Cream of Mushroom Soup - a dairy-free version of a classic

A few weeks ago as we readied for the Superbowl game, I had my mind set on making an easy, allergy-friendly soup to share.  I had a few choices already tested, adapted, and posted here at Get Allergy Wise so I figured, easy.  The day before the party I asked my husband which soup he preferred I make.  Not a big fan of soup, my husband threw me for a little loop when he "ordered off the menu" and replied, "How about a cream of mushroom soup?  Only if you can make it vegan, though."

Not one to back down from a culinary challenge, I searched for a milk-free cream of mushroom soup recipe, one that would be simple to make but just as delicious.  I came across Healthful Pursuit's recent kitchen experiment of using cauliflower and I was instantly in lust.  Cauliflower, a natural and nutritious thickening agent for soup, was a BRILLIANT idea!  It's especially great in a creamy soup with coconut milk as cauliflower has a pretty mild taste.

I did very little tweaking to the original recipe.  I just doubled the quantity and for the liquid used roughly half canned coconut milk (full fat only!) and half milk substitute.  I added even more cauliflower because my personal preference is for a very thick soup.  I have tried this with white, cremini, and portabello mushrooms.  All tasted great though I am partial to cremini mushrooms.

Remember to use a full-fat coconut milk for added richness.

My husband and I loved the soup and the other adults seemed to really enjoy it.  One person told me she doesn't usually like cream of mushroom soup but she liked this one and went back for seconds.  My kids are less than thrilled about the texture of mushrooms so there was a little bribing in the form of Trader Joe's crescent rolls and an adjustment in texture (blended/pureed all the onions) when I made this a second time.  The next time I will make this I will completely blend everything.  My kids seem to do better with completely smooth soups. 

Trader Joe's sells its own version of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.

Trader Joe's crescent rolls do contain wheat and carry a warning that they
may contain milk.  We have tried them and so far, so good with my milk-allergic kids.

 
Another fabulous thing about this soup?  It takes about 30 minutes to make.

Cauliflower Cream of Mushroom Soup - vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free, and potentially nut-free and/or soy-free depending on your choice of milk substitute
Adapted from Leanne Vogel's Healthful Pursuit blog's Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup 

4 to 6 cups of cauliflower florets
1 can of full-fat coconut milk
2 to 3 cups of safe milk substitute (I have used Soy Dream Original and Trader Joe's Original Almond Milk with great results)
1 large onion, chopped
2 10-ounce packs of mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sea salt
Dash of nutmeg
Ground pepper and salt to taste

1. Combine coconut milk, milk substitute, and cauliflower florets in a large pot.  Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low and continue simmer for 10 minutes until cauliflower becomes tender.  Remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile stir-fry onions for 3 minutes in a separate saucepan over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking until onions are translucent.  Set one cup of the onion/mushroom mixture aside.  (If you prefer only mushrooms and no onions floating in your soup, stir-fry 1 cup of mushrooms first and set aside for mixing in at the end.  Alternatively, if you want a completely smooth soup, don't set anything aside.)
3. Combine thyme, sea salt, nutmeg, and the remainder of the mushrooms/onions with the cauliflower pot.  Puree the mixture until completely smooth using a traditional blender, food processor, or (my favorite for hot soups) immersion blender.  If the soup is too thick for your taste, blend in additional milk substitute. 
4. If you had chosen to set aside 1 cup of onions and mushrooms, stir them in at the end for added texture.  Add salt to taste.  Reheat soup on low if desired and serve warm.

For more dairy-free inspiration, check out the Healthful Pursuit blog where meal and dessert ideas abound.  Let me know if you find something that I should try next!

Souperbowl Sunday - potato soup free of the top 8 allergens

The 49ers are playing in the Superbowl XLVII which, months ago with
a new starting quarterback, probably seemed like "the impossible".

Superbowl Sunday is almost upon us and for folks here in the San Francisco Bay Area, it's an especially exciting one.  THE 49ERS ARE IN IT TO WIN IT!

Sarah, who is a native San Franciscan, is a huge Niners fan.  And me?  Fair-weather fan here.  My husband is a huge Redskins fan having been raised near the national's capital.  Naturally, our stats-obsessed eldest son is now a huge Redskins lover as well.  But we are getting behind our hometown team, enjoying the scarlet red and gold banners around town, and loving an excuse for co-hosting a fun and allergy-friendly Superbowl party.

Among other snacks, I've decided to make some soup for the big game.  I know, I know.  Soup is not the first thing you think of when you are thinking football.  But San Francisco is famous for its sourdough bread and if you have been visited here before, chances are you have indulged in warm chowder in a bread bowl as you gazed across the Bay in search of the Golden Gate Bridge.  (Again, if you've visited here before, you know that the often fog-filled skies do require you to do some searching!)   

Preparation is fairly simple and there are so many options that are free of the top 8 allergens.  Because of the handy slow cooker, you can prepare this ahead of time and transport it if you are going as a guest to a party and therefore have a hearty and safe option for a meal.  The soup can easily be dressed up to represent the scarlet and red colors of the 49ers or the purple, black, metallic gold, and white colors of the Ravens.  (Four team colors...seriously, Ravens??)




 

With "scarlet and gold" bell peppers and the sourdough bread bowl,
this soup is all about the 49ers.  Melted Daiya Mozzarella Shreds
helped create the soup-lid bread football.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup - free of the top 8 allergens
Adapted from Taste of Home's Red Potato Soup Recipe

2.5 lbs potatoes, cut into cubes (I used yellow potatoes but peeled Russet would probably be better.)

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

2 ribs of celery, thinly chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 tsp sage

1/4 tsp thyme

1 tsp salt, plus extra salt on hand

3 Tbsp corn starch (I use Argo Brand which is gluten-free) or 1/3 cup safe flour

14 oz can of full fat coconut milk (do not skimp on the fat here)

6 cups broth (I used Trader Joe's low-sodium organic vegetable broth)

white pepper and black pepper to taste

1-2 Tbsp minced parsley

1 Tbsp agave nectar 

Serving Suggestions:

• mini or large bread rounds - if you are wheat-allergic or gluten-intolerant, nix the bread bowls but provide slices of your favorite safe bread 
• chopped red and yellow roasted bell peppers
• chopped bacon 
• chopped sundried tomatoes  
• Daiya Cheddar Cheese style vegan shreds 
• tortilla chips -- red and yellow for us 49ers or blue corn (close to purple!) and yellow for Ravens fans

1. Layer vegetables (with the potatoes at the very bottom) on a crockpot/slow cooker.
2. Add spices, salt, and cornstarch/flour.
3. Pour canned coconut milk and vegetable broth over vegetables.  
4. Cover and cook soup on low setting for 6 hours. 
5. Uncover soup and add agave and some of the minced parsley.  Blend to a smooth texture.  You can remove the soup from the slow cooker first and blend in a separate container. I use an immersion blender and just try to be careful not to let the blender touch the sides or bottom of the bowl.
6. Taste soup.  Add more salt, pepper, sweetener, and parsley to taste.  Having used low-sodium vegetable broth, I believe I ended up using 2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt in the recipe. 

A couple of notes: my soup came out a darker yellow than I had anticipated due to the dark, rich organic vegetable broth that Trader Joe's sells.  I love their flavorful broth.  If you want a lighter color, I would reduce the amount of vegetable broth and substitute some plain water or your favorite unsweetened safe milk instead.  Using Russet potatoes might help to tone down the color.

I have to mention that my kids were protesting about having soup for dinner.  Groans and ewww's abound.  I guess the words, "potato soup" aren't what gets little boys running to the kitchen table with excitement.  However, once I took out the knife and starting carving openings into the bread, they were completely enthralled.  "What are you doing, mommy?  What's that?!?"  I told them that the soup would be served in a bread bowl, a bowl that they could eat, too.  Both of my boys did a complete 180 on the soup and happily greeted dinner.  I did have to cut their mini-bowl in half because there was no way the kids could drink and eat that much soup and bread.  They still absolutely loved their half-bowls with my eldest Ryken declaring, "Mmmm, the soup is actually pretty good."  

Now if I could only serve all their meals in an edible container...

After Thanksgiving Soup

It's Sunday after Thanksgiving, the perfect lazy day to reflect on a weekend spent with family and friends, and ending with an easy, hearty meal to fill our stomachs for back-to-school.

By 1 pm Thanksgiving day, I'd handed the kids off to my brother for some incredible summer weather playground time, picked up the toys off the floor, and even set up the tables and chairs for a party of 16 with a 4 o'clock reservation to feast.

With a mix of relief and dread, I sat down to several huge mounds of clean laundry covering two-thirds of my living room rug, and started folding, sorting, and putting away baskets of clothes that had forced me to send the kids to school in mismatched and ill-fitting outfits for the past week.  I pulled my Honey Baked Ham out of the oven by two, and with an hour to spare, I prepped my quick and easy allergy-friendly desserts--Semi-Homemade Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Pudding and Apple Cranberry Crisp.  Soon after, the guests started arriving and pouring wine--the party had begun!

Regardless of how much help and support I have before and during these parties, it's hard to ever completely put my guard down and relax.  This year, most of the food was allergy-friendly and safe for my kids to eat, but you are never 100 percent sure, especially when you're hosting a potluck.  One unsafe ingredient in one dish is enough to send a food allergic person to the ER, which is definitely the last place anyone wants to be on Thanksgiving night.

But I managed to sit back with a glass of wine and take a bit of time to enjoy a few small moments and conversations from the evening.  And thankfully, tummies were full and satisfied without incident.  There may even have a been a dance performance and a bit of karaoke thrown in for some good old family fun.

It would've been nice to sleep in the next day, as there were still a couple of dishes in the sink and some crumbs to wipe up, but we had other plans.  We were off for an overnight in old Sacramento--via Amtrak--destination...the Polar Express!  All of the pre-made pasta, leftovers, cold cuts, bread, fruit, and snacks, and an in-room fridge and microwave allowed me to create a safe menu of foods for Tristan during our trip.  Perfectly sunny weather, hanging out with friends, and trains everywhere contributed to a memorable weekend.  Such fun!

Whew!  Finally today, a day of rest.  We are cleaning house and I have our after Thanksgiving Soup on the stove, with a ham hock base, Honey Baked Ham The Soup Solution Green Garden Soup Mix, potatoes, carrots, celery, fennel, and yellow onions.  Containing no dairy, egg, or nuts (note: does contain wheat and soy),* Honey Baked Ham not only allowed me to contribute a hands-off crowd pleasing Thanksgiving day main dish, it is giving me a--quite possibly even better--hearty and delicious soup for our Sunday night dinner.  Paired with a few other leftovers, including our desserts, we will feast again tonight with very little effort.  What fun things do you do with your Thanksgiving day leftovers?

The soup hit the spot--so delicious, I want to eat it for days.  Thank you Honey Baked Ham!

We hope all of our GAW families had a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving, and a little break from the norm.

*Honey Baked Ham's ingredient and allergen information is not published on their website.  Please contact them at 866-492-HAMS for specific questions and up-to-date ingredient information.