A Deliciously Tasty Low FODMAP Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Even though the low FODMAP diet has been around for a while, many people are just learning about it from friends, family, or even their doctor. This diet is restrictive regarding the foods you can eat, but it’s temporary and can introduce you to recipes you otherwise may have never discovered! So, let’s learn a bit about the diet before sharing a scrumptious, low FODMAP soup recipe for you to try out.
Breaking Down the Low FODMAP Diet and Who It May Help
FODMAP is a strange enough acronym to put off the average person. However, it stands for “Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols.” To simplify things, that description has been shortened to make it easier to use.
If you’ve seen any articles or products for sale that encourage you to “get a healthy gut,” that’s the purpose of this particular diet. It’s intended to help you heal your gut. It removes certain carbohydrates that aren’t easy to digest and can cause intestinal discomfort.
The thought behind removing these carbs is to help a person feel better without the negative and sometimes embarrassing symptoms when they eat them. By doing this, it’s assumed that a person will then have given their “gut” a chance to heal and have fewer digestive symptoms when reintroducing the carbs.
A Truly Delicious, Tasty Low FODMAP Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
The base for any soup must be a delicious stock, but that can be challenging for low FODMAP diets. Many bouillon cubes are loaded with processed and irritating ingredients that are not good when attempting to heal your gut.
While different stocks in the grocery store claim to be low FODMAP friendly, it’s probably not worth taking the chance. Instead, you can make your own broth to ensure your meal is delicious while being kind to your digestive system.
We’re going to make a delicious family favorite soup, so you can make your own chicken or vegetable broth to go with it. Here’s the recipe for low FODMAP Chicken Noodle Soup:
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil (some like to use garlic-infused, but it can still irritate sensitive stomachs)
- 1 ½ cups of sliced carrots (peeled or not – just be sure to scrub them clean)
- ½ cup of diced celery
- 1 tsp of fresh thyme (or substitute ½ tsp of dried)
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 cups of brown rice pasta (elbows or fusilli work great!)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced (it’s best to cook it yourself to ensure no preservatives or processed parts in your meal)
- Juice of a lemon (may not be tolerated by some sensitive stomachs)
- 8 cups of low-FODMAP chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Place your stock pot or soup pot on the stove, add your oil and turn the temperature to medium heat. Give the oil time to heat up, and then add the celery and carrots.
- Saute your celery and carrots for about five minutes. (If the heat doesn’t seem enough to saute the veggies, bump up the burner heat to medium-high. Be sure you’re at the pot while sauteing, so it doesn’t burn.)
- Add your broth, seasonings, and brown rice pasta. Cover the soup and bring it to a boil.
- Once it reaches the boiling point, lower the heat, so the soup is at a simmer. Continue cooking until your brown rice pasta is cooked to your liking. (Each pasta will have its own recommended cooking time. If you’re unsure your pasta is done, fish a piece out, allow it to cool slightly, and test the texture. For pasta that’s still too firm, check a piece every minute until it’s perfect for you.)
- When your pasta is cooked to perfection, add the chicken and lemon juice (or omit it if you are sensitive or unsure how it will affect your digestion.)
- Cook the soup until the chicken is warmed through.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, then ladle into bowls and enjoy!
This simple yet satisfying comfort food is made to be kind to the most sensitive digestive systems. All the ingredients are considered low FODMAP friendly, making it the perfect comfort food for you and your family!
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients to Avoid
Unfortunately, there are many traditional or original ingredients that anyone sticking to a low FODMAP diet should avoid. No matter how tempted you are to add them to your soup, it’s not worth the discomfort you’ll experience after the meal. These can include:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Wheat-based pasta
- Beans
- Lentils
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Broccolini
- Brussels sprouts
- Red cabbage
- Savoy cabbage
Some low FODMAP lists allow some of these ingredients in small portions. However, others believe that avoiding any of these foods still has the potential to irritate and cause undesired intestinal distress.
Remember that the low FODMAP diet isn’t intended to replace your regular diet for the rest of your life. You can still enjoy your favorite foods when you make some comparable adjustments.
Have Fun With Alternative Low FODMAP Approved Ingredients
Most diets restrict a person’s intake of enjoyable foods, but you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or fullness with this diet! You can even enjoy mixing things up with the chicken noodle soup recipe above.
Some fun, delicious substitutions in almost any low FODMAP soup can include:
- Red bell pepper
- Arugula
- Collard greens
- Baby corn (canned)
- Parsnips
- Peeled white potato
- Hearts of palm (canned)
- Kale
- Pickled jalapeno
- Spring onion or shallots (green tops only!)
- Water chestnuts
- Swiss chard
- Bamboo shoots (canned or fresh)
- Baby spinach
You can also switch out the noodles for other low FODMAP ingredients, including:
- Rice noodles
- Gluten-free pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice (avoid pilafs)
Don’t forget that soups can be enjoyed with some pretty tasty breads like:
- Gluten-free breads
- Corn tortillas
- Genuine sourdough bread (no yeast added)
- Flatbreads
If you’re you’d like to add a bit more flavor with a sauce or seasoning, you can include:
- Soy sauce
- Mustard
- Sweet and sour sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Red wine vinegar
How to Safely Try Out the Low Fodmap Diet
Anytime you’re thinking about trying a new diet, your first step should always be to consult your doctor. Not all diets are safe for every health condition, so you’ll want your physician’s approval before making any changes! Once you get the approval, ask your doctor how to proceed and how long you should stay on the diet.
Once you have permission to start your diet, be prepared to do some grocery shopping to replace the foods you must avoid for the duration of your diet. Approach your shopping trip with a sense of adventure as you work on healing your gut. And don’t forget to pick up all the ingredients you’ll need to make the above recipe for chicken noodle soup.
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