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 15-minute GF Personal Pumpkin Pie

Make your own single or double serving pumpkin pie quickly in the microwave. This yummy crustless treat can be ready in just 15 minutes. Generally microwave pies aren’t the prettiest baked goods due to the cooking method, but they taste great! I used pumpkin pie spice I made myself (recipe follows pie recipe) since I had an excess of the right spices, but store bought pumpkin spice blends work just as well.

Usually a recipe like this one requires heavy whipping cream. Whipping cream is surprisingly a low FODMAP food due to its high fat content and low lactose content. In fact up to half a cup of real whipped cream should be tolerated by most. However I personally don’t like buying ingredients for one recipe that I won’t use up. I decided to employ an old baking trick in which you can substitute milk plus butter for cream since I often have lactose free milk on hand. (If you have heavy whipping cream on hand and would like to use it, omit the butter and use 1/4 cup of heavy cream instead of lactose free milk. )

This recipe makes a fairly large single serving. It can easily be split into two servings. My recommendation is to use wide, shallow microwave-safe bowls so it cooks evenly. Mine took a little longer than 2 minutes for the center to set. All microwaves are a little different so your pie may need more or less time.

Pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream. It ain’t pretty but it sure is yummy!

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Low FODMAP Personal Pumpkin Pie

Makes 1 large serving or 2 average servings.

Ingredients

• 1/ 3 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup cane sugar
• 1/4 cup lactose free whole milk
• 4 tsp unsalted butter, melted
• pumpkin pie spice to taste (approx. 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until smooth.
2. Pour mixture into 1 or 2 microwave-safe bowls. Microwave for approximately 2 minutes, checking it every 30 seconds.
3. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve as is or topped with low FODMAP whipped cream.

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Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

You remembered the pumpkin but forgot the Pumpkin Spice? I’ve got you covered. This recipe should make enough for this recipe twice over. I happened to have both Cassia (Saigon) cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon (true cinnamon) on hand so I used both types. The flavor was fabulous, but by no means is it necessary to use both kinds to get great results. Use whatever you’ve got in your cupboard.

• 1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 grind black pepper

Low FODMAP Easiest Hot Ham & Cheese

On low spoon days it can be really nice to have a hot meal, but hot meals are often taxing to make. Fortunately this low spoons hot meal requires no chopping, no standing over a stove and takes under 10 minutes to prepare. Make as many or as few as fits your appetite, but Monash recommends up to 3 corn tortillas per meal.

I use black forrest ham as I found a brand with no high FODMAP ingredients, but you can use whatever type of low FODMAP ham you wish. Even thin slices of home-baked ham work.

Customize this recipe as you like. Add thinly sliced tomato if you like. Use different low FODMAP cheese. A little Dijon mustard spread on the tortilla could add some spice. You could even swap out the ham for turkey or roast beef. Just don’t overfill the tortillas. Too much and hot cheese will ooze everywhere when you take a bite. Make sure to allow to cool a bit before eating so the cheese doesn’t burn your mouth.

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Low FODMAP Easiest Hot Ham & Cheese

Makes 1 serving.

Ingredients

• 3 corn tortillas
• 3 slices of deli ham
• shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 425.
2. Place tortillas on a lined baking sheet. Center a slice of ham on each tortilla. Top with shredded cheese to taste.
3. Move oven rack to the highest position and bake until cheese is completely melted and just starting to brown – about 3-6 minutes depending on your oven.
4. Remove from oven. Transfer to a plate using tongs or a spatula. Fold tortilla in half. Allow to stand for 1-2 minutes then serve.

All cheese is melted with just a little brown. It’s ready to be folded.

Ready to eat! Don’t burn yourself.

Low FODMAP GF Italian Sub ‘Tacos’

This quick snack is basically a sub sandwich without the bread. It’s got all the toppings you’d find on a classic Italian sub folded up into ‘tacos’. Make sure the cheese is always the outer later to avoid greasy fingers.

The cold cuts listed below are generally low FODMAP, however it’s always a good idea to double check if possible. Ham tends to be high in fat and sodium so it’s a good idea to limit your intake.

In the area I grew up Italian subs are topped with sweet peppers or hot peppers or both. If you tolerate peppers, try a little bit be careful not to overdo it!

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Low FODMAP GF Italian Sub ‘Tacos’

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

• 3 deli slices provolone cheese
• 3 deli slices genoa salami
• 3 deli slices capicola/gabagool
• 3 deli slices peppered ham
• 3 ‘sandwich slim’ style dill pickles (optional)
• 2-3 leaves of lettuce (iceberg or romaine), shredded
• 3 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 2 scallions, sliced (green parts only)
• black pepper to taste
• oregano to taste
• fruity olive oil (optional)
• Italian hot peppers or sweet peppers (optional)
• sliced black olives (optional)
• toothpicks (if serving as appetizer)

Instructions

1. Lay out the provolone slices separately on your work surface. To each slice of cheese add a slice of salami, ham and capicola.
2. Place a dill pickle slice on the cold cuts so that one edge aligns with the center of the stack. Add a small amount of each of the following: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and sliced scallions. Add hot and sweet peppers if using.
3. Drizzle a small amount of oil over the vegetables and add a sprinkle of oregano and black pepper to each.
4. If eating immediately, simply fold the cheese slice so that it forms a ‘taco shell’. If serving as an appetizer, you can secure each ‘taco’ closed with a toothpick.

Cento Hoagie Spread aka Hot Peppers

Cento Roasted Peppers aka Sweet Peppers

Individual Deviled Eggs

Sometimes you want deviled eggs, but you don’t feel like making a big batch. I wrote this recipe for one deviled egg for those occasions. Eggs are high in protein and contain no carbohydrates. They’re also nutritious and easy on the stomach. That makes them an ideal meal or snack.

I keep a small supply of hard boiled eggs in my fridge. However I have noticed that it gets pretty boring eating a plain boiled egg all the time. It’s nice to dress them up with a little mayonnaise and mustard once in a while. When the egg is already boiled, making deviled eggs goes very quickly.

Deviled eggs can also be an opportunity to get creative. Try topping them with black or green olives, capers, chopped cornichons, smoked salmon, crumbled bacon, fresh herbs or sliced scallions.

Makes 1 serving.

Ingredients

• 1 large hard boiled egg
• 1tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp yellow mustard
• paprika

Instructions

1. Carefully slice the egg in half. Pull apart the cooked whites and set aside. In a small bowl, mash the yolk with a fork. Add mayonnaise and mustard. Mix until even.
2. Using 2 spoons, fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture. Lightly sprinkle paprika over the eggs. Set in fridge to chill for 30 minutes or serve immediately.

Low FODMAP Easy Spiced Tea

Makes 1 serving.

I love freshly made chai from scratch, but I usually don’t have the patience or energy to make it properly. Fortunately there’s a very easy – if inauthentic – way to make it at home: use Chinese 5-spice powder as a shortcut to a fragrant spiced tea. Although the ingredients that make up 5-spice can vary, a version commonly found in US markets is made from cinnamon, star anise, black pepper, fennel and cloves. All of these spices make appearances in chai recipes so it’s not too far off. Add a green cardamom pod if desired to enhance the flavor. (Even if your 5-spice is a bit different, it will still make a lovely spiced tea.)

This tea can be prepared with or without your choice of milk, plant milk or creamer. It is delicious either way. I prefer to use black tea such as English or Irish Breakfast, but oolong and green tea also make delicious beverages. Just make sure to leave 1 sip in the bottom. You won’t want a mouthful of crushed spice grit.

Ingredients

• 1 black tea teabag
• 8-10oz boiling water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/8-1/4 tsp 5-spice powder
• 1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed (optional)
• your choice of lactose free milk or low FODMAP plant milk (optional

Instructions

1. Boil water in a kettle, on the stove or in a microwave.
2. Add the tea bag, sugar, spice powder and optional cardamom to a mug. Pour the boiling water into the mug, stir and allow to steep for 3-5 minutes.
3. Add milk to taste. Serve immediately.

Low FODMAP Tortilla Mini Pizzas

Makes 1 snack-sized serving.

Simple, quick and tasty is the best way to describe this snack. It’s most easily prepared in a toaster oven, but a conventional oven works well, too. Use whatever low FODMAP toppings you like. Cheese alone is tasty. Leftover seasoned beef from School Lunch Tacos is particularly good. Just be sure to add it before the cheese so it does not dry out. For a crispier mini pizza, use less cheese and bake about 2 minutes longer.

Ingredients

• 2 small corn tortillas
• garlic-infused olive oil
• shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 2 grape or cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 scallion, chopped (green parts only)
• 1 slice of yellow, red or orange bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 425F. If using a conventional oven, move the rack to the highest position.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the tortillas on it so they do not overlap. Pour a small amount of garlic-infused olive oil onto one tortilla. Using the back of a spoon, quickly spread the oil evenly across the tortilla. If you have excess oil, press the other tortilla onto the first to absorb some of the oil. Repeat with the other tortilla so both are lightly coated on the side facing up. Add a handful of cheese to each tortilla and spread it evenly. Top with tomatoes, scallions and bell pepper.
3. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until all the cheese is melted and the edges of the tortilla just start to brown. Remove from oven and using kitchen shears, a pizza cutter or a knife, cut each tortilla into 4 wedges. Serve immediately.

Low FODMAP Asian Salad Dressings

A friend rhetorically asked why restaurant salads taste so much better than homemade. I had to stop and think about it. There are a few reasons but the biggest difference to me is the dressing. Most restaurants make their own dressings from fresh, flavorful ingredients, unlike bottled dressings, which are loaded with preservatives and food stabilizers. Since I switched to making my own years ago, I have never gone back to bottled.

Today I have 3 Asian salad dressings for you. Make them up fresh and use them right away for best flavor. If you haven’t seen my post about ingredients for cooking Asian cuisines, you may wish to check it out first. For more information and ideas for making salads, please check out Low FODMAP Salad Building 101.

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Bento Box Sesame Dressing

This is the thin, pale dressing most often seen drizzled over iceberg lettuce in a bento box. Personally I prefer it tossed with shredded romaine lettuce and julienned carrots.

Makes ~4 side salad servings

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Combine all ingredients and stir well.

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Teriyaki Joint Poppyseed Dressing 

This is an Asian-style poppyseed dressing. It’s simple, sweet and tangy. Add just a few poppy seeds or go heavy. Up to 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds are typically tolerated by those on the low FODMAP diet. I love this dressing over shredded cabbage.

Makes ~4 side salad servings

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• poppy seeds to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir well. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 min to allow the sugar to dissolve completely. Stir or shake before serving.

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Vietnamese Nuoc Cham 

Nuoc cham is the dressing usually served at the side of a Vietnamese vermicelli bowl. You can soak rice vermicelli noodles according to the instructions on the packaging and serve them with all the trappings of a regular vermicelli bowl or you can use it on plain lettuce. I’ve even poured a little over chilled quinoa for a lovely Vietnamese grain salad.

Makes ~4 dinner salad servings

• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 tsp cane sugar
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 tsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice

Combine all ingredients and stir well.

Low FODMAP Egg Drop Soup

In addition to being naturally low FODMAP and gluten free, egg drop soup is very easy to make. It takes slightly longer than it takes to boil water. You can speed it along by using a kettle to boil the water first. This egg drop soup won’t have the same bright yellow color as you’ll find in a restaurant. That’s because restaurants often use food coloring to achieve the color. If you must have that bright yellow color, add a 1/2 tsp of turmeric.

Turn it into a meal by adding diced cooked chicken, and up to 1 oz of sweet corn per serving or up to 2 oz cooked broccoli per serving. You could also stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach before adding the egg. It needs to boil for about 1 minute to wilt.

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Makes 6 side servings or 4 meal-sized servings.

Ingredients

• 4 cups prepared low FODMAP chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/3 cup cool water
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 scallion, sliced (green parts only)

Instructions

1. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium soup pot.
2. Stir in the sesame oil, and white pepper. Stir the cornstarch and water mixture again as the cornstarch will settle out quickly. Stir the soup continuously and pour in the slurry in a slow stream.
3. Using a ladle to stir the soup in a circular motion, slowly pour the beaten eggs in. Remove from heat.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with scallions and serve.

Low FODMAP Cheesy Baked Potato Soup

There are days when cooking seems like an impossibility. On my lowest spoon days, this incredibly easy soup is my go-to meal. It’s pure comfort food that’s ready in minutes. If you have an electric kettle, boil the water for the broth in that to speed up the process. This dish takes about 5 minutes total.

Makes 1 serving.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup low FODMAP broth
• 1/4 cup lactose free whole milk
• 1/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I use Mexican blend but cheddar is great too)
• white pepper to taste
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 2 strips bacon, crisped and crumbled (optional)
• lactose-free sour cream (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine the broth, milk, potato flakes and the pepper. Stir until evenly mixed. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Add half the cheese and stir it in.
2. Ladle the soup into a bowl. Top with the rest of the cheese, a sprinkle of pepper, scallions, bacon and a dollop of sour cream.