Soup IS for Summer…and Beyond!
Are you stuck in a soup rut and only think of it during the winter? You are missing out! The garden and farmer’s markets are bursting with fresh veggies just begging to be combined at this time of year and this Summer Garden Vegetable Soup is one of our favorite ways to combining many of them into one satisfying dish.
To make it even easier to prepare, see our Tips; you can use FODY Garlic-Infused Olive Oil or our Garlic-Infused Oil (made with olive oil) instead of the listed olive oil and garlic cloves.
While the soup can stand on its own, stirring a little low FODMAP Basil Pesto into the soup right before serving makes it extra special.
Use the freshest veggies you can find and remember to have a Low FODMAP Vegetable Broth on hand, either homemade or store bought. Sautéing the garlic in the oil will infuse flavor but you must make sure to remove all of the garlic pieces before proceeding with the rest of the recipe; they must only come in contact with the oil.
If you eat cheese, please do consider adding the parmesan rind to the soup. It enriches the flavor and texture considerably making it all around richer. Our Whole Foods store sells just the rinds, just for this purpose.
And we love their labeling: “A rind is a terrible thing to waste”. Below you can see it floating around in the soup bringing all of its inherent umami flavor.
Vegans!
Vegans!Of course if you are vegan, leave the Parmesan out. Any which way, this soup is bursting with summer vegetable goodness. Comfort food in a bowl.
Soup fans, you might also like our Low FODMAP Vegetable, Pasta & Bean Soup.
Low FODMAP Summer Garden Vegetable Soup
This soup packs many of summer's best low FODMAP veggies into one pot for an easy-to-cook soup that is suitable for FODMAPers and everyone else who needs some warm comfort food in a bowl.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 4 quarts (3.8 L); serving size 2 cups (480 ml); 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 cup (48 g) finely sliced leeks, green parts only
- 1/4 cup (16 g) finely chopped scallions, green parts only
- 8 cups (2 L) Low FODMAP Vegetable Broth, homemade or purchased
- 1 pound (455 g) red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large bite-sized pieces
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces on the diagonal
- 12 ounces (340 g) plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
- 6 ounces (170 g) green beans, ends trimmed, cut into thirds
- 1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed away, cut into quarters lengthwise, then cut into bit-sized chunks
- 1 cup (164 g) yellow corn kernels, fresh off the cob
- 1/2 large fennel bulb, stalks and fronds discarded, cut into 1/2-inch (12 mm) wide slices
- 2 ounces (55 g) kale, tough stems removed, torn into large bite-sized pieces
- 3 ounce (85 g) piece of rind of Parmesan cheese (omit if vegan)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Low FODMAP Basil Pesto, optional
Preparation:
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Heat oil in a 5-quart (4.7 L) Dutch oven or similar size stockpot over low-medium heat. Add garlic cloves and sauté for a minute or two until garlic is softened, but not browned. Remove all of the pieces of garlic; this is very important to keep the recipe low FODMAP. Once all of the garlic pieces are removed add leek and scallion greens and sauté for about 3 minutes or until softened but do not let them brown.
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Add broth, potatoes and carrots and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are just tender when pierced with a knife. Add tomatoes, beans, zucchini, corn, fennel, kale and cheese rind and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are cooked but still retain some vibrancy of color. Season to taste with salt and pepper, going light on the salt if you plan on using the pesto. Soup is ready to serve. Ladle into bowls and stir about 2 teaspoons of Basil Pesto into each serving, if desired. Soup can be refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 4 days or frozen for 1 month.
Notes:
Tips
- You can also use ¼ cup of FODY Garlic-Infused Olive Oil in lieu of the oil and garlic cloves.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Can you tell me how much protein is in this? The protein would seem to be low without any beans, tofu, or meat.
Hi Sandra! We are not providing complete nutritional profiles as we want to keep the focus on FODMAPs, however, you could certainly add tofu, chicken or turkey to this soup and in fact, we have done this at times and it works very well. We also like this soup with an open-faced toasted cheese sandwich on the side. In terms of beans you could use canned, drained and rinsed well, and only add small amounts to keep the FODMAPs in check. Use your Monash smartphone app for specifics. A scant 1/4 cup (42 g) of chickpeas or 1/2 cup (46 g) lentils per serving would be a good starting point.
How is this low FODMAP with the garlic cloves and the whole leeks?
Hi Amy, Thank you for writing. This recipe has gone through Monash University’s Recipe Certification Program and has been designated by them as low FODMAP in the portions as listed. As described in the text, it is all about HOW the garlic is handled. Fructans, the offending FODMAP in garlic, are not oil soluble, therefore if garlic is infused in oil for flavor, but then the garlic solids are removed, no fructans are left behind. As for the leeks – and scallions for that matter – we are only using the greens and they are approved as low FODMAP by Monash in small amounts.
I have heard of hing never tried it though. Could you use that in this recipe?
Hi Teri! Hing has a garlic-like flavor that many people find handy to use in low FODMAP cooking. Some hing is in a wheat flour base, which is important to note if you are gluten-free. All of our Monash University Certified Low FODMAP Recipes retain that designation if made as presented, with no changes. So, you could try hing in this recipe, but it would change the recipe and its certification. I bet it would “work” though. If you try it, let us all know how you liked it!
This recipe sounds wonderful and comes at a time when I’m pretty desperate!! What can I use instead of the tomatoes? I also have GERD and, even though I really have no evidence that tomatoes trouble me, it’s on the “avoid list” for GERD. Any ideas what I could use instead of tomatoes? All ideas gratefully received, especially quick replies. THANKS!!
You can leave the tomatoes out, although the flavor, color and texture will change. If you have no evidence that tomatoes bother you, I would give it a go as is but it is your choice.
Thanks so much! I just made the soup without the tomatoes and it is DELICIOUS! This came at a time when I was discouraged about low FODMAP (and everything else having to do with my gut), so I’m really grateful and delighted. I will try more of your recipes.
Thank you for letting us know and enjoy Joanna’s course.
I just made it tonight and my whole family loves it!
I am a little confused about what part of the fennel to use. Is it the stalk or the bulb?
Hi Merle, the stalks and fronds are discarded as described in the ingredient list. The bulb is sliced thinly and used.
I just made this and it is fantastic!! I found low FODMAP vegetable stock on Amazon; it’s called Massel 7. I did not include the green beans but otherwise followed the recipe (without the pesto). Thank you for making this terrific recipe!
Eva! Thank you for the enthusiastic note. This soup is one of those recipes that I kind of forget about, and then whenever I make it, I am struck yet again how easy it is, how delicious and how versatile. Thank you for the reminder and I hope everyone reading this gives it a go! Good for you for sourcing the ready-to-use low FODMAP vegetable stock.
I have made this twice in the past two weeks. I add some dried herbs (oregano, thyme, basil) and a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to add some depth to the flavor. I love this. It’s my favorite low fodmap soup by far. Thank you so much. I use many of your recipes and your cookbook and it makes this diet so much easier and delicious.
Corey, Thank you so much for your note. It means a lot! Love your additions. Enjoy in good health!
This soup is the BEST EVER VEGETABLE SOUP!!! I never liked veggie soup until I tried this one. Sooooooooooo good!
Every time I make this soup I am reminded just how great it is. I feel like it is a bit of a sleeper, but once you make it and taste it, you experience the impact and also get ideas for low FODMAP variations.
Ive never cooked with fennel bulb before. Does it make the soup taste like licorice at all?
In my opinion it does not. It becomes very mild upon cooking. You can leave it out if you like.
Does the fennel bulb make the soup taste like licorice at all?
To my palate it does not.
Just made this soup for the 3rd time! I use Fody Vegetable Soup Base and whatever veggies I have . Always potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, park cheese rind. It’s delicious! Thank you!
I love using their soup bases. So convenient to measure out what you need. Thank you for writing:) What kind of garlic flavor are you using?
Although this recipe is stated as low FODMAP, garlic, peas and corn are things that are not recommended on the low FODMAP diet. I know personally speaking, I cannot tolerate these ingredients, although I love them, I do not feel well at all when having eaten them. For all who suffer, consider eliminating the “nightshade” vegetables as well and this may help.
Hi there Beverly, thank you for writing.
It is not clear to me whether you read the recipe or not. Every ingredient in the recipe has been handled in an appropriate low FODMAP way and is presented in low FODMAP amounts that are appropriate for the Elimination Phase per Monash University.
We focus on the low FODMAP diet. The Elimination Phase, in particular, is restrictive enough, and it is not appropriate to suggest that people avoid nightshades. If anything, there is too much over-restricting going on.
The diet is meant to be undertaken along with a Registered Dietitian (RD), particularly because about 36% of those with IBS will have concurrent medical issues, some of them digestive in nature. Everyone’s IBS presents differently, and a dietitian is the best person to help each and every one of us determine our approach to diet.
I am Monash University trained and accredited by FODMAP Friendly as a FODMAP educator and I assure you that the recipe, as written, is low FODMAP.
Good to know and I was only writing about my issues personally and how I cannot tolerate these ingredients and have no doubt there are people as sensitive to them as I am. I love the FODMAP diet and follow it daily. I love the MONASH recommend garlic/onion powder substitutes that I have found on Amazon and have learned to substitute so much and still maintain the flavor of my recipes. Thanks for responding and good to know the amounts in the recipe are FODMAP recommend amounts. The soup recipe sounds scrumptious.