Easy Creamed Turkey Soup with Vegetables (dairy-free, gluten-free)

This is an easy way to use up extra turkey (or chicken if you prefer). I didn’t have a lot of soups growing up because my father wasn’t a “soup” guy. But a long-time friend really loved creamed soups and when she was dying of cancer, one of the few things I could always get her to eat was my cream of chicken or turkey soup. So here’s the recipe revamped without the dairy or gluten.

In a medium size Dutch oven, heat:

2 tablespoons olive oil

Add:

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced turnip and/or parsnip

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon dry sage

Saute over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add:

2 tablespoons gluten-free all purpose flour and stir to mix and absorb all the fat. Let cook for several minutes before adding:

2 cups chicken or turkey STOCK (use stock not broth for a stronger flavor)

1 small bag of mixed vegetables (if you’re like me, remove the corn; wish someone would make mixed frozen vegetables without corn!)

Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer until vegetables are cooked, 10-15 minutes.

The soup will thicken while it simmers so stir occasionally so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

When the vegetables are cooked, add 1 cup of non-dairy milk and 1-2 cups of cooked brown rice. Heat and serve.

Variations if you don’t care for sage or tumeric, or just want a different taste!

Italian: Add 1 tablespoon diced garlic and substitute thyme, basil, marjoram, and/or rosemary for the sage and tumeric.

Indian: Use a peeled and diced sweet potato instead of the turnip/parsnip. Add 1 tablespoon of curry powder instead of the sage and before the flour. Curry powder needs to develop its flavor so cook it for a few minutes before adding the flour and stock.

Mushroom: Add a 6-8 ounce box of sliced baby bella or whatever mushrooms you love instead of the mixed vegetables.

Vegan: Use vegetable stock instead of chicken or turkey and delete the meat. Add a drained can of your favorite beans.

Spicy Lentil Vegetable Soup

(dairy free, gluten free, vegan, soy free) Makes approximately 8-10 servings

Lentil are very versatile, allowing cooks to be imaginative in using them. They seem to like being pairs with a wide variety of other foods and spices. Lentils were not something we had growing up, don’t know which parent didn’t like them but my mother never cooked us lentil soup even though both parents loved pea soup. In this recipe, I’ve paired my favorite vegetable soup with lentils. There are various other ingredients you can use in this recipe, depending on what your family likes. Here’s the basics along with some variations. You’ll need:

1 3/4 cups (an 8 oz package) of lentils, no specific type, I used a mixture of green, black and brown

6 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc., I used a combination of water and vegetable stock)

1 cup sliced carrots

1 large onion diced

3-6 stalks of celery diced for approximately 1 cup

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 cup sweet potato diced

1/2 cup regular potato diced

1 teaspoon curry powder (or 2 tablespoon curry paste)

1 cup diced tomatoes (I used canned)

1 cup frozen peas

1 medium turnip peeled and diced

Add the oil to the bottom of a heated Dutch oven. Add the curry powder and heat for about 15 seconds or until you can smell the curry, but be careful not to burn it. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion, celery, potatoes, and turnip. Once the onion is translucent, add the lentils and the liquid. You can also add the tomatoes at this point along with the peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for approximately 45 minutes or until lentils are tender (if you’re using sprouted lentils, they don’t take as long as regular lentils). If you use curry paste rather than powder, add it here. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until you have the consistency you want. Add salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper). Serve.

Variations: Don’t want vegan – use chicken or turkey stock instead of the vegetable stock. You can also add some cooked sausage (either bulk or links cut into slices) or diced ham before serving.

If you don’t like potatoes, leave them out and add 1/2 cup quinoa when you add the lentils. This will also up the protein!

Don’t like curry? Leave it out and use 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon thyme instead. Or, you can add 2 teaspoons cumin seeds and 2 teaspoons turmeric. Add either of these when you add the lentils.

Want it more tomatoie? Stir in 1 small jar of tomato paste before you use the blender.

Don’t have an immersion blender? Cool the soup in the frig for about an hour and then blend in a standard blender. You might want to leave a couple of cups whole for texture.

Hash (dairy-free, gluten-free)

Anytime we had left over meat of any kind, my mother or I made hash from it. My favorite is probably ham while my mother really liked red flannel hash made with corned beef. It can be served with gravy, ketchup, horseradish sauce, or even plain with a poached or fried egg on top. The vegetables added can also vary depending on taste and what’s in the frig or freezer. I like to use sweet potato but again, any potato will work just fine. It could also be made with just vegetables for a vegan hash. In my eyes, any way one makes a hash is delicious with the crispy potato, tender meat and tasty vegetables. The English version of Chinese stir fry!

You’ll need:

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 diced onion
1/2 diced celery
1 cup diced and cooked potato
2 cups diced and cooked meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, ham, tofu, etc.)
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup cooked carrots

In a large skillet, heat the oil and cook the onion and celery until softened. Add the potato and cook until potatoes are browned. Add the meat and vegetables and stir well. Cook until heated through. Add salt, pepper, and herbs to taste. I used my salt-free mixed herbs. Top with gravy, ketchup, etc. or serve plain. My mother always fried eggs to go on top of her hashes but for those of us allergic to eggs, that’s not an option.

Shepherd’s Pie (dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free)

One of my mother’s old standby’s, shepherd’s pie is a definite comfort food for many New Englanders. Warm and filling, it gives us energy and the calories we need to go out and shovel the snow or rack the leaves (which is what I spent some time doing this morning). Here’s my take on it, feel free to use any ground meat you like, I’m limited since I’m allergic to most red meats. Traditionally, its made with mutton or lamb but I use turkey or chicken in mine. Serves 4.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You’ll need:

1 pound ground meat, lean
10 ounce bag of mixed peas and carrots (organic if possible)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
Seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder – about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of each)
3 tablespoons gluten-free flour such as brown rice or all purpose
1 1/2 cups of stock (whatever you have on hand works; I used vegetable in mine)
2 cups mashed potato (or as in my case, celery root and parsnip mash see recipe under side dishes)
2 quart baking dish

In a steamer, steam the peas and carrots until just tender. Put them in the baking dish. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onions and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Add ground meat and seasonings. Stir as the meat cooks to crumble the meat up into small chunks. When meat is cooked, add the flour and stir to incorporate. Let cook for 2-3 minutes and add the stock. Stir and cook until thickened, another 2-3 minutes. Add to the baking dish; stir into the vegetables. Spread the potatoes or celery root/parsnip mash on the top and bake for 20-30 minutes until heated through and bubbling.

Turkey Osso Buco (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

One of our favorite cold weather meals is a turkey osso buco (or turkey stew) made with root vegetables. The hot gravy with the succulent root vegetables is so warming and very filling. I don’t always use the same vegetables but they are usually root ones although I’ve been known to add both peas and string beans to the stew.

You can cook this either in a dutch oven in your oven or in a crock pot. You’ll need:

Turkey leg quarter or breast
1 large Russet potato, peeled and diced
1 large turnip, peeled and diced
3 small to medium parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
3-4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
Salt, pepper and herbs to taste
1 quart turkey (or chicken) stock
1/4 cup gluten-free brown rice flour
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Cut the turkey leg quarter in pieces (leg and thigh). Put in a gallon food storage bag, the brown rice flour along with salt, pepper and herbs to taste (I like to use some paprika, oregano, thyme, parsley, along with the salt and pepper; if I don’t have those, I’ll use a teaspoon of Mrs. Dash or other herb mix). Shake to mix and then add the turkey piece(s) and shake to coat.

In a skillet large enough to hold the turkey piece(s), heat the olive oil and then add the turkey over medium heat to brown. While the turkey is browning, dice the onion. If you are using a crock pot, add the onion to the cooker. If you are using a dutch oven, you’ll want to brown your turkey in that and add the onion when the turkey is browned. Be sure to brown all sides of the turkey. Remove the turkey and add the dredging flour to the oil and stir so that the flour absorbs the oils and drippings from the pan. If you are using a slow cooker, add the flour mixture to the pot and then add the turkey along with the stock. If you are using the dutch oven, simply add the stock and the turkey back in.

Using a slow cooker, turn it onto high and cook for 3-4 hours. If you’re using a dutch oven, you’ll want to prepare the vegetables (peel and dice them) and add them into the dutch oven before cooking in the oven at 325 degrees for 3-4 hours. I’ve found that the vegetables don’t cook well in the slow cooker so I peel and dice them and cook them on the stovetop separately, mostly cooked through and then add them to the crock pot during the last hour of cooking.

Makes six to eight servings. You’ll want to deskin and debone the turkey pieces before serving.

Chicken and Dumplings (dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

Another thing we always did with leftovers was make a stew and then either serve it with dumplings or put it in a pie crust and make a meat pie with it. And you could easily do it with a rotisserie chicken or turkey breast from the store. And you can adjust the vegetables to your taste, i.e., add some cooked diced turnip, parsnips or some lima beans, etc.

In an 8-quart dutch oven mix:

2 cups diced chicken
1 cup cooked peas
1 cup cooked green beans
1/2 cup cooked diced onion
1/2 cup cooked diced celery
1/2 cup cooked diced carrots
1 cup cooked diced sweet potato

Add stock until the pot is 2/3 full; this should take 3-4 cups and needs to cover the meat and vegetable mixture. Mix up your dumplings in your food processor:

1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper

Pulse in:

1/4 cup vegan margarine OR 1/4 cup avocado oil

Once there are pea sized crumbs, add in 3/4 to 1 cup of non-dairy milk depending on if you used the margarine or the oil (I use rice milk but soy would work as well; you want a milk that doesn’t have a strong aftertaste). Pulse until well mixed and the batter is smooth. If your like your dumplings more flavorful, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of an herb mixture OR 1/4 cup fresh parsley to the sifted dry ingredients.

Drop by tablespoons into your boiling stew. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes and then cover and cook an additional 10 minutes or until dumplings look dry on top. Makes about 12 smaller dumplings or 6 large dumplings (the larger ones will take longer to cook so I usually make them smaller for ease of cooking and my husband usually eats 2-3 of them.

Remove the dumplings into a dish and keep warm in the oven while you thicken the stock. Mix 1/4 cup of brown rice flour into 1/2 cup of cold stock until its smooth without any lumps. Add to the boiling stew, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens. If its too thin, make another slurry of brown rice flour and cold stock (a tablespoon at a time) until it reaches the desired thickness. Be sure the gravy boils before you add more flour slurry since it will thicken more as it boils. And be sure to stir scraping the bottom of the pot so that the gravy doesn’t burn on the bottom (also reduce the heat; you don’t want to do this on a high heat).

Return the dumplings to the pot and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.

Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie (Dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free)

One of my husband’s favorite dishes is a pot pie. This one has lots of tender chicken or turkey for my husband along with plenty of vegetables to satisfy me. If you pre-bake the bottom crust, it won’t get as soggy from the gravy while baking. Feel free to change up the vegetables — lima beans, mushrooms, garlic, etc. can be added along with greens like kale or spinach (chopped of course). I had some leftover mushrooms that I sautéed, cut up and added to my stew. Some diced sweet potatoes would also do well in a stew or any diced and cooked winter squash.

First make some chicken or turkey stew:

1/2 medium onion diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup cooked string beans
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 cup cooked chicken or turkey diced
3 cups chicken or turkey stock
1/4 cup brown rice flour
Herbs, salt and pepper to your taste

Cook the onions and celery in a little oil under tender, about 3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups of the stock and herbs. Whisk the brown rice flour into the other 1/2 cup of stock and add it to the stockpot and whisk until the mixture thickens. Add the cooked meat and vegetables and cool in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the pot pie or whatever you want to do with the stew (you could also use this for chicken and dumplings or a chicken casserole with a cauliflower crust).

If you don’t cool the stew before adding it to the pot pie, the bottom crust will get too soggy, even if you pre-baked it.

You can either make your own gluten-free crust (see my recipe for pie crust), use a mix (Bob’s Red Mill makes a very tasty mix) or purchase a ready-made gluten-free crust.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Pre-bake your crust per package directions. When cool, add the cooled stew to fill the pie crust. Add top layer and bake approximately 40 minutes until pie bubbles and top crust is browned.

Roasted Root Vegetables (vegan)

I can only make this dish when I have company coming because if I make it when its just Earl and I, I eat the whole bowl! These are sooooooo good, soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Feel free to add or subtract vegetables you prefer. A very easy recipe to make and I’ve never had anyone complain that they didn’t like it. In fact, my brother doesn’t care for sweet potato but he really love this dish. You can make your life easier by purchasing already diced root vegetables. My local Whole Foods store sells a mixture of sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips so all I have to dice is the turnip. I’ve also used butternut squash.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Into a large bowl add:

1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 large parsnips, peeled and diced
1 large turnip, peeled and diced
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
dried herbs of choice (I use about 1 teaspoon of an herb mix like Mrs. Dash or McCormick)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix thoroughly. Pour onto a large baking pan making sure that you have only one layer. If you don’t have a non-stick baking pan, be sure to grease it before adding the vegetables. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and bottoms are browned. If you like, after 15 minutes, you can take them out of the oven and turn the vegetables over so that the other side will also get brown and crunchy.

Carrot Cake (dairy, gluten, egg, and refined sugar free)

My husband’s favorite cake is carrot cake, so moist and flavorful. One of my favorites as well since it has so little sweetener because of the sweetness of the carrots. This recipe allows you to add some granulated fructose, stevia, or chopped dates in place of the sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Lightly grease a large 12-cup bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine:

2 cups finely grated carrots (one 12 ounce bag of baby carrots)
1/4 cup fructose or chopped dates (or 2 teaspoons of stevia)
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon xantham gum
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup oil or 1/4 cup applesauce (or pear sauce)

Mix well to combine. Add:

1 3/4 cups Bobs 1 for 1 gluten-free flour
1/2 cup Bobs Sweet Sorghum flour
1/4 cup potato flour
1/4 cup coconut flakes (optional)
1/4 cup raisins, cranberries, currents, etc. (optional)
1/4 cup ground walnuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, hemp hulls, etc. (optional)

Mix while adding 1 1/2 cup club soda. If the batter is too thick, add more club soda until batter is the consistency of thick mashed potatoes.

Bake 60-75 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs. Cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes before turning out of the pan. Cool completely before frosting.

Frost with plain cream cheese frosting:

1 8-ounce package of non-dairy cream cheese
1-3 tablespoons of agave nectar, depending on how sweet your family likes frosting (you can also use honey or coconut nectar)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix using a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.