Whole30 Day 9: Homemade Chicken Soup

So, my youngest is home sick.  Time to make chicken soup.  Thankfully, I turned my bones from last Monday's "Beer Can" Chicken into delicious, healing broth.

Ingredients:

• bone broth - make it yourself to get all the rich, healing nutrients.  Why bone broth? Check it out here that includes a recipe.
• organic, free range, roasted chicken
• veggies: carrots, celery, onion, kale, zucchini, broccoli, etc.
• salt to taste

Directions:

Add all ingredients to bone broth and bring to a boil.  Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes or until veggies are tender (not mushy).

Curry Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

Photo: the café sucré farine

This recipe is based on The Café Sucré Farine's Thai Butternut Coconut Curry Soup.  I had to modify ingredients to get my family to eat it.  It turned out delicious!

Ingredients:

·      1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

·      1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped in 2" pieces

·      2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

·      1 large onion, chopped

·      2 stalks celery, peeled, chopped (I recommend peeling to avoid strands in final product)

·      4 cloves garlic, chopped

·      1" piece fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped

·      1 teaspoon crushed coriander seed

·      2 teaspoons sea salt

·      1 tablespoon mild curry powder

·      2 quarts home made bone broth or organic, gluten free stock

·      1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped in 2" pieces

·      1 can coconut milk, we use Natural Value Organic Coconut Milk

Directions:

1.     Coat butternut squash with coconut oil and  roast  in a baking dish at 400˚F for about 30 minutes or until soft.  Set aside.

2.   Add extra virgin olive oil to a large stock pot. Heat on medium high until hot.

2.     Add onions and celery and sauté until translucent.

3.     Add garlic, ginger, coriander, salt, and curry powder and cook for two minutes.

4.     Add broth and sweet potato. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

5.     Cook for 45 minutes or until all veggies are very tender.

6.     Add coconut milk and cook for another two minutes.

7.     Puree with a stick blender, food processor or regular blender until smooth and silky. 

Butternut Squash Soup

Here we go!  I'm taking you with me on my 30-day fodmap free journey.  I've made a few new things and tweaks some old things.

Here I revisited my fall soup and made it fodmaps free.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4-6 carrots, cut into chunks
• bone broth made without foods from fodmap list
• bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida,* optional
• sea salt to taste

Directions:

1. Place all the vegetables in a heavy stock pot or dutch oven.
2. Add bone broth to cover vegetables.
3. Add bayleaf and asafoetida.
4. Cook until boiling then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until vegetables are soft.
5. Discard bayleaf.
6. Pour ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
7. Add salt to taste.

*Asafoetida is an excellent substitute for garlic and onion.  You can find it at specialty spice shops.  We bought ours at Savory Spice Shop.

Fall Soup

Do you serve Thanksgiving dinner in courses?  Do you include a soup?  We don't usually but I thought I'd throw this recipe out there.  It's super easy and super yummy.  I was inspired by my friend Kindra's latest creation.  Please check it out at Bon Appetit Paleo along with the rest of her delicious posts.

Photo: The Gracious Pantry

Into a crockpot I threw:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (I cheated and bought it already cut up. Some days are like that.)
3 - 4 small, organic carrots
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup water
1 can coconut milk
1" ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
sea salt
1T cumin

Cover and set on low for about 10 hours.  When ready to eat, remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend ingredients.  Add more coconut milk, if needed, to get the consistency you desire.  No immersion blender?  Blend in batches with your blender or food processor.

Coconut Banana Soup

This is a great, easy, and fast after school snack!  I blended together coconut milk, some cinnamon and a frozen banana.  I then poured it into ramekins and added frozen berries (blueberries for Cooper and raspberries for Carly).

I called it soup because it wasn't quite thick enough to be a smoothie or a shake or ice cream.

Carly asked why I didn't blend in the berries.  I thought the frozen berries would add texture.  I had in my mind from a Bulletproof Executive post that I would make frozen blueberries in coconut milk.  I just couldn't see my kids "eating" coconut milk with only berries added.  So I created something new.

Both kids loved it and agreed I can keep it on my list of after school snacks!  I'm always looking for new ideas for after school snacks.  If you have some paleo suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

UPDATE: I added frozen strawberries to the coconut milk, frozen bananas, and cinnamon and I skipped the berries on top.  Tastes like ice cream.  Cooper even had a friend over and he loved it!