Soup is one of the harder dishes to make without garlic and onion, but there are plenty of tricks to build flavor in other ways. In the case of this low FODMAP tomato soup recipe, a garlic and chili infused oil does double duty as a topping and in creating a rich, creamy texture without dairy or gluten as a thickener. It’s vegan to boot!
Creamy tomato soup is one of my year-round go-to comfort foods, but especially during back to school season, when I feel my tastes regressing to childhood favorites. Since tomatoes are so acidic, I’ve always gravitated towards recipes that use a touch of cream or something else to give my bowl that slightly orange, muted hue.
How do you make low FODMAP tomato soup creamy?
When you’re not eating low FODMAP, a creamy soup is easy to achieve with a few different techniques. If you’re eating dairy, heavy cream or milk are the most common ingredients that do the trick.
In this vegan cream of tomato soup recipe, I use cashews to create that bulk and creaminess. This is a great option if you’re paleo as well.
One trick that is low FODMAP friendly is using stale bread, like in this gluten-free Pappa al Pomodoro recipe, but it is not paleo.
My favorite low FODMAP tomato soup option is borrowed from this low FODMAP pasta sauce. Which is to use roasted carrots along with the tomatoes to add that bit of orange, creaminess and sweetness (plus lots of other nutrients!) along with olive oil, which helps lighten up the soup as well.
Even without the carrots, simply roasting your tomatoes helps create a creamier, lighter texture. I use the same trip in my low FODMAP enchiladas recipe. You can also use a similar homemade sauce for low FODMAP vegetarian lasagna.
How to add Italian flavor to Low FODMAP Soup
The biggest challenge for low FODMAP soup is adding depth of flavor, which is usually achieved with a lot of aromatics—garlic, onion, celery, etc.—and a robust stock that also contains those ingredients (I have a great recipe for one in the SIBO Made Simple Book).
I cheated this here by using an oil infused with all those flavors.
If you are new to this diet, the biggest asset in low FODMAP cooking is understanding that these carbohydrates are not fat-soluble. So you can use garlic, onion, or shallot to flavor an oil without it effecting you.
People who are old hats at the low FODMAP diet tend to have these condiments lying around the kitchen. I use a store bought option in this other Italian classic: low FODMAP chicken cacciatore. But it’s also very easy to do this at the beginning of a recipe, and I find that filling the kitchen with the smell of garlic is very satiating in and of itself.
So at the beginning of this recipe, while the carrots and tomatoes are roasting, we make a quick oil with garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes. If you’re sensitive to spice, simply omit the pepper. But adding heat is another trick for adding depth of flavor to low FODMAP soups if you can tolerate it.
The oil then gets blended into the soup, adding flavor and richness to the base, and then drizzled on top so you get those top notes of garlic. I use this technique in this low FODMAP parsnip soup recipe as well.
If tomato soup is too harsh on your gut (don’t worry, I get it), you may want to start with this Low FODMAP detox soup recipe that is really simple and easy to digest.
Otherwise, read on for this low FODMAP tomato soup with garlic-chili oil. For more vegetarian low FODMAP recipes check out this round-up!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Low FODMAP Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 pound carrots about 8 medium, unpeeled, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 medium shallot roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups low FODMAP vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/3 cup basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Pour the can of tomatoes into a sieve placed over a bowl to catch the juices. Transfer the reserved juices to the bowl of a blender and set aside for later. Place the drained tomatoes on one side of the prepared sheet pan.
- Arrange the carrots on the other side of the sheet pan. Season the veggies with 1 teaspoon sea salt and drizzle generously with olive oil. Toss the carrots, followed by the tomatoes, keeping each in their quadrant, and arrange in an even layer. Transfer to the oven.
- Roast until the tomatoes are nicely charred on one side and the carrots are caramelized and tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
- Meanwhile, make the garlic chili infused oil. In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup of olive oil, the garlic, shallots and red pepper flakes over medium heat. Once the aromatics start sizzling, turn the heat down to low and cook, using the back of a spoon to muddle the vegetables, until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Set the oil aside to continue to infuse while the tomatoes cook. When the vegetables come out of the oven, strain the oil through a sieve (you can use the same one as before, just rinse it) over a liquid cup measure. Press the solids with the back of your spoon to release all the oil. Discard the solids and set the oil aside.
- Transfer the tomatoes and carrots to the blender, along with the vegetable stock or water, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ cup of the garlic oil. Puree until smooth, adding more broth as necessary.
- Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of the oil, more red pepper (if desired), and some torn fresh basil leaves.
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!
What do you do with the reserved juice from the can of tomatoes?
Soup is one of the harder dishes to make without garlic and onion!
Garlic is not lowfodmap
Ditto what Hannah said. Have you no conscience? How can you even put a Low FODMAP label on this recipe when you’ve included garlic which will make them sick! Shame on you.
Shame on you for writing snarky comments without actually taking the time to read what you’re criticizing. Here is the post you failed to read copy and pasted below:
“If you are new to this diet, the biggest asset in low FODMAP cooking is understanding that these carbohydrates are not fat-soluble. So you can use garlic, onion, or shallot to flavor an oil without it effecting you.”
If your first inclination wasn’t to tear someone down, you might actually learn something. I have written a book on the low FODMAP diet. So yes, I have a conscience and know things about it…