AGS friendly CHICKEN TACO SOUP

Delicious, simple, nutrient dense, creamy, hearty, & filling - CHICKEN TACO SOUP with AGS safe ingredients....

This CHICKEN TACO SOUP is a twist on a classic ground beef taco soup. But as you know, with AGS beef and pork, well all mammals, are off the table. So for this soup, I simply use chicken or turkey and substitute a few AGS safe ingredients, and voila you now have a super simple and delicious soup that the whole family can enjoy. Even the non-AGS people will enjoy it.... And if you have a picky husband and kids like me, as long as you do not tell them what is in it, they don't even notice the difference. Win, win! Tested and approved by an AGS mama, beef eating hubby, and picky kiddos.

"Mom, this soup is soooooo good I can eat it all the time, even when its cold or hot outside" - a wonderfully fun review from my 7 year old son

Here is the deal. With AGS, in the beginning, everything can seem so overwhelming. And I mean everything! You find out that you are allergic to mammal and mammal byproducts. So meat right? That can be manageable. I mean, I do love meat, but I can stop eating it and will survive. Well, then you find out that mammal is in everything or it seems like everything... So mammal meat obviously, fats, lards, oils, ice cream, cheese, mammal added to other foods to enhance flavor; oh, so that means foods that you wouldn't think have mammal added to them like crackers, snack foods, nuts, canned foods, jarred foods, fried foods, freezer foods, chicken and turkey (yes, mammal can be added to poultry to enhance flavor). As well as medications, hygiene products, laundry products, and the list can go on and on.

So as overwhelming as it may seem from the outside looking in. It is really so much more than just not eating meat. It can feel blinding and paralyzing, when you have no idea where to start. Now add to your new found "food allergies", a growing hungry family who thinks they will starve to death if they eat the food you have to eat. It can feel like too much...

Give yourself some grace! Start simple and small. Change what you can and learn about the rest as you go. One way to do that is to use recipes that you already love and know how to cook. Then just learn how to make substitutions with AGS friendly ingredients.

Like this soup for instance, I love this soup and make it in the winter frequently. It can be made on the stove top or in a crockpot. Either way, it is already a simple recipe. Now I just use AGS friendly ingredients. Instead of beef, I use chicken or turkey, whichever I have on hand. And sometimes I use a can of chicken if I am in a hurry or feeling lazy and do not want to prepare a piece of chicken to shred for the soup. Instead of cream, I use dairy free cream or dairy free half&half. Instead of a handful of sharp cheddar cheese, I use a dairy free cheese alternative and just garnish the top of my soup with it. I also add more seasoning, herbs, and spices to really give it a wonderful flavor without all the extras. With just a few simple swaps, the recipe for a soup that I know my family already loves to eat, becomes a recipe that I can enjoy eating with them. And it wont send me to the ER with anaphylaxis like the original recipe would.

CHICKEN TACO SOUP

Ingredients List

Ps. Below is the list of ingredients for the chicken taco soup. But be warned, I am terrible at measuring exactly. I add seasoning to my taste, I add more broth if I want a more liquid soup and I add less broth if I want a thicker soup, I also add water if I do not have enough broth. This is just a general guideline to help you get started:

• 2-4 cup chicken or vegetable broth (add more if needed to reach desired consistency)

• 1/2 cup dairy free cream or dairy free half&half (add more if you like a creamier soup)

• 1 can corn (we like fire roasted corn, but you can use any brand or flavor you like)

• 1 can beans (we like chili ready beans, but you can use any brand or flavor you like)

• 1 can diced tomatoes (we like chili ready tomatoes, but you can use any type you like)

• 1 can tomato sauce (add more if you like a more rich tomato base and flavor)

• 1 can green chiles

• 1 can chicken (I use a can instead of fresh when I am in a hurry or feeling lazy, anything that makes living with AGS easier on the hard days)

• 1 tbsp. each various seasonings - oregano, cilantro, basil, garlic, onion, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes (add seasoning to your specific taste, if you don't like one, don't use it)

Cooking Directions

Directions should always be short and to the point. Ha! Mine tend to look more like a mom trying to cook dinner, while having a conversation on the phone with my sister and her kids, while telling the husband he needs to run a load of dishes please, while our kids are running and screaming happily through the house without a care in the world, while the dog is trying to lay under my feet as I try to not step on her when I move from the counter to the stove, just when my parents come over and are knocking on the door instead of just coming on in. And I wouldn't change any of it for the world! So bear with me, cooking direction are below:

• First, get your stock pot, measuring tools, stirring spoons, ingredients and preheat your stove top to medium high heat. (don't get distracted and start the oven but forget the pot)

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• Next, add all of your canned items to the stock pot. (Super simple, right!)

• Now, add all of your wet ingredients. (broth, dairy free cream, etc.)

• Next to Last, add all of your seasonings. (remember, add the spices that you like)

• Last, stir all the ingredients together, cover with a lid, turn your heat down to medium (medium low if you have a strong burner), then set your timer for 45 minutes.

• Extra instruction, I usually check the soup periodically to stir and make sure that I don't need to add more liquids. (I have also forgot about the soup and didn't check on it until the timer went off and all was fine and delicious)

When it is done it will look something like the picture below. Yum!!! This chicken taco soup is so wonderful on its own. But I also like to add dairy free cheese alternatives to the top, garnish with fresh herbs, slice up an avocado to add on the side or on top of the soup, or even a dollop of dairy free sour cream right on top of all the other deliciousness!

Scoop into a bowl, serve, and enjoy! Watch your family devour the entire stock pot full of soup in one sitting...

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I am so excited to write The Art of Alpha-gal blog and watch God grow it, me, and each member who finds us! I hope that this reaches you where you are at. I pray that it can help lighten your experience with a diagnosis that can seem detrimental. That this blog can show you, slowly but surely this disease gets easier and more manageable. And with the right support system and some good food recipes there's greener grass on the other side..... Until next time. Lisa

Disclaimer: If you are having an allergic reaction; please seek help from your medical provider, go to the ER, or call 911 if it is emergent. Alpha-gal Syndrome is a life threatening allergy. Even if you do not have a reaction right now you could have a reaction in 2-6 hours. Please do not eat foods that are going to cause an allergic reaction. Any reactions I have had were before I was diagnosed or from hidden AGS that I didn't know were present in a food.