Stock is the flavour backbone for so many dishes, which is why it’s well overdue that I post a Low FODMAP vegetable stock recipe. This easy stock is endlessly customisable based on your preferences, what you have on hand and what cuisine you’re cooking. It freezes perfectly well, so you can make a big batch of stock for when the mood hits.
Low FODMAP vegetable stock recipe
This low FODMAP stock recipe is gluten free, nut free and incidentally vegan. It uses a variety of low FODMAP ingredients to create a stock that is full of flavour and without compromise. As we will go into, you can adjust the flavour profile based on the cuisine you’re cooking or the vegetables you have on hand. You can also use the base ingredients and add vegetable scraps to keep things low FODMAP.
Better yet? You can use the vegetables leftover from the stock to make a soup! It’s a hearty blended vegetable style soup that gets flavour from a wealth of grated ginger and lemon juice. An excellent no waste option.
FODMAP notes for your vegetable stock
Most of the ingredients in this stock recipe are naturally low FODMAP. There are a few addition options, however, that merit our attention.
The flavour backbone of this stock is provided by the leek and spring onion greens. Both ingredients (the green parts only) are naturally low FODMAP and the perfect way to add an onion like depth of flavour.
Carrots, parsley and bay leaves are the usual suspects in stock, all of which are naturally low FODMAP.
The two ingredients I wanted to discuss briefly are shiitake mushrooms and pickled garlic.
Shiitake mushrooms have a low FODMAP threshold of 11g per person when fresh. In 17g serves, they contain moderate amounts of mannitol.
Shiitake mushrooms add a deeply umami flavour that can sometimes be missing in vegetarian dishes. They are an optional ingredient but I find they add great depth of flavour. You can also used dried shiitake – they are low FODMAP in 8g serves per person.
Onto the pickled garlic! Monash has recently introduced a low FODMAP threshold for pickled garlic. It is low FODMAP in 3g serves (1 clove) but doesn’t become moderate for fructose until it reaches 30g (10 clove) servings.
Pickled garlic adds in some of that delicious garlic flavour and I absolutely love using it. I am in the process of developing a recipe so stay tuned, as it can be a little tricky to buy.
Tips for your low FODMAP stock
Wash the leeks leaf by leaf. I promise you, you will find more dirt than you ever thought possible even in the inner leaves. Every leaf needs to be washed.
Add in other vegetables you need to use up! Everything adds a new layer of flavour.
You can experiment with different herbs (even dried ones) if that is what you have on hand.
Personally, I have never found bay leaves to add an insane amount of flavour. If you can’t find them, leave them out.
This is a random tip but I have done this before so hear me out. Don’t go into autopilot mode and strain the stock down the drain 🙂 Place the strainer over a large heatproof bowl before you start so you don’t forget what you’re doing and drain all your stock!
See below on what to do with the leftover vegetables. I promise it’s yummy!
With that said, if you intend to make leftover soup, don’t add anything that won’t blend. I’m talking whole peppercorns, mainly. Really just don’t add anything you wouldn’t want to eat.
Aside from the miso paste (which is optional) I prefer to salt my stock at the end (if at all). It can be simpler to use an unsalted stock in a dish then salt the dish to taste, but do whatever works for you. I also prefer to leave acids like lemon juice out and simply flavour the final dish to taste.
Flavour profile suggestions and additions
- Parsnip is low FODMAP in up to 500g serves which makes it a great addition to stock.
- A tomato or sun-dried tomatoes are a great way to add some Mediterranean flavour. Semi sun-dried tomatoes are low FODMAP in 8g serves and become moderate for fructose in 16g serves, which suggests a small amount of wiggle room. You won’t need many as they pack a punch. A little bit of tomato paste can also up the flavour.
- Hardy herbs like sage or rosemary would add a twist to a stock meant for a Mediterranean dish. Use them sparingly as they can become bitter.
- Thyme is a great herb to use in stock.
- If you’re making pho or an Asian leaning dish, you could experiment with using coriander as the herb and some star anise in the broth. Some ginger or makrut lime leaves would also be nice.
- Fermented foods like sauerkraut or pickles can add another layer of flavour to your stock.
- Kombu or other seaweed is a great way to add some depth of flavour.
- A splash of white wine can add complexity.
- A little bit of Tamari or gluten free Vegemite adds a lovely layer of flavour, as does a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
- One last option is to roast the stock ingredients for 45 minutes prior to making the stock. This will bring out sweetness and a bit of smokiness if you allow them to get a bit charred.
To make a no waste stock leftover soup
In this economy, ain’t nobody wasting perfectly good vegetables. Although their essence and flavour has mostly been dedicated to the stock, you can still use the vegetables to make a yummy soup. If you are planning to do this, make sure you don’t use anything in the stock that won’t blend into a soup (whole peppercorns etc).
Keep in mind, also, that any flavour additions (above) will affect the FODMAP content of the leftover soup. This soup below is low FODMAP based on the ingredients in the recipe card, not on any flavour additions.
Recipe for leftover stock vegetable soup
- Return the cooked stock vegetables to the soup pot after you strain off the stock and add 1 litre (1000ml) water.
- Cook for an additional 10-20 minutes until heated through and all the vegetables are fully cooked.
- Remove all bay leaves, if you’re using them.
- Blend the stock with an immersion blender (soup stick) or a high speed blender. Keep in mind that soup that needs to be fully cooled to be blended in anything without a steam valve (looking at you, NutriBullet). If the steam has nowhere to escape it will build up pressure and might explode the blender. If you like a totally smooth soup you will need to use a blender.
- Add 250ml (1 cup) milk or 1/2 cream and 1/2 milk. You could also use light coconut milk which is low FODMAP.
- Add 50g grated ginger and about 1 lemon worth of juice. Yes, it’s a lot, but the soup needs lots of flavour to replace what the vegetables lost in the stock making process. You could also add some ground cumin or other spices but I kept it pretty simple. If you want to up up the protein, add a 400g tin of cannellini beans that has been drained. A 400g tin contains around 240g beans once drained and a low FODMAP serve is 76g. This means 1 can can serve 4 people in a low FODMAP manner.
- That’s it! A yummy and easy leftover stock soup. It makes about 4 serves, give or take. Not going to win any awards, but it’s a nice hearty soup.
Recipes to use your low FODMAP stock
- Low FODMAP minestrone
- Low FODMAP leek and potato soup
- Vegan, low FODMAP carrot soup
- Low FODMAP broccoli cheddar soup
- Low FODMAP pumpkin soup
Low FODMAP vegetable stock recipe
Ingredients
- 20 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil, garlic infused ghee or truffle oil
- 1-2 large leeks green parts only (I try and choose leeks with lengthy green parts for this purpose)
- 1 bunch spring onion greens
- 4 large carrots cut into rough coins
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped (continental or curly)
- A few sprigs of thyme if you have them
- 3-4 bay leaves if you have them
- 5-10 pickled garlic cloves see notes
- 20 g fresh shiitake mushrooms chopped (see notes)
- 2 – 4 litres 2000-4000ml water (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon gluten free miso paste
- Seasoning to taste
- Other flavour additions (see body of post)
Instructions
- Wash and prep all the ingredients for the stock.
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over a medium heat. Add all the vegetables and herbs and stir to combine. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until there is a bit of browning on the bottom of the pan. This will add extra flavour complexity. Add any extra flavour boosters (in the body of the post) as you see fit.
- Add the water and miso paste and stir to combine until the miso dissolves. Pop the lid on, turn the heat to low-medium and cook the stock for 25-30 minutes or up to an hour. Add water based on how long you intend to simmer the stock – 2 litres for 30 minutes and more for longer. You can also add water as you see fit – if the vegetables aren’t submerged, add a splash more water.
- Once the stock is ready, strain it over a large heat proof bowl. Keep the vegetables if you want to make the leftover stock vegetable soup (in the body of the post).
- Season your stock thoroughly and to taste. You can use it straight away or keep in the fridge for a few days. The stock can also be frozen and defrosted.
Notes
- How much stock this makes depends on how much water you add and how long/vigorously you simmer it. I cooked a batch with 2 litres (2000ml) water for 20 minutes and I ended up with 1.5 litres stock.
- See the body of the post for tips on adding extra flavour to your stock. Add as many flavour additions as you like – the more the merrier (within reason).
- See the body of the post for how to make a leftover stock veg soup for a no waste option.
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