Easy Creamy Artichoke Soup (Gluten-free & Dairy-free)

Artichokes are popping up in the grocery store and making my mouth water. Typically we stuff and steam them. Not this time. Instead I went with this easy creamy artichoke soup.

I like to serve fresh, local whole foods to my family whenever possible. Our grocery store had the cutest baby artichokes. Probably not local ones but they were fresh—well, you know, as fresh as a veggie that’s trucked and maybe flown from some far off location can be. Off with the stems and outer leaves, halved and quartered into the pot they went. A bit of this and that later and the soup was done.

Ummm, it was kind of bitter. And, although bitter greens are a favorite this was just not the artichoke soup of my dreams. It’s like that sometimes. A recipe is born in your mind. You can see yourself collecting the ingredients, cooking them up, and then tasting this wonderful concoction. Or not.

Undaunted I went back to the store and picked up some frozen artichokes and started over. This time things turned out differently.

Flavored with artichokes, a hint of garlic and fresh lemon then thickened with potatoes and hemp milk this soup was flavorful and creamy. And, like most good soups it was even better the next day.

Easy Creamy Artichoke Soup

Saute over medium heat:

1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

Add to the pot and stir:

32 ounces chicken broth or water (or a combination)
2 packages (9 ounces each) frozen artichoke hearts
4 or 5 small thin skinned creamer potatoes, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon dried cilantro

Bring the soup to a boil and lower the heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the artichokes and potatoes are soft.

Cool. Blend with an immersion or regular blender until smooth. Strain (optional).

Add:

Salt
Pepper (white)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup hemp milk (or any other dairy or non-dairy milk)

Heat and serve garnished with a sprig or sprinkling of cilantro.

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More soups to try:

Gluten-Free Gigi - Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Red Pepper Puree

Shirley from Gluten-Free Easily - Veronica’s Pumpkin Soup

BlenderGirl’s Healthy Blender Recipes - Fiesta Verde Soup

Shredded Chicken Chili

If you follow me on Twitter you know one of the things I love about my husband is that he cooks his famous (around these here parts) chili for me. Any. Time. I. Want. It.

It’s a special treat because 1) it’s good! and 2) he’s cooking…not me!

Needless to say, it’s pretty unusual for me to make chili.

It was Kim’s (Cook It Allergy Free) Chicken Chipotle Tortilla Soup  that provided inspiration to try my hand at making chicken chili. I made a version of Kim’s soup for my guys and they loved it!! So, I decided to take it one step further and make chili.

There’s a little of this, not so much of that, and a few new ingredients that are definitely not in my husband’s chili or Kim’s soup recipe. This one definitely has my name on it.

It came out perfectly perfect. Now, I’m pretty sure the hub’s is going to ask me to make it. Any. Time. He. Wants. It.

Shredded Chicken Chili

Saute in a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat until crispy:

3 slices bacon, chopped into quarters

While the bacon is cooking prepare the vegetables:

1 sweet onion, diced
1 jalapeno*, seeds and stem removed, minced
1 red or green pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced

Remove the cooked bacon and most of the bacon fat from the pot. Set the bacon aside and discard the bacon fat. Add the vegetables to the pot and cook until the onions are just translucent—a few minutes. If you think a little more fat is needed while the vegetables are cooking add:

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sprinkle the cooked vegetables with herbs and spices:

2 teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons each: cumin and cocoa powder
1 teaspoon each: salt and chile powder*
½ teaspoon each: thyme, oregano and cilantro

Quickly add in and stir to combine:

2 cups chicken broth
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 jar salsa (I used Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa - glutenfree!)

Add in:

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, fat removed

Bring the pot to a boil and keep it at a slow boil for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set the pot to a simmer.

Stir the following ingredients into the pot and let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon honey

Shred the chicken with a fork and add it back into the pot along with:

1 can each black beans and white great northern beans, drained and rinsed.

Simmer for about 5 minutes to heat everything through.

Serve topped with the reserved bacon (chopped into bits), crumbled gluten-free tortilla chips and a wedge of lime for the more adventurous folks.

*Note: adjust the heat to your liking by adjusting the amount of jalapeno and chile powder you use in the recipe. The amounts I used created a medium hot chili.

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