Shredded Beef Soup with Kimchi

This was so easy and delicious. I've been making a lot of "recipes" that are quick throw-togethers lately. I'm guessing that there are a lot of other people out there who'd like some ideas for what to do with leftovers or big pots of meat and broth!

I had planned to make a large batch beef broth with my grass-fed "soup bones". It turned out that those bones had loads of meat on them. I boiled the beef in filtered water (with the usual salt, pepper, carrots, onions, celery and bay leaf) until tender. Then I stuck the whole lot in the fridge to cool. The next day I shredded up the beef by hand and came up with this dish.

Ingredients

1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup shredded beef
2 whole garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 scallions, washed and sliced
1/4 cup kimchi
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (well rinsed)
A couple dashes hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)

Method

Boil the beef broth and shredded beef until hot. Pour into a bowl. Add garlic, scallions, kimchi, cilantro and optional hot pepper sauce.

Gormeh Sabzee (Persian Parsley Lamb Stew)

This soup has a rich flavor that is a little different than the other soups on this blog and a nice change.

INGREDIENTS:

4 T butter or fat for cooking
1 onion, chopped
3-4 c lamb (cubed if raw, in chunks or shredded if already cooked)
2 bunches of parsley, chopped (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 quart lamb broth (or more if you prefer more of a soup then a stew)
juice of 1-2 lemons, to taste

METHOD:

Melt the butter or fat in a heavy-bottomed pan.  Saute the onions for several minutes until soft.

Add the salt and spices and stir, then add the parsley and stir again.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the parsley turns dark.

Add the meat (if already cooked) and the broth.  Bring the soup to a boil, then let it simmer for 15 minutes to heat the meat through and to give the flavors a chance to blend. 

Add the lemon juice and cook about 5 minutes more.  Remove from heat and adjust the seasonings.

NOTE:

I like this soup as a way to use leftover meat from a leg or shoulder of lamb.  If using raw meat, brown it first in the fat and then remove it to a bowl, cook the onions and parsley in the fat, then return the meat to the soup when you add the broth.

Beef may be used instead of lamb if desired.

It is traditional to make this stew with beans as well.  If you are able to tolerate beans, you can add about 2 cups to the soup.

Cowboy Stew

No actual cowboys were harmed in the making of this stew.

INGREDIENTS:

 2-3 T cooking fat
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 Annaheim or Poblano pepper, chopped
1 large yellow summer squash or 1 medium zucchini, chopped
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1-2 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 lb ground beef
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 quart beef broth
1/2 - 1 cup chopped cilantro, loosely packed (optional)

METHOD:
Saute the onions in the fat until they begin to soften, then add the garlic and stir a little longer.

Add the spices and salt, and stir.  Add the chopped peppers and zucchini and saute for 5-10 minutes, or until they soften.  Add a little of the broth if the vegetables start to get dry.

Add the beef and keep stirring to break it up and let it brown a little.  Pour in the stock and add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and let it cook, covered, for about 30 minutes.

When it is done, remove it from heat, stir in the cilantro if using, and taste it.  Add more salt and spices if needed.  You can also crush a clove or 2 of raw garlic in at this point if you want it to have more "bite". 

Lentil-Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 T butter or fat for cooking
1 onion
2 leeks
1 red bell pepper
1 zucchini
2 cups of greens
2 cups of cooked lentils
1 bay leaf
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 T dried basil
1 T dried thyme
1-2 cups of GAPS-legal tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
1 quart meat stock
salt and pepper to taste

 METHOD:

Melt butter or fat in a large pot.  Chop the onions and leeks and saute for about 5 minutes,  then add the other veggies, chopped.  Add the salt, spices and crush the garlic into the pot. 

Pour in the stock and tomatoes, and add the bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the veggies are cooked and the flavors have had a chance to blend.  Add in the lentils and continue to cook until they are hot.

Remove from heat and adjust seasoning if necessary. 

Turkey Green Chile Stew

I was looking for a creative way to use leftover turkey and came up with this.  It was a pleasant change from chicken soup.  The flavor of the soup would be greatly enhanced by fire roasting some or all of the chiles ahead of time.  I didn't have time and it still came out very nicely.

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion, chopped
2 T butter or other fat for cooking
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 cups various green peppers, chopped (I used a blend of poblano, anaheim and green bell pepper)
1 quart meat stock (ideally turkey, but I used chicken and it was fine)
1-2 cups of chopped cooked turkey (however much you have on hand)
handful of chopped cilantro
salt to taste
dash of lime juice
optional- chile powder or chipotle powder, fresh jalepenos

METHOD:

Fry the onion in the butter or fat.  Add the spices and garlic and let cook a few minutes, than add the peppers.  Once they have cooked down a little, after about 5 minutes, add the stock.  Simmer for another 10 minutes or so until the flavors have blended more and the veggies are soft.  Add the turkey and cilantro and cook another few minutes to allow the meat to warm through.  Remove from heat, add the lime juice, and taste and adjust the seasonings.  This is delicious with sour cream, if you can have it.

For intro, just simmer the vegetables and meat in the stock.

Roasted Garlic and Zucchini Soup

The roasted garlic really gives this soup a hearty, robust flavor, that is just right for autumn.  This is based on a recipe in the book "Nourish" by Holly Davis.  Her culinary background is in vegan and macrobiotic diets, but this book contains some meat as well.  Her approach to cooking is a focus on healing, nutrient dense foods, which makes the book an interesting source of inspiration for GAPS food.  If you're feeling adventurous it's worth checking this book out.

INGREDIENTS:

10 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
3 large zucchini (this soup is a great way to use those zucchini that grew a little too big in the garden)
3 T olive oil (or melted fat), approximately
2 T butter or ghee
1 tsp salt
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 leek, sliced
4 cups of meat stock (I used chicken, beef would work well too)
2 T toasted walnuts

METHOD:

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the zucchini and place in a large bowl with the unpeeled garlic cloves.  Pour the 3T of olive oil or melted fat over the veggies and stir to coat, Adding more oil if necessary.  Add the salt and stir.  Pour into a shallow pan and roast in the oven for 30 mintues, making sure the veggies don't burn.

 When the veggies are done roasting in the oven, let them cool enough to handle.  Put the zucchini into the bowl of a food processor.  Peel the garlic and add the roasted pulp.  Add the toasted walnuts and blend until smooth.

In a soup pot, melt the butter or ghee and saute the chopped onions and leek until soft.  Add the meat stock and bring to a boil.  Add the pureed zucchini mixture and cook a little longer.  Taste and adjust the seasonings. 

The original recipe called for pureeing the whole soup, but I personally liked having the chunks of onion and leek still in the soup.  This would of course be up to you.  Also, the original recipe called for 2 tsp of umeboshi vinegar.  I don't know much about this vinegar, so I don't know if it's legal or not.  I have heard that it is healthy so it may be worth looking into.  I didn't feel that the soup needed vinegar so I didn't substitute for it.  I did however add sour cream, which was delicious!

Lentil Stew with Greens

This may not sound like anything special, but it is delicious.  This has been a favorite recipe of mine since my college days, and the original recipe is GAPS legal- the only modification I made for our current use was to substitute other greens for spinach (because spinach is so high in both oxalates and histamine). 

INGREDIENTS:

2 T butter or ghee
1 large onion, chopped
3 (or more!) cloves of garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
2 cups of lentils, soaked for 24 hours and drained
2 cups of chopped greens, somewhat tightly packed
1 quart (or more) of meat stock
1 T vinegar or lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
optional- equivalent of 1 can of chopped tomatoes in juice

METHOD:

Saute onions in butter for several minutes until they become soft.  Add the garlic, salt and spices and continue to saute on moderate heat another 5 minutes or so.

Add the lentils and greens and cook another few minutes.  Add the stock, tomatoes and juice (if using), and bring to a boil.  Simmer until lentils are tender, 30-50 minutes depending on lentils.

If the stew is thicker when done than you want, add more stock and heat through.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice or vinegar (real balsamic vinegar is the best if you can get it).  Taste and adjust the seasonings. 

VARIATION:
This stew is delicious with meat.  You can either use leftover meat (I added 3 leftover sausages to the batch pictured), or fresh ground meat or stew meat.  Add the meat, cut into pieces, at the time you are adding the spices.  Depending on the flavors in the meat (if sausages or leftovers), you may want to reduce or alter the spices used.

Celery Cheese Soup

My family, including my formerly profoundly casein-sensitive son, are now able to eat cultured dairy including cheese!  I am amazed at the level of healing that my family has experienced from the GAPS diet.  I am also so grateful to be able to include cheese in our meal planning as it opens up so many possibilities!  This soup is a simple and delicious step into the lovely world of cheese.  The recipe that this is based on comes from the book The Complete Vegetarian Cuisine" by Rose Elliot, and originally called for Stilton, but I used very sharp cheddar and the result was fabulous.

INGREDIENTS:

1 head of celery
1 onion, chopped
2 or more T of butter or ghee
1 quart of meat stock (I used chicken)
1 cup grated cheese
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes or so, until they soften, but don't let them brown! 

Clean and chop the celery, including the leaves.  You may want to save a few leaves for garnish.  Add the celery to the onions and stir.  Then cover, and cook on low for about 10 minutes.

Add the stock and let it simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until the celery is very soft.

Add the cheese and puree with a hand blender.  A regular blender or food processor will also work but will be so much more work to clean.
 
Adjust the seasonings, and serve a few celery eaves for garnish.

Gazpacho

We have more tomatoes than we know what to do with right now, so I am doing everything I can think of to do with them.  This is a basic Gazpacho and very tasty. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 large cucumber
4 ripe tomatoes
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups diced bell pepper, preferably blend of red and green
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 egg yolk
salt to taste
1 tsp ground pepper, preferably white pepper
1/2 cup tomato juice
Handfull of cilantro (optional)
SCD-legal hot sauce, to taste, optional

Chop the cucumber, tomato and onion, peeling the cucumber first.  You should have about 1 1/2 cups of cucumber, 3 cups of tomato, and 1 cup of onion.

Put the chopped vegetables into a food processor, and add the remaining ingredients, reserving some cilantro for garnish.  Blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust the salt or seasonings. 

Let chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Garnish each bowl with cilantro when serving.

Cucumber Gazpacho

I was contemplating a tremendous pile of fresh cucumbers from my garden today when I noticed a free local food magazine sitting beside them (called MIX). As it turned out, that magazine had a recipe for cucumber gazpacho that I immediately modified and made for lunch. It was delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

2 large cucumbers
1 large tomato
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 handfull of cilantro
1/4 medium sweet onion
1/2 cup kefir, yogurt, coconut milk or thick nut milk
Splash of apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp cumin
dash of chipotle of chili powder

METHOD:

Peel and chop the cucumbers and put them in a food processor or large blender. Chop and add the tomato, the 1/4 onion, and the garlic. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Refrigerate for at least 1/2 an hour before serving to allow it to chill and for the flavors to blend.

Pepper and Basil Soup

This is a simple yet flavorful soup. It is suitable for intro but can be "dressed up" and enjoyed later in the diet as well.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of meat stock
1 bell pepper (yellow or red works well)
1 handful of basil
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the pepper into pieces. Bring the meat stock to a boil, add the pepper, and cook until just tender. Add the basil leaves and cook another few minutes. Remove from heat and puree.

For variety, try using cilantro leaves instead of basil and add some lime juice. You can also try adding curry powder.

Stuffed cabbage soup

I was in the mood for stuffed cabbage, but I was too lazy to do the work :), plus I thought I should get my soup in. Along the way, I remembered that I had some roasted bell pepper in the fridge, so I threw them in too. The result is pretty yummy :)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. fat (olive oil, butter, ghee, tallow, lard--whatever you can tolerate)

2 onions, chopped

2 lbs. ground beef

1 Tbsp. paprika

2 tsp. dried thyme

Salt to taste

2 quarts beef broth

1 head green cabbage, washed, cored and chopped

Roasted red bell pepper strips for garnish, if desired

Method

Saute onions and ground beef in fat until onions are translucent and beef is browned. Add spices and stir. Add broth. Stir in cabbage. Add more broth or water if necessary to cover cabbage completely. Cook until cabbage is done. Serve with pepper strips, if using.

Ceviche

My DH used to make ceviche with large shrimp when we lived on the East Coast. Now that we live on the West Coast, we use small salad style shrimp which are local, wild and sustainable, not to mention inexpensive here. I recommend making this in the morning on the day you will be serving it. I found this to be delicious, even two days after it was made.

Ingredients

1 pound small salad shrimp, cooked

2 lemons, juiced

2 limes, juiced

2 oranges, juiced

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

4-6 jalapeno rings finely chopped

1 tomato, diced

1 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro leaves, plus leaves for garnish

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Method

Rinse and drain shrimp. Place in a non-reactive bowl (I use glass). Add the lemon, lime and orange juices and stir in the cucumber, red onion and chiles. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Stir the tomato, avocado, chopped cilantro, and olive oil into the shrimp mixture at least 30 minutes before serving.

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Egg-Lemon Soup)

This is a very simple soup that is great for intro, once whole eggs are tolerated in soups. It is light and refreshing but also a little bland. It serves as a nice "base" for adding additional ingredients. In the second photo I have added chopped avocado, tomato, and cilantro. This recipe is modified from the one in The New York Times Cook Book.

INGREDIENTS:

2 quarts meat stock
1/2 cup grated cauliflower (replaces rice)
4 eggs
juice of 2 lemons

METHOD:

Bring the meat stock to a boil and add the cauliflower. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the cauliflower softens. Turn heat off.

Beat the eggs well, then slowly beat in the lemon juice. Slowly add some of the hot soup while you are beating to temper the soup (about 2 cups of soup), then slowly pour this mixture into the hot soup while beating. This is to keep the eggs from scrambling in the soup.

Turn the heat back on and bring the soup close to a boil, but do not let it boil or the soup will curdle. You can serve it as is, or you can add just about anything to liven it up, including leftover cooked meat, veggies, or stew, or add other flavorful ingredients and spices.

Egg Flower Soup

The basic technique of this soup is very simple and is suitable for the intro diet early on, once whole eggs are tolerated.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 c sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 5)
1/2 red bell pepper
2-3 green onions
1 stalk celery
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 quart chicken broth
1 egg

METHOD:

 Heat the stock in a saucepan.  While it is coming to a boil, slice or chop the vegetables so that they are in small pieces, and set aside.

Add the ginger and toasted sesame oil to the stock.  Once it comes to a boil, add the vegetables and cook until they soften, about 10 minutes.  Once the vegetables have cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon back into a bowl. 

Break the egg into a small bowl and lightly beat it.  Stir the soup with one hand so that it is swirling around in a circle, and slowly pour the egg mixture in with the other hand. The speed with which you stir and pour will determine how thin and long the egg strands become.

Once all the egg is poured in, remove from heat and add the vegetables back in.  Add salt if needed (this will depend on how salty the chicken stock was).

There are many versions of this recipe which mostly vary depending on which vegetables you add. Other additions include peas, chopped onion, meatballs, tomato slices, a little dry white cooking wine, dash of vinegar, and chili oil.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

This simple and delicious soup is a re-creation of one of my favorite soups pre-GAPS.

INGREDIENTS:
2 T butter or ghee
1 onion
5 c sliced mushrooms
2 tsp paprika
1 c meat stock
1 c coconut milk
3/4 -1 tsp salt

METHOD:

Melt the butter or ghee in a medium soup pot.  Add the onions and saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the paprika and stir, then add the mushrooms.  Continue to saute until the mushrooms become soft.

Add the stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

This soup is delicious with sour cream or kefired heavy cream on top.

Carrot Soup

I have to confess that I haven't eaten soup in at least a couple of weeks. My excuse? A broken immersion blender. I really like pureed soups with my homemade chicken broth. Well, a trip to Goodwill yesterday yielded a "new" immersion blender, so I decided to make my favorite carrot soup tonight.







Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter (or ghee)
1 1/2 large onions, chopped
2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 quarts (or more) homemade chicken broth
2 tsp. ground coriander
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

Method

Sautee the onions, ginger and carrots in the fat until onions are translucent. Add coriander, salt and pepper. Stir for about a minute. Add chicken broth and cook until vegetables are very soft. Puree. Add more liquid, if necessary. This is good with coconut milk too, but I don't have any that's suitable on hand at the moment.

You can leave out the coriander for the intro diet, if you are avoiding spices. You can also substitute the fat without worrying.

Zucchini Avocado soup

This is really delicious and light tasting, yet filling. Leave out the avocado, if you haven't reached that stage on intro yet.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. ghee
1 large onion, chopped
2 zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 avocado, diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

Sautee the onion and carrot in the ghee over medium heat until softened. Add zucchini and stir to coat with ghee. Add broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer until zucchini is cooked through. Remove from heat.

Just before serving, add garlic, avocado and lemon juice.

Do not reheat with avocado in the soup. It must be added just before eating.