I make this with frozen corn?  You can, but you will be missing a key flavor component in the recipe.  The base of this chowder is made from the corn cobs.  After the kernels are stripped, the cobs are simmered to make a stock.  You can substitute chicken broth and use frozen corn, but seriously, try it this way.  It is very, very good!

6 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 ears of corn
  • 6 cups of water
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 3 Maine white potatoes peeled and diced (use young, thin skinned or waxy potatoes)
  • 12 oz. raw shrimp in the shell
  • 4 oz. gluten free bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. butter, divided
  • 2 tbsp. sweet rice flour
  • 1 cup gluten free low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • paprika
  • Old Bay® seasoning
  • smoked sea salt (optional but very good)

Preparation:

Strip the corn kernels from the cob and refrigerate (you should have about 4 cups).  An easy way to do this is to stand the corn straight up on a cutting board and run a sharp knife down the sides.

Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells.

Place the cobs in a stock pot with the reserved shells, 6 cups of water and 1 tsp. salt.  Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Discard the corn cobs and strain the corn stock through a fine mesh sieve, or use cheese cloth.  You should have about 4 cups.  Add 1 cup chicken broth, or enough to total 5 cups of liquid.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low and cook the shrimp in 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter for 2-3 minutes, just until you get a little pink color on both sides.  Remove from the pot, sprinkle with Old Bay and set aside to cool.  Refrigerate the shrimp until serving time.

Discard any liquid remaining in the Dutch oven and wipe clean.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp, stirring frequently.  Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving the fat.

Add the onions to the pot with the reserved bacon fat along with 1 tbsp. of butter.  Cook for 15  minutes, stirring frequently.  The onions should be nicely browned and caramelized.

Quickly sprinkle the rice flour over the onions and whisk constantly as you stream in the stock.  Add the potatoes, corn kernels, 1 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves, and more Old Bay.  Simmer on low until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.

When ready to serve, gently warm the chowder over low heat.  Chop the shrimp, leaving a few whole for a nice presentation.  Add back the reserved shrimp, with 1/2 cup of half and half.  Cover and heat through, 5 minutes more.

Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon and fresh thyme.  For a special treat I added a skewer of grilled scallops.

This hearty chowder will provide a filling meal for lunch or light dinner.  Like most soups, it is even better (and thicker) the next day.

Notes: ♪♫  For a perfect accompaniment to this hearty chowder, check out my homemade gluten free oyster crackers!

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