Whole Living Daily

I chose soup for this week’s food allergy recipe challenge.  Perhaps not the most intelligent choice given that it’s been about 111°F in Los Angeles this week, but I was drawn by the lure of “mock” cheddar. That’s right – Mock Cheddar.  If you haven’t already heard, there’s a new kid in town, by the name of Daiya, and it’s changing the face of dairy-free living.

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1 The delicious finished product: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Egg-Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup.

2 Whisk the broth into the mixture of olive oil, grated onion, and brown rice flour.

3 Chop the fresh broccoli into fine pieces.

4 Mix the broccoli into the pot.

5 Puree the soup– I prefer to use a hand-held blender.

6 Add the Daiya Cheddar Cheese and you're done!

Daiya is a new dairy-free, vegan, soy-free cheese product that has revolutionized the way I think about pizza, pasta, and in this case, cheese soup.  Daiya’s greatest strength is that it melts, just like normal cheese, which up till now has been virtually impossible with vegan cheeses. So I chose to accept Kat Freeman’s challenge to recreate her daughter’s favorite soup, Broccoli Cheddar, to see how this new product would perform when it was required to not only melt, but to disappear into the soup completely.  Suffice it to say, it rose to the challenge, and then some.

In addition to the allergy-friendly substitutions for dairy (olive oil in place of butter, rice milk in place of cow’s milk or cream, and Daiya in place of dairy cheese), I also made this recipe gluten-free by using brown rice flour in place of all-purpose flour.  Please note that this soup will also freeze well, so ladle out individual portions into freezer safe glass Tupperware, let cool to room temperature, and freeze (this was also part of the challenge request: that the soup be freezable).

Okay, what do you people want to test me with next week?  Should I do the gravy request from last week?  Sounds tempting to me!

Allergy-Friendly Broccoli “Cheddar” Soup (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)
Makes 6 Servings

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup grated yellow onion
• 3 Tablespoons fine brown rice flour (plus 1 extra Tablespoon as needed)
• 4 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth (Kitchen Basics is allergy-friendly)
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• pinch of nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups rice milk
• 3 cups lightly steamed broccoli
• 1 ½ cups Daiya “Cheddar” cheese

1. Heat a large heavy pot over medium high heat.  Add the olive oil and grated onion. Cook stirring about 2 minutes.  Add the brown rice flour, and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes more until lightly golden and aromatic.
2. Whisk in 1 cup of the broth.  Whisk well to prevent lumping.  Add the rest of the broth, a cup at a time, whisking well after each addition.
3. Add white pepper, nutmeg, salt, and a couple grindings of fresh pepper.  Stir. Bring to a slow boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
4. Add rice milk, and cook at a simmer about 5 minutes more.
5. Chop broccoli fine and add to pot.  Cook 10 minutes until broccoli is very tender.  Then, either puree in the pot using a hand blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor, to puree (and return to pot).
6. Bring back to a simmer. At this point, you may wish to thicken the soup a bit more (I like a creamier thicker soup).  If so, remove about ¼ cup of soup and combine with the remaining tablespoon of rice flour, mixing till smooth. Return to pot, and stir well to combine.
7. Add Daiya cheese. Cook, stirring often, at a simmer, until cheese has completely melted.  Serve hot!

Allergy-Friendly Broccoli “Cheddar” Soup (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)
© 2010 by Cybele Pascal

(Please note that all my recipes are completely free of all top allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish, and gluten), so as many people as possible can enjoy them. Additionally, all the ingredients are available at Whole Foods, and online at Amazon.com. If you have trouble finding something, let me know and I’ll help you find it.)

SAFETY NOTE: Because each person's food sensitivity and reaction is unique, ranging from mild intolerance to life-threatening and severe food allergies, it is up to the consumer to monitor ingredients and manufacturing conditions. If manufacturing conditions, potential cross contact between foods, and ingredient derivatives pose a risk for you, please re-read all food labels and call the manufacturer to confirm potential allergen concerns beforeconsumption. Ingredients and manufacturing practices can change overnight and without warning.

Cybele Pascal is the award-winning author of "The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook" and the "Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook." She lives in Los Angeles with her food-allergic family: husband Adam, sons Lennon and Monte, and their dogs, Izzie and Carly (who also has food allergies). Please visit her website at CybelePascal.com.