Quick, Easy, and Under a Buck

Eating gluten free often times takes plenty of preparation.  I like it when I can find something that is fast and easy.  One of our favorite easy lunch meals or individual dinners when it is a "fend for yourself night" around here is Thai Kitchen.  The instant rice noodle soups are a hit with my family.  We don't just eat them as the package suggests though.  We jazz them up a bit.

We have added all kinds of variations to this simple soup.  We make the soup according to the package and then add a vegetable and a protein.  Our vegetable choices are frozen peas, corn, mixed veggies, broccoli, or a Normandy mix, fresh sliced onions or mushrooms.  We add these during the boiling stage to thaw them out and quickly cook them.   Next we add a protein like crumbled bacon, leftover ham or chicken, shrimp, or hard boiled eggs.  We let it cool and allow the soup to thicken into more of a sauce.  Yum. 

Not only is this dish quick taking less than five minutes start to finish, but it is inexpensive.  You can make this dish for less than a dollar.  Quick, easy, gluten free, and frugal!  What more could you want!  Oh, and it tastes great too!