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 trick 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 these two other Italian classics: low FODMAP chicken cacciatore and low FODMAP bolognese sauce with ground turkey. 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.
leslie says
What do you do with the reserved juice from the can of tomatoes?
Rachel White says
According to Step 1, the reserved tomato juice is transferred to the blender, awaiting the recipe instructions in Step 6. So, the juice gets blended together with the rest of the ingredients per Step 6. I know I had to do a double take to make sure I understood what to do with that juice, too. I hope that helps clarify for any reading this in 2024!
Also, for anyone who is sensitive to the acidity of tomatoes, Bionaturae uses a Roma tomato in its products. I found this on the company’s website. Romas and San Marzano tomatoes (paste tomatoes) are lower in acid than regular ones, so you can also use other brands that use San Marzano types, if you like. I looked all this up recently, but feel free to confirm it for yourself.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe as we love tomato soup here with my GF cornbread!
cookie clicker says
Soup is one of the harder dishes to make without garlic and onion!
Hannah says
Garlic is not lowfodmap
Rachel White says
It’s acceptable in an infused form. Read the full instructions within the recipe and you’ll see that she gives instructions in step 5 on infusing the oil with the garlic.
You really should make it a habit of reading a post/recipe all the way through before jumping to conclusions.
Hella says
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.
Phoebe Lapine says
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…
Shona Brost says
I think this sounds wonderful and thinking it will clear out my over flowing veggie drawer! I love me some garlic infused oil and have started making it myself. Gives a little garlic flavor without the stomach fun when using traditional garlic.
I am thinking I may can some if it comes out well. Thanks for the great recipe!
Lee Ann says
Thank you — this is just what I was looking for to make a roasted tomato soup to accommodate my onion/garlic intolerance. However, if you press the garlic through a mesh strainer, won’t some of the solids, though in tiny pieces, get added to the oil? I’ve only ever used larger garlic pieces that I then removed, or used a Monash approved flavored oil, such as Colavita Garlic Infused Olive Oil.
Phoebe Lapine says
Hi Lee Ann! The process in this recipe is the same for making any garlic infused oil. The cloves are left whole, so you’re really not at risk of solids coming through. As you can see in the picture, everything is very coarse. If you’re worried of course don’t press down too hard…but you’re goal is really just to get as much oil as possible to strain through not to smash it. Hope this helps!
Virginia Allen says
HI! I ran across your recipe for low fodmap roasted tomato soup, and have a question. I have a 28 oz can of San Marzano Italian peeled tomatoes (ingredients being peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, citric acid and basil leaf). Will this work in the recipe? Thank you!
Phoebe Lapine says
definitely!
Melissa N says
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you for another great recipe. 🙂
Where do the 1/3 cup basil leaves come into play? I can’t seem to find it noted in the steps even though it’s listed as an ingredient. I made it without it included and it was still 10/10!!
Phoebe Lapine says
They are just used as garnish at the end! But you can add some to the food processor if you like.
Melissa N says
Cool! Apologies I missed it in the last step! I’m making this recipe again today and look forward to the addition of the basil leaves.