The Gluten Free Blog

This recipe is taken from The Wheat and Dairy Free Cookbook by Terence Stamp & Elizabeth Buxton.

This is a very clean tasting soup that has a truly amazing colour. Neither orange nor red, it is a brilliant flame colour. Equally delicious hot or cold, this is a useful party standby and makes a refreshing alternative to gazpacho. It may seem from the ingredient list that this is a very spicy soup, but it is not. The blend of flavours is very carefully balanced and no one ingredient dominates.

• Olive oil – 5 tbsp
• Carrots, diced – 140 g (5 oz)
• Orange-fleshed sweet potato, cut into chunks – 140 g (5 oz)
• Onion, chopped – 115 g (4 oz)
• 10 green cardamom seeds
• Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
• 3 dried bay leaves
• Turmeric or a few saffron strands – ½ tsp
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Can chopped tomatoes – 1 x 400 g (1 x 14 oz)
• Stock, either vegetable or chicken – 500 ml (16 fl oz)

For the garnish:

• Sheep’s yoghurt – 100 ml (3½ fl oz)
• Chopped fresh chives

In a heavy saucepan heat the oil and cook the carrot, sweet potato and onion for 3 minutes. Add the spices and stir them into the oil for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, tomatoes and stock, and simmer covered with a lid for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves and liquidise the contents of the pan in a food processor. Pass the purée through a sieve.

If the soup is to be served hot, pour back into the cleaned saucepan and gently reheat. The soup is meant to be fairly thick, but if you prefer a thinner soup, add a little more stock at this stage. You may then need to adjust the seasoning slightly with a little more lemon juice and black pepper.

If the soup is to be served cold, pour into a bowl, cover and chill in the refrigerator.

Whether hot or cold, garnish with a dollop of the yoghurt into which you have whisked the chives.

Serves 4

When I was diagnosed with having coeliac disease and had to start following a gluten free diet, one of the things I most missed was the frequent visits to my local Italian. All those lovely pasta dishes in creamy sauces were suddenly very much off limits.

So I was pleased to see the recent publication of Gluten-Free Italian written by Jacqueline Mallorca (author of the Wheat-Free Cook) and published by Da Capo Press. This beautiful book, packed full of colour photos, contains 150 gluten free versions of your favourite traditional Italian recipes.

Chapter headings include Soup for Supper; Sweet Things; Risotto and other Grains; Catch of the Day; Contorni/Vegetable Dishes; and Bread, Pizza and Crostini. And contain delicious recipes which will please every member of the family; not just those who are gluten free.

There are recipes for gluten free bruschetta and pizzas, to fabulous pasta dishes and sweet treats like tiramisu. (A personal favourite.)

And there’s a range of recipes as well, from everyday cooking to dinner party meals. Jacqueline also includes cooking tips and techniques; recipe background information; a gluten free shopping guide; and a list of gluten free foods to have in your larder.

All in all, Gluten-Free Italian is a fabulous addition to your cookbook collection. And a must for lovers of Italian cooking.

If you’re following a gluten free diet you’ll be familiar with the gluten free label on foods. But how free of gluten is ‘gluten free’? Is it possible to have a product totally free of gluten?

Well, no.

In reality, foodstuffs labelled ‘gluten free’ do contain traces of gluten. But it’s in such tiny amounts it’s considered not harmful to a coeliac sufferer. For food to be labelled ‘gluten free’ it needs to have less than 20mg of gluten per kg. In other words 200 parts per million (ppm). (This applies in European Union countries only.)

Food products which contain between 20 and 100ppm can be labelled ‘very low gluten’ and these may suit sufferers who have less sensitivity to gluten. Or are able to eat gluten occasionally.

This two tier labelling system came into affect in January 2009 but manufactures have until January 2012 to comply with the law.

Don’t forget that some mainstream products like crisps (potato chips) and rice cakes are naturally gluten free although the manufacturer may not choose to label it as such. As always, remember to check the label!

Find out more about other gluten free foods.