Recipe: Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Gluten Free Garlic-Herb Croutons

You say hangover, I say broccoli cheddar soup bread bowl. 

Or, I did say.

In college, (pre-Celiac diagnosis), my go-to for nursing a rough but probably well-deserved hangover was a Panera bread bowl filled to the carby brim with broccoli cheddar soup. 

That's right. A bowl of gluten, filled with gluten. I am so, so sorry, body. I just had no idea. 

:(

These days, I still LOVE me some broccoli cheddar soup, with or without the prerequisite hangover. I'd like to think this recipe is a tad healthier than Panera's version, since it only has a cup of cheese and a quarter cup of heavy cream (which really you could leave out if you wanted to). The soup gets a lot of body and richness from cooking and blending the broccoli stalks, which I'm happy to use instead of tossing them!

In place of the bread bowl of days past, I top each bowl of soup with a handful of crispy, garlic-herb croutons made from Against the Grain Gourmet baguettes. Have you guys had these baguettes? They're incredible. I can't even keep them around at my parents' house because my sister (non-Celiac) likes them better than regular bread. Go figure! 

This recipe ROCKS if you have an immersion blender. (I have this one.) You can totally transfer the soup to a blender in batches, but if you make a lot of pureed soups and sauces you should really think about making the switch. There's less cleanup, and honestly it's SO fun to whiz everything up right in the pot. Though beware of splashing. Or your dog will end up with a splash of bright green broccoli cheddar soup on his head.... that you don't find until 4 hours later. MMM LEFTOVERS. 

Recipe: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

[original recipe by Jeff Mauro]

Ingredients
2 stalks of broccoli (about 1.5 pounds)
2 tbsp butter
1 small white or yellow onion, roughly diced
2 tsp dry mustard 
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper 
2 to 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar 
4 cups gluten free chicken stock, plus extra if needed (can sub vegetable stock)
2 cups fresh baby spinach 
1 cup extra sharp, grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions
Remove the florets (tops) from the broccoli, and separate into individual florets. With a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler, remove the outer layer of the remaining stalks. Roughly dice. 

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (like this one), melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion, broccoli stalks, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes. 

Deglaze by adding the vinegar and 1 cup of the stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Add all of the broccoli florets, and enough additional stock to cover the broccoli. (I added 3 cups, making it 4 cups total.)

Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes until broccoli stalks and florets are tender. (Should be able to easily pierce them with a knife.) 

Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the spinach. Using an immersion blender, blend until the soup is completely smooth. (If you're using a blender instead, CAREFULLY transfer the soup to the blender, filling only halfway, and blend until smooth. You'll probably need to do this in two batches, then return it to the pot.) If your soup is a bit too thick, add more stock to achieve the desired consistency. 

Stir in the shredded cheese and heavy cream. Serve warm, garnished with gluten free croutons (recipe below). 

Recipe: Gluten Free 

Garlic-Herb Croutons 

Ingredients
1 gluten free baguette (such as Against The Grain), thawed and diced into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chopped, fresh herbs (e.g. basil, parsley, chives)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add the bread cubes to a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil around the inside of the bowl, and toss to coat. Sprinkle the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper over the bread, and toss once more. 

Spread the seasoned bread cubes in an even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and toasted, tossing halfway through. 

Remove croutons from the oven, and immediately sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. Toss to coat. 

Can be served immediately, or made ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container. 

Recipe: Creamy Parsnip Apple Soup with Crispy Shallots

Those who know me may be aware that I’m a hypochondriac. Those who don’t know me, hi! I’m a hypochondriac.

How do I know this? When the nurse at the doctor’s office greets you with a, “Oh, you’re here again?”, it’s pretty clear. Then your parents, weary from 12 too many 3 AM phone calls, ban you from late-night WebMD-ing. Hmph.

This past week, it was a food allergy test and a self-diagnosed brain aneurism that led to 2 appointments with the doc. Apparently, my medical judgment is a tad bit off kilter, as I don’t have a dairy allergy, an egg allergy, nor a brain aneurism. Whatever. I’m still not convinced, and will be on self-mandated bed rest for the next 2 days.

So now I’m curled up on the couch, nursing a brutal headache that feels an awful lot like something to be alarmed about, and cradling a bowl of this soup. The first time I had this silky puree of parsnip and apple was during a weekend home in NJ. Asking my mom for the recipe, she showed me 4 short lines in the latest issue of Real Simple. Sautee onion; add parsnips, apple and broth; simmer until tender; puree. It was so good – incredibly creamy without any cream, and a distinct bite from the peppery parsnips, yet simple. Real simple. Ha.. blaming that one on the painkillers.

Whether you’re suffering from an imaginary medical ailment or not, make this soup. It’s as perfect an accompaniment to a brisk fall day as it is to a migraine.

[Original recipe from Real Simple]

Ingredients (Makes about 6 cups of soup)

1 small yellow or white onion, chopped

Olive oil

¼ tsp salt, plus extra

¼ tsp pepper, plus extra

1 lb parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped

2 apples (about ¾ lb), peeled, cored and roughly chopped

5-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (gluten free)

1 shallot, thinly sliced (optional)

Recipe

Lightly coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil, and place over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add chopped onion, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft.

Add chopped parsnips and apple to pot, and pour in enough stock to cover the veggies (approx. 4 cups). Turn the heat up to high. Once stock is boiling, turn heat down to medium and cover pot. Cook for 20-30 minutes until parsnips and apples are fork-tender.

Meanwhile, make crispy shallot garnish (if using). Add a few glugs of olive oil to a small skillet and place over medium-low heat. Once oil is hot, add sliced shallots. Cook for 6-10 minutes, stirring often, until shallots are brown and crisped. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to a paper towel to drain.

Once parsnips and apples are cooked, use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth and creamy. Add more stock until you reach a desired consistency. (I added an extra 1.5 cups.) If you don’t have an immersion blender, puree in a blender in batches.

To serve, reheat if necessary, and top with crispy shallots, a sprinkle of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Recipe: 11-Minute Black Bean Soup

Today marks the first day in quite some time that our apartment is comfortably cool with the windows open and the AC off. Hell, I even have a sweatshirt on. It’s a fall miracle.

Not only does this weather bode well for our monthly electricity bill, but it also has me craving a bowl of something warm and comforting. Make that something that comes together in 11 minutes flat? Even better.

Whip this up once, and you’ll realize the value of having a few cans of black beans stashed in the pantry. Odds are you can scrounge up the rest of the ingredients, especially if you’re a certified nacho addict like my roommate, Angie, and me. Welcome to the club; now pass the salsa please.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Olive oil

¼ small onion (red, yellow or white), chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

3 tbsp salsa (any kind)

1 cup vegetable stock, chicken stock or water, plus extra if needed

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp cumin

Sriracha or other hot sauce (optional)

1 cup frozen corn

Optional Garnishes

Shredded cheddar cheese

Chopped fresh cilantro

Sour cream

Tortilla chips

Recipe

Lightly coat the bottom of a medium pot with olive oil, and place over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add onion and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salsa and cook for 1 more minute.

Add stock (or water), beans, cumin, and hot sauce to taste (if using). Stir to combine, and increase heat to high. As soon as mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered so the liquid can reduce. Once soup reaches desired consistency (about 6 minutes), add frozen corn and cook for 1 more minute to thaw kernels. If soup gets too thick, add more liquid.

Serve hot and garnish with cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream and tortilla chips.