White Bean Soup

Can I just vent for a moment? Some restaurants have NO idea what Gluten Free really means. It's scary when they even try to guess because you wonder if your food is actually going to be safe. I have a great list of restaurants to choose from on my Gluten Free Restaurant Page but what if you can't find one of those??! You're at the mercy of people's knowledge of Gluten Free. Which I'm finding, is minimal in some places. 

One guy, when I told him we were Gluten Free, replied with "Oh, I've heard of that diet...what happened is you've got a bunch of doctors on a kick right now telling people they should stay off wheat. I'm sure it will be out just as quickly as it's been in." Can you believe that?! I was floored. I tried not to get upset but just realize he has NO IDEA what he's talking about! Gluten allergies are for REAL! Despite some beliefs, people don't do it because it's the "in diet" right now but it really affects us! 

Hopefully one day Gluten Intolerance will be taken a little more seriously. You don't see people telling those with peanut allergies that their allergy is just a fad or they're just doing it to loose weight. Why in the world would they tell a Celiac or a person with Gluten Sensitives that then? It's beyond me. 

On the trip, a nice lady wanted to share some snacks with my daughter and I said "Oh, she has some severe allergies to wheat, gluten, and dairy so there's not many normal snacks she can eat." The lady pulled out some crackers (made from wheat) and the orange goldfish crackers (made from wheat and dairy) and said, "So are these safe?" YIKES. That tells me some people have no idea what they are even eating themselves. 

If you have some great ideas on how to eat SAFE while on vacation I would LOVE to hear them. I'll share them with everyone in a post so we can all benefit. I'll also be sharing a couple of our tricks in the next week or so, so be sure to watch for that. 

Until then, here's another great recipe for you! It's a great winter time soup with a super yummy taste. 

Chicken, Cilantro & White Bean Soup

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Corn Free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by Jenny Swim

Ingredients:

• about 1 & 1/2 cups cooked & diced Chicken (I often cut up day old rotisserie chicken)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
  
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 4 cups gluten free chicken broth
• 1/3 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
  
• 1 (4oz) can of diced green chilies
• 1/2 tsp season salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)
• 3 cups of Great Northern Beans (with juices) or your can use 2 cans
• 3-5 drops of Tabasco Sauce (optional)

Directions: 

1. In a large saucepan add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is tender and translucent. Add the cumin, oregano and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth, add the cilantro, diced chilies, season salt, salt, and pepper. (Add Tabasco sauce if using.)  Simmer for 20 minutes or until a good flavor is established. 
2. Add the chicken and beans and simmer on low until heated through. 

Goes great served with avocados and tortilla chips. Enjoy! Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Can be frozen as well. 

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