It is soup season in this household, with no complaints - we do love a good bowl of nourishing immune boosting soup any day.

I do not recall every having Kabocha Squash before, and we found it delicious.  Surprisingly sweet tasting and turned into a soup made it hearty and warming.

You could use any type of squash - butternut, acorn, pumpkin - all would work nicely here.  Also, any kind of bone broth would work or if you wanted vegetarian, use a vegetarian broth.

1 Kabocha Squash - rinse and dry the outer skin, cut into quarters, and remove the seeds (you will want about 2 plus cups of cooked Kabocha Squash - even more if you had a bigger squash would work well too)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery, with leave

1 small diced onion or shallot

1 1/2 Tblsp. diced ginger, or more if that is your preference

1 large bay leaf

1/2 tsp. ground Tumeric

1 tsp. Cumin

1/4 tsp. Mace - optinal

3 1/2 cups chicken bone broth, or broth of choice

Toppings:  chopped green onions, Greek Yogurt

We used an air fryer to roast  the Kabocha squash (but you can roast in a 350 degree oven until tender)

Cut the Kabocha squash into quarters, remove and discard the seeds, drizzle with EVOO and season with salt and pepper.  Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees, then carefully add the squash quarters to the basket.  Air Fry at 380 degrees for about 22-25  minutes, or until tender.  Turn around the squash half way through.

Transfer to a platter to cool down.

To a pot on low medium heat, add a drizzle of EVOO, the chopped carrots, celery, onion and ginger.  Saute about 6 minutes, then add in your seasonings - saute another minute or two until nice and fragrant.  Add in the bay leaf, and stock stirring to combine.  Bring to a simmer, lid on and cook about 30 minutes.

Squash:  Then scoop out the cooked squash leaving the skin behind, and add the cooked squash to the soup.

Stir, remove from the heat, removing the bay leaf, then use an immersion blender, blend until completely smooth. Adjust for any seasonings, return to the stove to heat through.  Add a sprinkling of green onion, and a dollop of Greek yogurt to the top of the bowl of soup, give it a swirl with your spoon, and enjoy.

This hearty bowl of soup is absolutely loaded in vegetables - perfect if you need to use up any leftover vegetables in the fridge. Really, any vegetable can work nicely in this recipe. Once a few of the vegetables are sauted, it all goes into a slow cooker to cook throughout the day until dinner time.

We usually have healthy delicious bone broth in the freezer, so once a week we put together a hearty soup of some kind - tasty and nutritious.

2 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots - cut small

3/4 cup chopped celery with leaves - cut small

1/2 cup diced red or green pepper

2 minced garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small yellow or green zucchini - chopped into quarters

14 oz. can of diced tomatoes including juice

4 cups chicken or turkey bone broth

1 cup chopped red Swiss Chard, include the stems

1 cup chopped beets (I used canned)

1 tsp. tumeric

2 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper to taste

2/3  cup French Puy Lentils - rinsed

2 Tblsp. lime juice - add at the end of cooking time

Heat up a frying pan with the EVOO on low medium heat.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, peppers and saute until the onions begin to get translucent.  Add in the seasonings, saute another 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Transfer to the slow cooker with all of the other ingredients (except the lime juice), stir to combine and set on low for 6- 8 hours or until the lentils and vegetables are cooked.  When done, squeeze in the fresh lime juice.

This hearty satisfying vegetable packed split pea soup is delicious for lunch or dinner.  You can make this completely vegetarian using vegetable stock or you can use chicken or beef broth.  We used vegetable stock with about a cups worth of chicken broth just to use up what we had on hand.  Also, a word about Za'atar.  I have never used it before, and when I opened the jar the aroma was heavenly.  So it definitely was going into this soup.  If you do not have Za'atar, some fresh or dried thyme and rosemary would be lovely.

With yellow split peas you do not need to soak them after a good rinse, but I chose to soak mine for 3 1/2 hours, drained and rinsed them well.  Your cooking time will take longer and need to be adjusted if you do not pre soak the peas.

2/3 cup yellow split peas, rinsed well, and soaked for 3 1/2 hours

1-2 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the vegetables, chop them small the same size

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped turnip

1 large shallot diced

3/4 cup chopped potatoes - I used roughly peeled small red and yellow gem potatoes

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

chopped fresh parsley

1 large bay leaf

1 tsp. tumeric

1 1/2 tsp. Za'atar

salt to taste

Heat up a dutch oven on low/medium heat the the EVOO.  Add in all your vegetables except the potatoes.  Saute 5 minutes, then add in the seasonings except for the parsley and salt.

Continue to saute another 3 minutes, then pour in your stock and the rinsed soaked peas.  Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low lid on and simmer 35 minutes.  At that point remove the lid and add in salt to taste, and the potatoes and cook another 15 minutes lid off until the peas and and potatoes are tender.  In total my soup took 45-50 minutes till cooked.  When done, sprinkle in the parsley, give another stir and serve with good gluten free bread.

 

 

If you read my blog, you know I am a huge lover of soups - all kinds.  With winter coming and colder temperatures in our neck of the woods this was perfect - lunch or dinner.  Although, I could eat soup any day!  Here we used homemade Turkey bone broth - highly recommend homemade chicken, beef, or turkey bone broth if you have it, or if not a good quality store bought brand can work in a pinch.

A word about Pasatta. It is more readily available at grocery stores now compared to some years ago.  It is peeled, de-seeded and strained uncooked tomatoes - heaven in a jar and so versatile.  Really adds a nice tomato punch of flavour in any dish. (plus, it freezes nicely if you do not use a whole jar)

This was a tasty, healthy, soup loaded in nutrients, and vitamins, with packed goodness in a bowl.

4 cups Turkey bone broth

2 cups tomato Pasatta

2 leeks, sliced, rinsed and chopped

2 large cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped

1/2 cup chopped:  turnip, rutabaga, carrots, celery, frozen green beans

2/3 cup chopped frozen spinach

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 tsp. dried rubbed Greek oregano

1 tsp. dried rubbed basil

1 tsp. organic tumeric

salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients to a good sized pot.  Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, cooking 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Serve with your favourite gluten free bread or bun.

 

With the summer bounty at our farmers market, plus a rainy grey day, soup was on the table for lunch today!

2 pints of mixed heritage cherry tomatoes, sliced and quartered if on the bigger side

a good splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

a good splash of White Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sliced red/green pepper

1/4 of a red onion, sliced

season with salt and pepper

Add to a pan and roast at 400 degrees in an air roaster oven for 30 minutes.

While roasting prep the other vegetables:

1 cup mixed green and yellow beans, cut to 1 inch pieces

3/4 cup chopped yellow zucchini squash - 1/4 inch thick pieces

3 small/medium sized swiss chard, stems chopped, and slice the greens into ribbons

big handful of chopped basil

4 cups chicken stock - homemade or store bought

Add the vegetables to a pot and lightly steam until tender.

When the roasted tomatoes and peppers are done, add 2 cups of the chicken stock to a food processor then the roasted veggies and blend until smooth. OR Add in the 2 cups of chicken stock to a dutch oven then the roasted veggies and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Pour in blended veggies and remaining 2 cups of chicken stock to the pot and add in the drained, lightly steamed vegetables, a big handful of chopped basil, season with salt and pepper, and turn on low to heat bringing to a light simmer.

Serve with fresh bread of choice or grilled cheese.

This soup most definitely exceeded our expectations. Huge huge flavor in this simple soup whether served for lunch or dinner.  Now if you like your soup on the "spicy hot" side add extra fresh cracked pepper and Thai Red Curry Paste.  This can certainly be made vegetarian/vegan using Vegetable stock omitting chicken and adding in seared Tempeh would be a nice addition.

3/4 lb. skinless boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders cut into small pieces 1/2 inch or so, season with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

2 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large minced garlic clove

1 finely sliced shallot

1 cup finely shredded cabbage (use a knife to finely shred)

1 cup finely sliced fresh spinach, sliced lengthwise

1 grated carrot - box grate using the large grate

2 green onions sliced diagonally

1/2-2/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro including stems

1 rounded tsp. Thai Red Curry Paste

3 Tblsp. smooth peanut butter

2 Tblsp. fresh finely minced or grated ginger

4 cups chicken broth

2 Tblsp. white vinegar or Rice Vinegar

2-3 Tblsp. Gluten free Tamari or Gluten free Soy Sauce -  gauge by your own taste

3 squares Lotus Gluten Free Ramen Noodles (cook separately as per directions)

Heat up a dutch oven on low/medium heat.  Add the chicken, the garlic and shallot sauteing until fragrant and chicken is cooked (do not overcook). Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Don't worry if your chicken is still pink, it will cook in the hot soup.   Then add in the ginger, peanut butter, and Thai curry paste.  Mix/Stir in the pot and heat just until melted through.  Pour in the Chicken stock, Soy Sauce and vinegar whisking well, then add in the cabbage, spinach, and grated carrot.  Bring a pot of salted water to boil for the Ramen Noodles and cook as per directions timing with the soup.  Cook the soup/veggies on low simmer for 12 minutes, then add in the cooked chicken, green onions and cilantro at the end just before serving.

Once the Ramen Noodles are cooked, drain.  Add the noodles to your bowl and ladle in the hot soup over the noodles.

Tomorrow will be great leftovers!

This yummy seafood bisque is not a traditional bisque as it was not pureed , and it is also not a chowder, as it was not thickened nor were there any potatoes in the soup. It is more of a tasty seafood soup somewhat like a bisque.

In the freezer section at our grocery store we discovered packages of frozen seafood medleys - a combination of shrimp, scallops, clams and muscles - a very tasty combination.  The directions said to remove the package from the outer package - add the pack of seafood to boiling water, and boil 8 minutes turning over the pack of seafood half way through.  This gave a lovely seafood broth inside the package which I then added to the tomato cream base.  A lovely, and easy dinner or lunch.

300 grams frozen seafood medley

14 ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 of a celery stalk finely diced

1 shallot finely diced

1 minced garlic clove

1 tsp. dried Thyme, and Parsley

1 large bay leaf

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

a good splash of Lactose free cream

Heat up a pot on low heat with the EVOO.  Add the shallot, celery, and garlic sauteing about 5-7 minutes until the shallot and celery are translucent.  Season with salt, fresh pepper, thyme and parsley and saute another minute.  Pour in the tomatoes and add the bay leaf.  Keep on a low simmer, and meanwhile cook the seafood medley as per directions.  Once cooked, cut the package open and pour into the tomato mixture giving it a good stir.  Remove from the heat and add in a good splash of cream, stirring to incorporate.  Serve hot with some nice gluten free bread or buns.

(UPDATE:)  I made a new discovery with this cream of mushroom soup recipe.  Instead of using Sweet Rice Flour for the roux, I used Potato Starch - which gave a much finer texture overall, so will use this from now on.  Also, it freezes nicer too.  Yes, once you pour it into a pan to reheat it will have separated, but no worries,  just keep on the lowest heat, whisking well until heated through - beautiful flavor and creamy consistency.  I seriously was wowed! )

With this recipe the mushroom soup was made first, the rice cooked separately, and we used leftover chicken thighs - a different version of Chicken and Rice Casserole.  This is a great go to recipe for left over chicken. It came together really well.  Many recipes call for canned cream of whatever soup - something a celiac would never use unless it was gluten free and in my case lactose free - something I have never seen in our grocery stores.  So, here I have recreated a cream of mushroom soup to easily be used in various casserole dishes. Or to have as a lovely soup on it's own.  It was pretty quick to make, and can easily be made ahead of time for any dish you require.  To make it packed full of flavor just take a bit of extra time to cook the finely chopped mushrooms, onion, garlic and seasoning till there is a golden appearance and fragrance.

These days we try to stretch our meals and use up any and all ingredients.  In these unusual times, it is interesting what the stores have available and what they do not.  Each week seems different.  However, on that note it certainly allows for some creative dishes based on what you have.

Any style of mushroom can be used in this recipe, or you could use a combination of mushrooms.  We used a Lactose Free 2% milk in this recipe, but a touch of lactose free cream would also be tasty.  Versatility is always an option, use what suites you best, or what you have on hand.  A great way to use up leftovers in the fridge.

Cream of Mushroom Soup:

3 Tblsp. butter

1/2 a small onion, finely diced (shallot or leeks would be lovely too)

1 large garlic clove, finely minced

1/2 a celery stalk, finely minced

8 white or brown mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. dried mustard, 1/2  tsp. dried thyme, fresh cracked pepper

3 1/2 Tblsp. Potato Starch (if too thick, thin with a bit more chicken stock)

3 Tblsp. Gluten Free Soy Sauce - or more to taste

1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock

1 cup of milk

Heat up a medium sized sauce pan with the butter on low heat.  Add in the onion, garlic, celery, and diced mushrooms sauteing about 6 minutes.  Add in the mustard, thyme, fresh cracked pepper and continue to saute another 2 minutes.  Sprinkle in the potato starch stirring well with a wooden spoon for about a minute or two.  Using a whisk, pour in the milk and chicken stock whisking well the entire time to remove any lumps.  Add soy sauce to taste and bring to a lite simmer for a couple of minutes until ready to use.

Chicken and Rice Creamy Mushroom Bake:

With this recipe any leftover chicken will work nicely as would pork chops or leftover sliced pork roast.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease an 11x8 baking dish with 1 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3/4 cups Basmati Rice - cook as per directions

1/2 cup minced broccoli florets

1 small chopped zucchini - slice in half then chop into 1/2 inch pieces

Cream of Mushroom Soup - use full recipe above

1 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese

3 leftover roasted Chicken thighs or about 2-3 cups chopped cooked chicken

Method:

Cook the rice as per directions, remove from the heat and add in the minced broccoli florets and chopped zucchini, mixing well.  Put the lid on and let sit 10 minutes, then pour over the cream of mushroom soup (make sure to reheat) - mixing gently to combine and transfer to the baking dish.

Top with grated cheddar cheese then place the chicken on top.  Bake uncovered about 30 minutes to heat through, and melt the cheese.