Low FODMAP Soup Recipes

What makes a soup low FODMAP

Soup is where onion and garlic hide most. Nearly every stock, bouillon cube, canned soup and soup base starts with them, and fructans dissolve into water, so a broth simmered with onion carries them even after the onion is strained out. That makes the broth the first thing to sort out. Homemade chicken broth or vegetable broth made with leek and scallion greens freezes well, and it turns every recipe below into a weeknight job.

For flavor, start the pot with garlic-infused olive oil and the green parts of leeks or scallions. Leek greens are low FODMAP at about 1 cup (75g) per serving and give the same sweet onion base; the white bulb is the part to leave out. Celery is low up to about 74g per serving, which covers a normal soup base, and carrots, potatoes, zucchini and spinach can go in freely.

Creamy soups need a little care with dairy. Lactose-free milk and cream, or a small amount of hard cheese like cheddar or parmesan, keep a chowder or broccoli cheddar soup low. For blended soups, watch the vegetables that have serving limits: butternut squash is low at about 45g raw per bowl, and canned coconut milk at about 1/4 cup, so a squash or Thai-style soup divides those across enough bowls.

Beans and lentils are the other common soup ingredient to measure. Canned and well-rinsed lentils are low at about 1/4 cup (46g) per serving and canned chickpeas at about 1/4 cup (42g), so a minestrone or lentil soup uses them as one ingredient among several rather than the base. Every recipe lists what one bowl contains, and the low FODMAP food list has the tested serving for each ingredient.

Most of these soups keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freeze for about 3 months. Freeze them in single portions so a bowl reheats in minutes, and bring leftovers to a full simmer, or 165°F (74°C), before eating.