Gluten-free recipes

The questions cooks bring us.

What does gluten-free actually mean?

Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten-free means none of those three, including their derivatives (malt from barley, most soy sauce, many thickeners). For someone with celiac disease it is medical and absolute, down to cross-contamination. For others it is a choice. We build recipes that are naturally gluten-free, not wheat dishes with a substitute flour bolted on.

What can I eat that is naturally gluten-free?

A huge amount: all meat, fish, eggs, dairy, fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, and the naturally gluten-free grains (rice, quinoa, oats labelled gluten-free, buckwheat, corn, millet). Most of the cooking on this site, the bowls, salads, sheet-pan dinners, and soups, is already gluten-free without trying.

Where does gluten hide?

In the places you would not check: soy sauce (use tamari), most stock cubes and gravy, malt vinegar, many spice blends and seasoning mixes, oats (cross-contaminated unless certified), beer, soups thickened with flour, and processed meats. The label habit matters more than the obvious bread-and-pasta swaps.

Is gluten-free healthier?

Only if you medically need it. For people with celiac or diagnosed non-celiac gluten sensitivity, it is essential. For everyone else, there is no evidence that removing gluten improves health, and packaged gluten-free products are often higher in sugar and lower in fiber than what they replace. Eat naturally gluten-free whole foods rather than processed gluten-free products.

Do I need certified gluten-free oats?

If you have celiac, yes, standard oats are routinely cross-contaminated with wheat in the field and the mill. Buy oats labelled certified gluten-free. If you are gluten-free by preference and not coeliac, standard oats are usually fine for you.

Where do I start?

You probably already cook gluten-free more than you think. Swap soy sauce for tamari, check your stock and spice blends once, and lean on the rice, quinoa, and potato bases instead of pasta and bread. Every recipe on this site tagged Gluten-Free is built to be safe as written.

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