Low Fodmap Tomato Soup (Gluten & Dairy Free)
Recipe created by Glenda Bishop, a Registered Nutritionist and wellness coach. Recipe reviewed by Hannah Pritchard, a Specialist Dietitian and Researcher.
Tomato has always been one of my favourite soup flavours. Soup is one of the quickest and easiest options to rustle up when you need a convenient meal. Combine the two, and it’s a recipe for success. If you’re currently following a low-FODMAP diet, you can make this a staple low-FODMAP tomato soup.
Looking after your gut health whilst following a low-FODMAP diet can be challenging, but understanding why gut health matters will help. Making small ingredient swaps and changing food quantities can help.
Instead of starting with tinned tomatoes and having to puree the soup at the end, I skipped the pureeing step by using tomatoes that were already pureed... that is, I started with passata, which is the Italian name for pureed tomatoes.
Passata is uncooked tomatoes that have been pureed, with the skins and seeds removed. When you buy it in bottles, it can come in 700 ml bottles or slightly smaller cartons. There’s normally also a little salt and citric acid (an acidity regulator) added to them.
So it’s basically what you’d be creating if you made tomato soup from scratch, but you don’t have to do the skinning or seeding, so this soup couldn’t be simpler. Grab some stock, add the already prepared and pureed tomatoes, add a touch of flavour (i.e. dried herbs), and as soon as it’s heated you’re good to go.
The biggest FODMAP concern with soup is the stock since regular stocks contain onions. But it’s easy to adjust soup recipes to make them low FODMAP. You can make your own low FODMAP stock, buy a premade low FODMAP stock, or buy low FODMAP stock cubes (bullion cubes). Just check these low FODMAP stocks are free from garlic and onion too.
One serving of this soup is 1 cup or 250ml, which isn’t a huge serving by any means. It’s more of a light meal or an appetiser. But you can easily turn it into a reasonable meal by bulking it up with other low-FODMAP ingredients. And so long as you choose the right things to add, which can be prepared in the time that it takes to heat the soup, it can still be the fastest tomato soup ever.
You can also easily change the flavour of the soup. Sure, it will still be a tomato soup, but that doesn’t mean you have to eat it the same way every time. Which is excellent because that way you’ll never get bored and can continue taking advantage of the convenience of this soup, especially on cold days when you want a warming meal made really fast. See the serving notes for how to achieve both types of adaptations.
And the best part of this soup is that you can keep the base ingredients in the cupboard/pantry, making it just as convenient as a tinned tomato soup. But it tastes better, is low FODMAP and is likely to be more gentle on your tummy.
There’s really no excuses with this recipe. It’s fast, easy, doesn’t require any fancy cooking skills, and it’s cheap to make. So how about whipping up a batch of this super fast Low FODMAP Tomato Soup today?
Low Fodmap Tomato Soup
Makes: 2 serves
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins
Serving Size: 1 cup or 250ml
Special Equipment: just a medium saucepan
Ingredients
1 cup of boiling water
1 low FODMAP stock cube, such as a Bay’s Kitchen chicken or vegetable stock or a Massel’s 7’s chicken-style stock cube (see notes)
½ tsp of dried basil
½ cup or 130ml of passata
¼ cup or 35g of corn flour
Instructions
Start by putting the kettle on to boil. Then grab a medium saucepan, crumble the stock cube into it and add the dried basil.
When the water is boiled, add it to the saucepan and stir to dissolve the stock cube. Add the passata and corn flour, stir, then put the saucepan over a low to medium heat. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until hot and cooked slightly.
To serve, divide the soup between two bowls.
Consider serving with a suitable low-FODMAP toast or one of the other ways described below to bulk up the soup and make it more filling.
Serving notes and strategies to adapt the soup:
You can bulk up each serving of soup and make it more filling by serving it with:
- 2 pieces of low FODMAP toast or suitable crudities
- 1/4 cup or 45g of canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed well)
- 1/3 cup or 64g of canned lentils (drained and rinsed well)
- A small tin of tuna, salmon or sardines (drained)
- Ham, chopped or shaved
- Leftover cooked meats, e.g. chopped roasted meats
- Handful of rocket or up to 75g of spinach, chopped finely–the heat of the soup will cook it gently
- Cheese, e.g. up to 40g of shaved parmesan, 40g of crumbled feta, or 40g of grated cheddar
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil–which is good for adding fats (and flavour), but not bulk
- Add a side of red pickled onions for extra crunch
You can change the flavour of the soup by:
- If you have fresh herbs such as basil or dill, use 1 tbsp of finely chopped herbs instead of the dried basil
- Using 1 tsp of paprika or cumin instead of the dried basil, which will change the flavour to a different style of cuisine
- Adding 1 tbsp of mustard to the soup
- Adding 2 tbsp chopped olives
- Adding a few drops of garlic-infused oil or onion-infused oil for a slight flavour boost
- Adding a dash of dried chives in addition to the dried basil
- Make it creamy by pouring in some lactose-free cream
Ingredient Notes:
- Based on the recommended portion sizes of individual ingredients in the Monash University Low FODMAP Diet app at the time of publication, this recipe should be low FODMAP provided that the recommended serving size for this recipe is not exceeded.
- If you’re using stock cubes, it’s critical to choose a brand that doesn’t contain onion or garlic, or any other high FODMAP ingredients. If you’d prefer to use a liquid stock, you can use 1 cup or 250mls of your favourite low FODMAP stock instead of the boiling water and a stock cube.
- When selecting a passata, check the ingredients to make sure it’s just tomatoes and salt, with no added ingredients such as garlic, onions or flavours.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free. However, if you have an allergy to any of these items, have coeliac disease or a gluten intolerance, please check the labels on any purchased ingredients to ensure they are safe for your requirements.
Following a low FODMAP diet can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. As Registered Dietitians, we provide evidence-based guidance to help you manage your symptoms and find food freedom. You can contact us to find out more.
If you’re ready to get personalised dietetic support, you can book a consultation with us.
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