I have been doing a low histamine diet (in conjunction with a SIBO bi-phasic diet) for a while now. Naturally, I have been working away on lots of new recipes, but for now I wanted to start with some basics. I recently posted a recipe for low histamine salad dressing, so it feels only right to include a low histamine salad recipe, too.

Low histamine salad recipe

This low histamine salad is conveniently also lower FODMAP. I know the struggle of having to cater to multiple dietary requirements at once so I wanted to make this as useful as possible.

The salad uses a delicious base of Tuscan kale, radicchio and mixed lettuce or a mix of Red Coral lettuce and rocket/arugula. I use two full bunches of herbs (one of basil and one of flat leaf parsley) for added flavour and greenery.

Pumpkins seeds are cooked in a bit of maple syrup to top the salad. This results in a crunchy, sweet and salty textural component. I like to serve my salad with baby bocconcini for a low histamine cheese hit. However, you can use your preferred low histamine cheese or simply omit.

Finally, the salad is topped with a low histamine salad dressing. Mine is made with pomegranate molasses, oil and maple syrup. I love to add some fresh grated ginger and dried oregano for flavour, but these are optional.

A quick note, before we dive in: I am not a Doctor and this is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult a qualified professional before embarking on any sort of elimination diet. These low histamine recipes are simply intended to make the diet a little easier day to day.

Histamine notes

I use the SIGHI list for all of my information on histamine scores. Where there is no entry for an ingredient, I cross-reference the list with online resources.

Rocket and arugula are not on the SIGHI list but are thought to be low histamine. You can replace them for lettuce and Kale if you feel more comfortable. With that said, kale is not listed on the SIGHI list either. It is generally considered low histamine but can bring oxalates into the equation. I don’t know much about oxalates, but I thought it was also worth mentioning.

Lettuce is a 0 on the SIGHI list, and this includes a number of different varieties.

Mozzarella is another 0 the SIGHI list. I chose to use fresh baby bocconcini by a Melbourne brand called That’s Amore.

Basil and parsley are also both 0 on the SIGHI list.

In terms of the dressing, you can read extensively about the SIGHI scores of the ingredients on that post. Needless to say (given the name) it is low histamine.

FODMAP notes

A few quick notes for those that are low histamine and low FODMAP. These thresholds are current as of August 2025. They will be periodically reviewed to ensure they remain up to date with Monash.

• Radicchio is low FODMAP in serves of up to 178g. Beyond this, it contains moderate amounts of GOS.
• Tuscan kale is low FODMAP in serves of up to 222g per person. In larger serves, it contains moderate amounts of GOS.
• Both of these ingredients are GOS containing. However, we are only using 75-100g of each and the salad serves four people. Make sure you serve the salad alongside lower GOS and fructan containing foods.
• Lettuce varieties vary in their FODMAP content. However, both Red Coral lettuce and rocket/arugula are listed as low FODMAP in serves of up to 500g per person.
• Pumpkin seeds are low FODMAP in up to 82g serves per person. Beyond this, they contain moderate fructan.
• Monash don’t have an entry for pomegranate molasses at the time of writing. I am working on a substitute in the dressing, though, so stay tuned for that.

Tips for this low histamine salad recipe

• Add whatever you like! Within histamine parameters, of course. This is quite a basic salad that can be jazzed up to suit a number of occasions. See the section below for some suggestions.
• If you like a well dressed salad, make 1 1/2 batches of the low histamine salad dressing.
• I always recommend buying Tuscan kale. I’m sorry but curly leaf kale will never not be enraging to eat! Same goes for the parsley – flat leaf only please. Unless, of course, you love curly kale and curly parsley. Who am I to decide that for you?
• Some components of this salad do keep well as leftovers. Kale is generally a great sturdy green for a salad. However, histamines build up in leftovers, so we’re not necessarily aiming to keep this salad for longer than a day.
• You can absolutely bulk this salad out with some freshly cooked low histamine protein of choice. Cooked quinoa is probably the best low histamine vegetarian protein option.

Suggestions for low histamine additions to your salad

These are all current at the time of writing. They will be periodically reviewed to ensure they remain up to date with the SIGHI list. Note that not all of these are low FODMAP. You will need to cross reference if you need a low FODMAP salad.

• Roasted pumpkin/squash (0 on the SIGHI list)
• Roasted cauliflower, bell pepper (capsicum) broccoli or carrot (0 on the SIGHI list)
• Finely mandolined fennel (0 on the SIGHI list)
• Finely mandolined radishes (0 on the SIGHI list)
• Sliced cucumber (0 on the SIGHI list)
• Sliced apple (0 on the SIGHI list)
• Pomegranate arils (0 on the SIGHI list)
• Peaches and nectarines (0 on the SIGHI list)
• Macadamias and pistachios (0 on the SIGHI list)

More low histamine recipes

• Low histamine bread recipe (gluten free)
• Low FODMAP Nomato sauce (low histamine option)
• Low histamine salad dressing recipe
• More recipes to come