Although I can only eat about 90% of the food featured, I still love reading Cooking Light magazine. It’s great inspiration and every one in a while, I come across a recipe that seems tailor-made for the low-FODMAP diet. This soup is one example. Just a few tweaks here and there were all that was needed to adapt this recipe.
I used to think that kale and I didn’t get along since it’s a cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli and cabbage, but I’ll been slowly introducing it into my diet lately and so far, so good. And I think it is a low-FODMAP food. However, baby spinach would be a great alternative to the kale. I do have to say that the bacon and kale combination completely rocks!
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while, and finally found time to make it. January is the perfect time to make soup. Lots and lots of soup. Especially in Minnesota. Why do I live here again? I guess so soups like this seem even more warm, comforting and delicious.
Low-FODMAP Chicken, Kale & Quinoa Soup with Bacon
Low-FODMAP, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
adapted from Cooking Light
Ingredients
4 slices bacon
1/4 onion, left in large pieces
1 clove garlic, smashed and kept whole
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups unsalted low-FODMAP chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
6 cups fresh, chopped kale
Directions
- In a large stock pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pot and crumble. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the pot. Add the onion and garlic. Saute until tender (to flavor the drippings). Remove onion and garlic and discard.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add the chicken and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Saute until the chicken is brown and done, about 6-7 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the carrots, quinoa, thyme and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until carrots and quinoa are tender.
- Stir in the kale and continue simmering until kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon.
Garlic and onion are NOT low FODMAP.
Nope, they aren't. You will notice in the directions that I use the garlic and onion only to flavor the fat. The fructans do not leech out in oil or fat. The garlic and onion are discarded after using them to flavor the oil or fat.
whoa. great reply! I'm learning so much. I'm on day 3 of this diet. I'll be following for more recipes!
Thanks MaRy Mo!!! Hope the diet works for you.
I've pinned almost all of your low-FODMAP recipes to try – thank you so much for sharing them! They are giving this food-loving, low-FODMAP-diet-trying girl hope for my tummy and my tastebuds!
Hope you like my recipes! Thanks for the comment.
That's so really great that people think about soup. Because I don't really think about it, even though I have to. More I think about love. Autumn is cool, I need somebody to warm me up.
This is one of my favorites. I love getting the onion and garlic flavor without all of the nasty side effects. And it just tastes good. Great combination of flavors overall. I like to soak the quinoa (or use sprouted quinoa) ahead of time for extra digestibility. I've been using this recipe for 2 years now and still love it! (And I was surpised that I could actually like kale in something when I first tried it…)
Delicious! I used some homemade garlic infused oil for mine for those who are worried about accidental garlic chunks!