Lentil Soup

A low FODMAP lentil soup of rinsed canned lentils, leek greens, carrots, celery, potato, diced tomatoes, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika.

Prep 15 min

Cook 35 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• Green tops of 1 large leek, thinly sliced (about 1 cup / 90g), white base discarded
• 2 medium carrots, diced (about 150g)
• 1 medium celery stalk, finely diced (Monash lists celery as low FODMAP up to about 1 stalk (50g); 1 stalk across 4 servings is about 10g each)
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (about 150g)
• 185g drained, rinsed canned lentils (about 1 cup, most of one 400g can; 46g per serving, under the Monash low FODMAP serve for canned lentils of about ⅓ cup (65g))
• 1 cup (240g) canned diced tomatoes (about 1/4 cup per serving, within the tested low-FODMAP tomato portion)
• 4 cups (1L) low-FODMAP chicken broth, or a certified low-FODMAP vegetable broth
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• To finish: chopped scallion green tops, a handful of fresh parsley, and a squeeze of lemon

Instructions

Build the flavor base

1. Warm the garlic-infused oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the leek green tops, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes until the vegetables soften and the leek greens smell savory.
3. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Cook for 1 minute so the spices toast and coat the vegetables.

Simmer the soup

1. Add the potato, rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf. Stir and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom.
2. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer.
3. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potato and carrot are fork-tender and the soup has thickened slightly.

Finish and serve

1. Remove the bay leaf. For a thicker, creamier texture, blend about a quarter of the soup and stir it back in, or leave it fully chunky.
2. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
3. Ladle into bowls and top with scallion green tops and parsley.

Tips & Substitutions

• Make it vegan. Swap the chicken broth for a certified low-FODMAP vegetable broth. The rest of the recipe is already plant-based.
• Rinse the lentils well. Draining and rinsing canned lentils under running water washes away some of the FODMAPs that leach into the canning liquid, which is why canned, rinsed lentils have a larger low FODMAP serve than lentils cooked from dried.
• Use the green parts only. For both the leek and the scallion garnish, use the green tops. The white bulb of each is high in fructans and is not low FODMAP.
• Add tender greens at the end. Stir in a couple of handfuls of spinach or chopped kale during the last 2 minutes for extra body and color.
• Adjust the thickness. Blend more of the soup for a smooth, dal-style bowl, or add an extra splash of broth to keep it brothy.
• Check your portions. Look up canned lentils, celery, and tomatoes in the FODMAP Foods app to see how each rating changes with portion size.

Why This Works

• Weighed canned lentils. Monash lists canned, rinsed lentils as low FODMAP at about ⅓ cup (65g) per serve. Weighing 185g for four bowls keeps each one at about 46g, under that serve, while still adding plant protein.
• Garlic-infused oil gives flavor without fructans. The fructans in garlic are water-soluble, not oil-soluble, so infused oil carries the aroma into the soup without the FODMAPs that come from the bulb itself.
• Leek and scallion greens stand in for onion. The green tops are low in fructans while the white base is high, so using only the greens keeps that savory background note in bounds.
• Check the broth. Most boxed broths list onion and garlic near the top of the ingredients, so homemade or certified low FODMAP broth keeps them out.

Storage

Cool the soup and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened. Divide the pot evenly into four servings so each bowl holds 46g of lentils.