Low FODMAP Customizable Sesame Noodle Soup

This simple, earthy soup is easily made with pantry ingredients and takes about ten minutes start to finish. It’s a perfectly serviceable and easy meal in its most basic form for those low spoon days, but the beauty of this recipe is its modular nature. Adding fresh ingredients boosts both flavor and nutrition if you can manage the effort. This soup makes an excellent meal-for-one option.

You can customize this soup with a variety of proteins and vegetables based on your preferences or what you have on hand. Recommended veggie and protein options and how to prepare them follow the recipe. Select 1-3 vegetables and 1-2 proteins for the best results. Alternatively, substitute a suitable frozen low FODMAP vegetable medley for fresh veggies.

When serving this soup, I do so Asian style by providing both chopsticks and a ceramic spoon. Personally I am comfortable using chopsticks in my dominant hand while using the spoon in the other. If you find it’s tough to eat this way, you can break or cut the noodles into smaller lengths so it can be eaten with just a spoon. Be careful when breaking noodles by hand as they can cut you. Break a small number noodles at a time. Alternatively you can use cooking shears to carefully cut the noodles once they’ve softened in the boiling water.

A bowl of noodle soup with shrimp, boiled eggs, bok choy and scallions. Just needs sesame seeds.

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Low FODMAP Easy Sesame Noodle Soup

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup prepared low FODMAP chicken or beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp gluten free tamari
• 1 tsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 serving (2 oz) uncooked rice linguini
• 1/8 tsp white sesame seeds
• pinch of white pepper
• 1-2 vegetables of your choice (optional)
• protein of your choice (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine water and broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender, 4-6 minutes (see noodle packaging). Stir occasionally to keep noodles from sticking.
2. Add chosen vegetables and proteins when recommended. (See below).
3. When the noodles are fully cooked, remove the saucepan from heat and add sesame oil, garlic-infused oil and tamari. Stir well. Ladle soup into a large bowl. Top with sesame seeds, a pinch of white pepper, and any other garnish you’re using.

Veggie Options

If you have other fresh or frozen vegetables on hand, these are some that work well with the flavors of this soup.

• Romaine Lettuce – Romaine lettuce holds up great in a hot soup. It doesn’t get mushy or slimy and provides a little crunch and freshness as well as nutrition. Slice a large leaf into thin strips that cross the rib. Top soup with them just before serving.
• Baby Bok Choy – According to Monash up to one cup of bok Choy is tolerated by most. Quarter 2 baby bok choy and add them in the last 1 minute to 30 seconds of cooking.
• Broccoli Florets – According to Monash up to 3/4 cup is tolerated by most. Use fresh or frozen. Add in the last minute of cooking for tender crisp doneness. Add a minute earlier if you prefer more tender broccoli.
• Julienned Carrots – Add julienned carrots in the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. If julienning the carrots is too much work, try using a vegetable peeler to make thin strips. Toss the strips in when there’s just one minute of cooking left. Monash recommends limiting carrots to 1/2 of a medium carrot.
• Fresh Spinach – Add a handful or two of spinach leaves just before removing from heat. Stir in.
• Scallions – Slice one scallion into rings (green parts only). Top soup with them just before serving.

Protein Options

• Shredded or Cubed Cooked Chicken – add in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. Rotisserie chicken works great.
• Thinly Sliced Steak – add in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. This is a great use for leftover steak.
• Cooked Ground Pork – add in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking.
• Halved Boiled Egg – soft, medium or hard boiled, it’s up to you. Add to your bowl of soup just before serving.
• Poached Egg – poach the egg separately from the rest of the soup. Add to finished soup just before serving.
• Shrimp – cooked shrimp can be added in the last 2-3 minutes. Thawed raw shrimp require 4-5 minutes at a slow boil.
• Tofu – use extra firm tofu that has been cut into cubes. Add tofu in the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Low FODMAP Homestyle Chicken Kebat

Kebat is Burmese dish of of usually chicken or steak and tomatoes prepared in a light curry sauce and served with rice. Restaurant versions of kebat can be quite complex featuring a vast array of herbs and spices, while homestyle kebat keeps it simple. Burmese food is not very well known in the United States unfortunately. It’s a shame because there’s so much to love about it. The flavors of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent meld in Myanmar to create a uniquely delicious cuisine. This easy home-style dish is an excellent introduction to it.

The most authentic curry to use for this dish is Madras curry. Madras curry is on the hotter side of curry powders. If you tolerate chilis and spicy food, find a low FODMAP version that does not contain onion or garlic and use that. If, like me, you don’t do well with capsaicin, you can make your own low FODMAP Curry Powder and customize it to your liking. It’s just as delicious. Really though, any curry powder (Malaysian, Indian, Japanese, etc) you can tolerate will taste great.

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Low FODMAP Homestyle Chicken Kebat

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 ½ tsp low FODMAP curry powder
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1 bunch scallions
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp water
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped, for serving
• 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving
• hot jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Combine curry powder, fish sauce, 1 tbsp garlic infused oil and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken and mix until evenly coated. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Chop the white ends off the scallions and discard. Take the top 1/3 of the useable portion of the scallions and chop them. Cut the remaining sturdier lower portions into 2” lengths.
3. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil. When it is hot, add the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the water and the chopped scallions. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the water has evaporated, about 4 minutes more.
4. Add the long-cut scallions and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 1 minute more. The scallions should be wilted with a bit of crunch. The tomatoes should still be solid, not squishy. Do not overcook.
5. Remove from heat. Dish out portions. Top each with fresh cilantro. Serve with hot jasmine rice, lime wedges on the side.

Low FODMAP Chicken Shogayaki (生姜焼き)

Shogayaki is rumored to have originated in Ginza, a neighborhood in Tokyo, some time in the 1940s. It was a dish meant to be prepared quickly and in large quantities. Typically made with various cuts of pork, it’s the second most popular dish in Japan. (Tonkatsu is #1). Shoga (生姜) means ginger and yaki (焼き) means grill or fry – an accurate description of this gingery, often-sweet dish flavored with mirin and soy sauce. Traditionally it was made with lots of onions, but they are not a requisite part of the dish these days.

Today there are countless variations of this dish, including some made with other meats. Regardless of what the specific ingredients are, shogayaki is always quick and easy to make. For my version I chose to use chicken thighs since I almost always have some on hand. Chicken breast would work equally well if that is your preference. You can leave out the sugar if you prefer a more savory dish. Shogayaki is almost always accompanied by undressed shredded cabbage, which helps cleanse the palette between bites of meat. Serve with hot Japanese rice.

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Low FODMAP Chicken Shogayaki (生姜焼き)

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp avocado oil or other neutral oil
• 2 tsp ginger, finely grated
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
• 1-2 tsp cane sugar
• 2 cups finely shredded cabbage for serving
• hot Japanese rice for serving

Instructions

1. Combine grated ginger, mirin, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl to create the sauce. Set aside.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil. When it is hot, add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink. Add the sauce and continue to cook until sauce is thickened, 4-5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, divide into four portions and serve alongside hot white rice and shredded cabbage.

Low FODMAP Clam & Noodle Stir Fry

This fusion recipe takes advantage of all those Asian pantry staples hanging out in your kitchen – noodles, soy sauce, hoisin and oyster sauce. Canned clams serve as protein for this quick and easy meal. (You can of course use fresh clams if you prefer.) Be sure to get the noodles soaking before starting anything else as they will take a little while to soften.

For this recipe I use A Taste of Thai rice fettuccine. There are 8 servings (16 oz) in each package. It can be a little tricky to portion without a kitchen scale, but it can be done by carefully eyeballing it. If using a kitchen scale, allow 2oz dry fettuccine noodles per serving.

Please note that soy sauce, hoisin sauce and oyster sauce are not low FODMAP foods. According to Monash most folks can tolerate up to 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce and 1 tbsp of oyster sauce. It is advised to adhere to your portion size accordingly.

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Low FODMAP Clam & Noodle Stir Fry

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

• 1-6.5 oz can of clams, drained
• 2 portions of uncooked rice fettuccine
• ¼ cup scallions, sliced (green parts only)
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or other high smoke point neutral oil)
• ½ tsp garlic infused olive oil
• sea salt
• black pepper
• sesame oil (optional)
• 1-2 more sliced fresh scallions for serving

Instructions

1. Soak 2 portions of rice fettuccine for stir frying as directed on package. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the avocado oil in a wok or cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the clams and the scallions. Season with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper and cook until clams are heated through. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce and garlic-infused oil. Toss.
3. Add the noodles to the pan and toss again. Stir fry just until the noodles are heated through. Remove from heat and divide into 2 portions. Drizzle a little sesame oil over the noodles (if using), top with fresh scallions and serve.

Low FODMAP Asian-Style Stir-Fried Cabbage

Easy, fast and delicious! This basic veggie side dish goes with a range of Asian main courses, from Char Siu Chicken to Teriyaki. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

Unfortunately cabbage does contain some FODMAPs. According to Monash, a serving of 3/4 cup of cabbage is tolerated by most so be sure not to overdo it.

Makes 6-8 side servings

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Low FODMAP Asian-Style Stir-Fried Cabbage

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 2-pound green cabbage, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
• 6 green onions, chopped (green parts only)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• sea salt
• white pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and when it shimmers, add ginger and stir 30 seconds. Add half of the cabbage and stir until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add remaining cabbage, green onions, and sesame oil. Toss and cook until all of the cabbage is tender crisp, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Low FODMAP Omurice

Omurice (o-muraisu) is a type of yōshoku or Western-style Japanese food. It’s basically a fried rice-filled omelet flavored with ketchup. It’s popular with kids and adults alike. It’s eaten for all meals of the day. It does have a distinct ketchup flavor so if you are not a fan of ketchup, use half the ketchup and all of the oyster sauce. If you really love ketchup or want the most authentic version, leave out the oyster sauce.

“Football shaped” Omurice with low FODMAP ketchup.

Please keep in mind that if you are using regular American ketchup, you may use up to 2 teaspoons safely so do not add more ketchup after cooking. If using low FODMAP ketchup you can add a decorative drizzle of ketchup to the cooked omelet for garnish and flavor. Low FODMAP ketchup can be made at home (just search for recipes) or it can be purchased from vendors who specialize in low FODMAP products such as FODY.

When selecting frozen vegetables for the rice filling, be sure to pick veggies that are low FODMAP blends. Avoid peas and snow peas, which are often found in vegetable medleys. If making more than 1 serving of omurice, you can make the rice filling at the same time, but make the omelets separately. You can speed up the cooking process by using pre-cooked chicken for the fried rice.

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Low FODMAP Omurice

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cooked leftover white rice
• 2 tsp either conventional or low FODMAP ketchup
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce or gluten free tamari
• 1 tsp oyster sauce (optional)
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• sea salt
• 1/2 bunch of scallions(green parts only), chopped
• 1/4 cup frozen mixed low FODMAP veggies (carrot, green beans, corn ok – no peas!)
• 1/2 Boneless skinless chicken thigh, chopped into 1/2” chunks (or 2 oz of cooked chicken meat)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk or water
• 3 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp avocado or other neutral oil

Rice Filling Instructions

1. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add oil. When it shimmers add the chicken, season with a little sea salt (to taste) and cook until no longer pink.
2. Add the frozen vegetables, black pepper and scallions. Add the rice, breaking up any clumps. Add the ketchup, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir until well mixed.
3. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

Omelette Instructions

1. Heat an omelette pan or small frying pan over medium high heat. While the pan is heating up, whisk together the egg and milk.
2. Add the oil to the pan. When it shimmers, pour in the egg mixture and tilt the pan to coat the entire surface with egg. Cook until the bottom has set but the top is still soft. Lower the heat to medium low.
3. Sprinkle the shredded across the omelette. Add the rice filling in an even line across the omelette. Use a spatula to fold both sides of the omelette over the middle to cover the fried rice. Carefully move the omurice to the edge of the pan. Holding a plate in one hand and the pan in the other, flip the pan to transfer the omurice, seam side down, onto the plate.
4. If desired, cover the hot omelette with a paper towel and use your hands to form a kind of football shape. Remove paper towel. Serve immediately.

Low FODMAP Ghost Chicken

Makes ~4 appetizer sized servings.

China’s Yunnan province borders Myanmar, Laos and Viet Nam. The influence of those cuisines can be seen in Yunnanese cooking. One famous Dai dish from the region is Ghost Chicken (鬼鸡, “gui ji”), which fuses Chinese and South East Asian flavors.

They say Dai people traditionally boil a chicken as part of a ritual to honor the dead. The boiled chicken is then shredded and tossed with aromatics and fresh herbs. When serving the dish, the head and feet of the chicken often appear on the plate.

The list of ingredients that go into this dish can be quite long and difficult to find. Additionally some traditional ingredients like fish mint and culantro can be a bit difficult for the Western palette. Because of those factors, I’ve developed a simplified version that captures the fresh, bold flavors but in a way Westerners are more familiar with. Serve this dish as an appetizer or side dish. This also makes delicious lettuce wraps.

If you really want to, you can make traditional Ghost Chicken by using culantro in place of the Thai Basil and fish mint instead of mint. Both can be found in Vietnamese groceries. However, be warned. These herbs are strongly flavored and can be unpleasant for those not used to them.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp minced ginger + 2 slices of ginger
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp cane sugar
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 tsp Sichuan pepper oil (optional)
• 6 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 tbsp chopped fresh Thai basil
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1.5 tsp thinly sliced bird’s eye chili (optional)
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Poach the chicken with 1-2 slices of fresh ginger. Allow to cool. Shred the chicken and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the ginger, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, garlic-infused olive oil and Sichuan pepper oil. Add the shredded chicken and toss. Add the fresh herbs, bell pepper and bird’s eye pepper and mix until everything is evenly distributed. Taste and season with sea salt.
3. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Low FODMAP Char Siu Chicken Thighs

Makes ~4 servings

We call it Chinese BBQ pork but it’s real name is ‘char siu’, which translates as “fork roasted”, describing the cooking method for the dish: long strips of seasoned boneless pork skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire. It is easily recognized by the bright red color of the exterior of the meat. The color traditionally comes from red yeast rice or red fermented bean curd paste (called ‘lam yu’ in Cantonese). Red is considered to be a lucky color in Chinese culture. Char siu is typically associated with festive events as it brings good luck to serve red food.

Char Siu Chicken with rice and Egg Roll Veggie Sauté

For this recipe long-marinated chicken thighs stand in for the pork. You can marinate for 8 hours and get good results, but for the most flavorful chicken, marinate overnight. Instead of the laborious process of barbecuing, the chicken is broiled so cooking takes just 15 minutes. This reproduces the delicious sweet flavors of the dish without the labor of making it sticky. Serve it as a main dish alongside Egg Roll Veggie Sauté and rice. Chill it and slice it for a delicious appetizer.

I based this recipe on the char siu pork from Seattle’s famous Kau Kau BBQ Restaurant, considered by many to be some of the tastiest char siu in the world. This dish is quite sweet but it matches the sweetness of the original BBQ pork. If you prefer, you can certainly use less sugar. You’ll still get the amazing flavor. Personally I love the beautiful red color of the dish and I think it adds a lot to the presentation. It can be achieved using the same red yeast rice powder people take as a supplement or by using food coloring. However for a weeknight meal, I usually skip the color.

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lbs (~4 count) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 2-3 tbsp cane sugar
• 1-2 drops sesame oil
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 1 tsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 2-3 drops natural red food coloring OR 2-3 tsp red yeast rice powder (optional)

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl with a lid, combine the soy sauce, hoisin, sherry, sugar, five spice powder, white pepper, ginger, garlic-infused olive oil and food coloring. Whisk to combine well.
2. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade. Toss to combine, being sure to thoroughly coat the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours but ideally for 24 hours.
3. Prepare oven for broiling by positioning the rack so the meat will be 6-8” from the heating element. Broil ~10 minutes with the cut side up so that a nice char develops. Flip and broil another 5 minutes. Chop into strips and serve with fresh white rice and a vegetable.

Low FODMAP Egg Roll Veggie Sauté

Makes ~4 servings

This easy and healthy side dish captures the flavors of everyone’s favorite Chinese restaurant appetizer without the deep frying and wheat. Shredded carrots and cabbage seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil are the stars of the show. Use gluten free soy sauce to make it gluten free. Serve alongside your favorite Chinese dishes.

Egg Roll Veggie Sauté with Char Siu Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 2-pound cabbage, shredded (8 cups)
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or matchstick cut
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts (optional)
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tbsp avocado or other neutral oil
• 4 tsp sesame oil
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add ginger, shredded cabbage and carrots to the pan. Sauté until just wilted.
2. Add scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil and black pepper. Sauté until cabbage is tender-crisp. Serve immediately.

Low FODMAP Thai Basil Chicken

Makes 3-4 servings

One of the most difficult aspects of navigating the low FODMAP diet is finding delicious foods that don’t contain onion or garlic. Often restaurants can’t or won’t alter recipes for our dietary needs. Sometimes you just need to make them yourself so you can have it at all. This simple recipe comes together very quickly and satisfies that craving for Thai food. Use ground chicken for the quickest, easiest and most flavorful dish. I prefer hand cut chicken for texture. Use whichever you prefer.

Dark soy sauce (not black soy sauce) is a specialty ingredient. It can be found at Asian markets or online. There is no good substitute for it so try to find it. Buy Thai fish sauce instead of Vietnamese fish sauce if you can find it. It’s less salty and it’s of higher quality. (For more information on East Asian and SE Asian cooking ingredients, please click here.)

Top this dish with a crispy-edged fried egg if desired. To make a perfect fried egg with runny yolk and browned edges check out this helpful guide to frying eggs by Bellyful.

Please note this recipe contains soy sauce, oyster sauce and fish sauce, which are not low FODMAP ingredients. According Monash University, up to 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and 2 tbsp of fish sauce per serving should be tolerated. Take care to monitor your intake.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken -OR– 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp avocado oil or other neutral high heat oil
• 1 tsp garlic-infused olive oil
• ½ cup scallions or leeks, chopped (green parts only)
• ½ red or orange bell pepper, cut into strips then halved
• 1 lg carrot, peeled and sliced about 1/8” thick
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon cane sugar
• 1 cup fresh Thai basil (holy basil)
• fresh hot jasmine rice for serving
• fried eggs for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a wok or large cast iron skillet over med-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken and start breaking it up with your spoon (if using ground). Cook chicken until just done.
2. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, bell pepper, carrot and scallions/leeks. Toss with the chicken. Stir fry for another two minutes until the sauces are mixed and the chicken looks glossy.
3. Add the garlic-infused oil and stir until well incorporated. Roughly tear the basil leaves and add to the pan. Stir until wilted. Remove from heat. Serve with fresh hot jasmine rice. Top with fried if desired.