Soup, Salad, and Pasta. Oh my!

I've been building up a collection of easy summer recipes and thought it about time to share a few of them!  I hope you enjoy them and are enjoying summer!

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

The recipe is a variation on a salad that I had at Noodles and Co. last week.  When it was suggested that we go to Noodles, a restaurant with a name that screams gluten and which I had never been to, I was a little nervous about finding something to eat, but I found this salad, which was delicious sans croutons and bacon bits!  This version is easy, filling, and makes a very healthy lunch!  Add grilled chicken for more protein.

Serves 1
Ingredients
2-3 cups baby spinach
4-5 large strawberries, quartered
1/2 oz raw, unsalted walnuts
1 oz fresh mozzarella, I used "pearls" but chopped would work well also
1/2 shallot, sliced
1 serving vinaigrette of choice (I like home-made balsamic vinaigrette or raspberry vinaigrette)

Directions

Pile ingredients onto a plate and toss with vinaigrette.

Pasta with Raw Sauce and Veggies

Easy summer supper for hot days and a variation on a previous recipe that I posted.  This one contains more veggies and variety.  Use leftover pasta if you have it.  I had found organic, gluten-free black bean pasta and used that for this particular dish.  It is wonderful with regular or rice pasta as well!

Serves 1

Ingredients

8-10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 bell pepper, sliced

1/4 red onion, sliced

1 serving rice, whole wheat, or other favorite pasta, cooked and rinsed until cool

1 tsp garlic olive oil (you can substitute a good quality olive oil and a little garlic powder)

1 tsp dried basil or 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Mix tomatoes, garlic oil, salt and pepper (to taste), and basil.  Let stand for 15-20 minutes, until the juices have been drawn out of the tomatoes.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Enjoy!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

This is a variation on a Rachael Ray recipe, in which I removed gluten-containing ingredients and reduced unhealthy fats.

Makes 4 very large bowls
Ingredients
1 medium-sized yellow onion (or whatever you have on hand), chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 cup fat free milk
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp parsley
Salt and pepper

Toppings
Croutons (I recommend Aleia's gluten free classic croutons - they are awesome!)
Good quality shredded parmesan cheese
Hot sauce -or- nutmeg

Directions
Add oil, veggies, salt, and garlic to a soup pot and allow the vegetables to sweat out for 10 minutes.  Add stock, water, parsley, and thyme.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the veggies are very soft.  Add the milk and puree using an immersion blender (or use a blender but puree in batches to avoid soup explosions).  Top with croutons, cheese, and hot sauce or nutmeg.  Enjoy!