Gluten-free Friday: Change up your chicken soup

Traditions and times change, including the foods you eat, particularly if you now follow a gluten-free diet. Imagine how great chicken soup would be on a chilly, rainy day this fall.

This gluten-free chicken soup recipe takes a turn away from tradition while sticking with the delicious taste you remember from the past. The heaps of veggies are a welcome addition and you have the option to spice it up a bit with chilies and red pepper flakes. That should be enough to help keep the chills at bay!

Gluten can be found in many different foods and products, from ketchup to soy sauce to candy and seasonings. While SheKnows.com tries to ensure these recipes are gluten-free, carefully read the ingredient labels of all food and food products you use for these recipes to ensure they are also gluten free.

Gluten-free Chicken Soup

This recipe is from WebMD and the Gluten Free Goddess

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
3-4 split chicken breasts (free-range organic, if possible), rinsed, patted dry
8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage (bagged coleslaw mix is fast and easy)
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut up
1 yellow summer squash, cut up
2 zucchini squash, cut up
6 to 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut up
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies — mild or hot, to taste
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano and parsley
Hot red pepper flakes, shake to taste
1 (14 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 or more cups chicken broth, as needed
A dash or two of balsamic vinegar to taste

Directions:

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of a crock pot or slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom; top with half the chopped garlic. Season the mixture with sea salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, bell pepper, yellow and zucchini squashes, potatoes, and green chilies. Toss them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season the mixture with sea salt, ground pepper herbs, and a shake or two of hot red pepper flakes. Toss to coat.
Pour the veggies into the crock pot in an even layer. Pour on the diced tomatoes. Add the chicken broth and a dash of balsamic vinegar, to taste. The liquid should just about cover the veggies. If you like more of a brothy soup than a stew, add more broth.
Cover and cook on high for five to six hours, until the chicken is tender and easily breaks apart into pieces with a large spoon (my chicken was very cold when it went into the pot, so adjust your cook time accordingly, if you need to).
Taste test for seasoning adjustments. I added a pinch of brown sugar to mine to balance the tomato-garlic and spice. Stir in any seasoning adjustments and serve.

When you follow a gluten-free diet, you don’t always have to give up what you love to eat. Sometimes, all it takes is a new approach and a few different ingredients!