When my father was diagnosed as celiac, a condition in which the afflicted person has a violent reaction to a protein called gluten found in various grains including wheat, rye and barley, it hit him pretty hard. This is a guy who took a whole wheat bread sandwich in his lunch every day for thirty years; an Italian who loved his pasta; even the malt vinegar on his fries was now off limits.

He worked out the bread thing by dusting off the bread machine and researching gluten-free recipes. Then he found a brand of rice pasta that was virtually indistinguishable from the durum wheat variety and he also found apple cider vinegar will replace malt vinegar in a pinch.

But one thing that he really missed was his beer. Brewed by fermenting barley, a gluten containing grain, beer is off limits to a celiac sufferer. Even though the filtering process some beers go through removes most of the gluten, it simply isn't worth it for the celiac to take the chance. The consequences of extreme discomfort are too great.

Feeling instant warmth and joy is achievable when you create your own soup. And this recipe is comfort food like no other and so easy to make -- but you don't have to tell anyone that. I love to promote healthy food that tastes amazing and this recipe is extra-special because it meets the following criteria that health-conscious people really care about.

Gluten-free
The fact that so many people are embracing gluten-free diets doesn't surprise me. And it isn't just sufferers of celiac disease who benefit from eating gluten-free. In fact, my diet is 75 percent gluten-free because I appreciate the fact that I've eliminated gas and/or bloating after a meal and I feel satisfied and energized all day long. As I've mentioned in previous posts, Dr. Mercola (my nutrition guru) refers to gluten containing diets as "an epidemic of hidden intolerance." There are many people who have this intolerance and are not even aware of it. Try going gluten-free and see how you feel.

Dairy-free
Not as popular as gluten-free, but there are many people who cannot tolerate dairy. Dairy is acidifying, which some experts suggest causes the body to shuttle calcium from the bones to the blood as a buffering agent. This is one of the reasons that dairy may in fact not be the best choice for obtaining calcium in your diet. Of course, if you are vegetarian, you will love this recipe because it's a great choice, assuming you use vegetable stock.

Low Allergen
This soup recipe is corn, wheat, soy, nut and, of course, preservative, additive and chemical-free as those items are common allergens and best avoided to achieve your most joyous health. Unfortunately, these foods are added to nearly every packaged and processed food so we are literally overdosing on them, which eventually causes sensitivities in the gut and can lead to allergies and food intolerances.

Recipe after the jump