As the weather starts to turn in the U.K, it's the perfect excuse for a warming, autumnal one-pot dish. This creamy, low FODMAP chowder is perfect for slurping down on a chilly evening to warm your cockles from the inside out. If you think chowder without seafood or corn is not possible keep reading to see how this delicious vegan, gluten-free, gut-friendly recipe is done.
The thing I love most about this chowder recipe is being able to load it up with all the FODMAP free veggies. Potatoes, carrots, parsnips and kale can all be eaten freely. This is great for those of us who have big appetites for hearty, filling meals. Bulking this low FODMAP chowder out with 'free' foods means that we can then add in smaller safe portions of ingredients such as the celeriac and leek greens purely for the flavours and textures that they bring.
The creaminess of this comes from a combination of the vegetable starches as the veggies break down in the broth, the buttery beans, the dijon mustard and the addition of almond milk. If truth be told, I'm much more likely to use oat cream in my personalised phase serving but almond milk is used here to make it suitable for the elimination phase.
The acidity of the lemon juice works perfectly to cut through the starch and brighten up the flavours. You may want to serve an extra lemon wedge on the side for those that like it sharp.
Let me know in the comments below if you missed the classic corn in this recipe.
Stay cosy xoxo
Recipe FAQ's
I can't imagine chowder without corn, can I add some and still keep it low FODMAP?
Traditionally sweetcorn is the vegetable of choice for a veggie chowder but until recently it was considered high FODMAP in anything other than small portions, so I originally focused on making this recipe delicious without it. If you can't imagine a corn-free chowder or would like to take advantage of the recent serving size increases in the Monash app then you have a few options:
- Corn on the cob has a safe serving of 38g or ½ a cob. It becomes moderate for sorbitol at 63g or ¾ of a cob. Whilst it's cheap and in season you could boil it lightly before cutting the safe serving fresh from the cob. Add the kernels to the pot about 15 minutes from the end of cooking time to soften up nicely.
- Canned, creamed corn has a more generous serving of 60g or ¼ cup. It's not a popular ingredient in the UK but is usually available in larger supermarkets. I've never eaten or cooked with it before but I'm guessing it's ok to add for the final 15 minutes just to allow time for it to heat through.
- Regular canned corn originally had a tiny low FODMAP serving of 10g or ½ Tbsp, becoming moderate for fructans at 15g or 1 Tbsp. However, in the 2022 update of the Monash app, after retesting, the safe serving for canned corn has increased dramatically. This is great news! As this recipe was originally created prior to the changes it hasn't been tested with corn included. Feel free to check out the new listing for canned corn in the FODMAP notes below. If you do experiment with adding it please let me know how it goes in the comments below.
Can I swap the fresh herbs for dried?
If fresh herbs are not available then substitute 1tsp of dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon of fresh and vice versa. I often freeze leftover fresh herbs for later use. If adding frozen herbs to a hot dish there's no need to defrost them first. Simply stir them in well towards the end of cooking.
I prefer my chowder to be thicker, what can I do?
The chowder naturally thickens as it cooks. The best way to get this to happen is to stick to the slow cooking time and simmer with the lid off.
If you like your chowder on the very thick side then adding a cornflour slurry towards the end of cooking will work. In a separate bowl whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch with 2 Tbsps of cold water. Once the flour and water are combined add the slurry to the simmering chowder and stir well. You should see the chowder begin to thicken. Add the rest of the slurry if you like it extra thick. Add the slurry at least 5 minutes before the end of cooking to allow time to cook out the taste of the cornflour.
Is cream low FODMAP and can I add it to my chowder?
Dairy cream is high FODMAP and generally only safe in 1 tablespoon amounts.
Oat cream and soy cream are not listed in the low FODMAP app so should really be avoided during the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet.
Coconut cream, coconut yoghurt and canned coconut milk both have low FODMAP servings. Whilst they will add creaminess they may also add too much of a coconut flavour to the dish.
If you really want to add extra creaminess then I suggest swirling 1 tablespoon of your preferred cream into each individual bowl before serving.
How can I store this chowder?
This recipe stores and reheats well the next day. You may need to add a splash of almond milk or water if the chowder has thickened overnight. Although it is possible to freeze it, a change to the overall creamy texture and appearance is likely. For this reason, I don't recommend freezing which is why I created this as a 2 portion recipe.
Cooks Notes
In this type of dish, I prefer everything to be softened down nicely but if you want your greens to retain their colour and bite then add the leeks, kale and fresh herbs for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Non-FODMAP or Personalised Phase Notes
Consider serving this with a slice of crusty, buttered bread for dunking and scooping.
Use both the white and green parts of the leeks to avoid food waste.
To add crispness and sweetness along with acidity reduce the lemon by half and swap 1 cup of the cooking water for an equal quantity of dry white wine. Please note that some IBS sufferers have non-FODMAP reactions to alcohol. To find vegan wine options for this dish visit Barnivore, which is a comprehensive database of vegan-friendly alcohol brands.
Vegan Notes
You may be surprised to hear that not all lemons are vegan. Unfortunately due to the preservation methods of some citrus fruits, they may not be considered vegan. Waxes such as beeswax and shellac (a resin secreted by the female Lac bug) are often used to preserve the appearance and shelf life of citrus fruits. Choose organic, unwaxed varieties wherever possible or contact the supplier for clarification.
If purchasing waxed fruit avoid those coated with beeswax (E901) and shellac (E904). Whilst it's still gross, carnauba wax (E904) and polyethylene (E914) may also be used as glazing agents, and these are considered vegan. All lemons used in my recipes are unwaxed.
FODMAP Notes
This recipe was updated in May 2022 to include the new information for low FODMAP servings of canned corn and leek greens.
White potatoes, carrots, parsnips and kale are all FODMAP free and can be eaten according to appetite.
I prefer to leave the skin on my potatoes for the extra fibre but if you have issues with digesting excess fibre then feel free to peel them first.
As this recipe contains the maximum recommended amount of mannitol per portion I suggest that you avoid serving it with any other mannitol-containing foods.
FODMAP Servings
As written this recipe is low FODMAP at ½ serving. One serving of this recipe contains approx:
- Trace Fructan serving - 1 teaspoon dijon mustard & lemon juice = trace. If you would like to add canned sweetcorn to this recipe add 1 fructan serving for every 75g portion of corn
- 1 GOS serving - 35g butter beans
- 1 Mannitol serving - 75g celeriac = 1 serve
- 0 Sorbitol
- Trace Fructose - 1 bay leaf
- 0 Lactose - All my recipes are vegan and therefore free from dairy and lactose. Yay!
Always refer to the Monash app for current low FODMAP servings and FODMAP categorizations.
FODMAP Ingredient Notes
Almond Milk
No upper limits or FODMAPs listed. Swap for an equal quantity of rice milk if preferred. Rice milk contains a high amount of fructans in quantities of 250ml. As this recipe is low in overall fructans it's less of an issue here but is something to watch out for if making substitutions to other fructan-containing recipes.
My plant milk preference is for oat milk due to its creamier flavour and lower carbon footprint. Unfortunately, according to Monash, oat milk here in the UK has a very small low FODMAP serving of 30ml or ⅛th Cup.
Once you reach the personalised phase of the diet and know more about your triggers it's important to look at the bigger picture of your food choices beyond their FODMAP content and experiment with including more of your preferred alternatives.
Bay leaves
One of the few herbs and spices that have FODMAPs listed. Safe serving listed as 1 leaf. At 2 leaves it becomes moderate for fructose. If you malabsorb fructose you may wish to count it towards your fructan serving.
Butter beans
Canned, rinsed and drained butter beans contain GOS and have a low FODMAP serving of 35g. Canned legumes and pulses have a lower FODMAP content than dried beans because the water-soluble Oligos Fructans and GOS leach out of the bean and are washed away in the canning water. People that do not usually tolerate legumes may find that low FODMAP servings of canned, drained beans are more easily digested.
Celeriac
Contains mannitol and is low FODMAP at 75g per portion. Servings of 350g or more contain moderate to high amounts of mannitol.
Corn, kernels, canned & drained
Please note, that this was originally created as a corn-free recipe based on previous low FODMAP serving guidelines. This updated info is included for your reference only and doesn't impact the FODMAP values of this recipe as written.
Following the 2022 update, canned corn is now listed as low FODMAP in servings of 75g. It doesn't become moderate for fructans until 250g or high for fructans until 310g. This is a huge increase from its previous listing of 10g, where it was considered moderate for fructans at a mere 15g.
Dijon mustard
Low FODMAP serving of 23g/1 Tbsp. Very large servings of 230g or ¾ cup become moderate for fructans and GOS. As Dijon mustard is usually used in recipes in small amounts I tend not to count it towards my FOS/GOS serving. If you're very sensitive to oligos then you may wish to consider it for FODMAP stacking purposes as a ¼ portion of fructans and GOS.
Leek greens
The green leafy tips at the end of the leeks have a low FODMAP serving of 100g. This increased significantly from 54g in the 2022 Monash app update. Originally, in portions of 75g/85g, they became moderate/high for mannitol. Since the update, no excess FODMAPs or FODMAP types are listed.
The white bulb of the leek is high in fructans at 75g and has a tiny low FODMAP serving size of 14g. It becomes moderate for fructans at 18g.
Lemon juice
Low FODMAP serving of 125g / ½ cup. Lemon juice becomes moderate for fructans at 187g or ¾ cup. As lemon juice is usually used in recipes in fairly small quantities I don't generally count it. If you're making a lemon-heavy recipe or have issues with the fructans in fruit then for the purpose of FODMAP stacking you may wish to count it towards your fructan servings.
Stock cubes
Often contain wheat, onion, garlic & celery. If in the elimination phase then use a homemade stock powder such as this recipe or a certified low FODMAP brand such as Massel 7's (linked below).
Shopping Tips
- Massel 7's chicken-style stock cubes (35g) Available in vegetable, beef style and chicken style. These are free from onion, garlic, gluten, trans fats and MSG. They are vegan and certified low FODMAP. If you've never tried them before then trialling this single pack might be a good idea. Once you have a taste for them it can be cheaper to buy them in multi-packs from Amazon.
- Engevita nutritional yeast with B12 (125 g) If you use this regularly it sometimes works out to be a better value to buy it in multipacks online rather than individually. If you've never used it before or prefer not to buy it in bulk then start with a single 125g pack
* We use affiliate links here to help support our work. Purchasing through these links does not affect your consumer rights or the price you pay but may result in The Irritable Vegan receiving a small commission payment. We thank you for supporting us in this way whilst you shop.
Free From
- Garlic Free (check stock)
- Gluten Free (check stock)
- Oil Free
- Peanut Free
- Sesame Free
- Soy Free
- Wheat Free (check stock)
- Lactose Free
- Sorbitol Free
Please always double-check your ingredients to ensure your products, brands and version is "free-from" if required. Where we list free from FODMAPs please be aware we are referring to free from excess FODMAPs as defined by low/high FODMAP limits in the Monash app and not a true allergy-safe definition of "free-from". Most plant foods will still contain some level of FODMAPs but in amounts that are considered to be tolerable for most people on the low FODMAP diet.
Recipe
Creamy Vegan Low FODMAP Chowder
AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER
We may use affiliate links here to help support our work. As an Amazon affiliate we earn commissions off qualifying purchases. We thank you for supporting us in this way whilst you shop.
Cook mode
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups water
- 200 g parsnip
- 150 g carrot
- 150 g celeriac
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1 stock cube - Gluten-free and/or low FODMAP if required
- 400 g potato
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 100 g leek greens
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 100 g / 2 large handfuls kale
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 70 g canned butter beans - rinsed and drained
- 185 ml / ¾ cup almond milk
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Boil 2.5 cups water in a kettle.
- Peel 150 g celeriac, 200 g parsnip and the carrots and potatoes if preferred. Dice all of the root vegetables into small bite-sized chunks. Thoroughly wash 100 g leek greens and slice finely. Quarter 1 unwaxed lemon.
- Heat a deep saucepan on medium heat. Add 3 tablespoon of the hot water and allow it to begin to splutter. Continue to add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time as required throughout the sauteing stage to ensure the ingredients do not stick.
- As soon as the water starts to spit add the parsnips. Stir as they hit the pot to ensure they are not sticking before you add anything else. Then add 150 g carrot and celeriac and saute for 2 minutes. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time as required.
- Ensure there is a little water in the pot before you sprinkle over 1 stock cube. Saute for a further 3 minutes.
- Add the lemon and 400 g potato and saute for 5 minutes. Keep stirring frequently and checking the water level, topping up as needed.
- Add pinch salt, pinch pepper, ½ teaspoon dried sage and leek greens. Stir well and saute for 2 minutes before reducing the heat to low.
- Sprinkle in 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast and add 2 cups of hot water. Stir in 2 teaspoon dijon mustard and drop in 1 dried bay leaf. Allow to bubble on low uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Whilst the pot bubbles de-stem and roughly chop 100 g / 2 large handfuls kale, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme.
- After 15 mins catch the lemon quarters in a slotted spoon, lightly squeeze out the juice before removing them from the pan.
- Add 70 g canned butter beans, fresh herbs, 185 ml / ¾ cup almond milk, and kale. Gently submerge everything into the broth. Grate over ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg and simmer uncovered on low for a final 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust, I added a pinch of salt, pepper, and extra nooch.
Recipe Video
Notes
- 1 cup = 250 ml
- 1 tablespoon = 15 ml
- 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
Recipe Video
Did you miss the corn? Will you be adding it to yours?
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Rebecca says
Delicious! I blended the beans with the milk (I used soy) to make it extra thick and creamy (and so the kids wouldn't notice them!). Everyone loved it 🙂
Michelle @ The Irritable Vegan says
Yay! Glad you liked it, this is such a cosy dish. Gotta love an incognito bean, I have to do the same for my husband! 😉