Buckwheat? What the heck is buckwheat? It’s the best low FODMAP gluten-free grain you’ve never heard of! And it’s a feature of this delicious low FODMAP chicken & buckwheat soup.
Like quinoa, buckwheat is technically a seed; however, from a culinary standpoint, we use it like a grain. It can be used to make hot cereal like oats and rice, or in a grain bowl like rice, quinoa and pasta, or in a soup like barley.
You might already be familiar with buckwheat if you’ve ever had galettes bretton (French buckwheat crepes) or soba noodles, both of which are made with buckwheat flour.
Buckwheat groats can have a slightly bitter aftertaste but you won’t notice that at all in this soup or in my low FODMAP granola where I use buckwheat to provide a delightful crispy crunch.
Low FODMAP Ingredients & Alternatives
Low FODMAP Chicken Broth. Homemade chicken broth without garlic and onion is totally doable, completely delicious, and easy peasy. Use my low FODMAP chicken broth for this recipe and you’ll have have a dynamite dinner.
Buckwheat. Buckwheat is a small grain, commonly used in eastern European cooking (ever heard of kasha?). Despite it’s misleading name, buckwheat contains no wheat and is a wonderful low FODMAP whole grain to add to soup!
You could replace the buckwheat with wild rice, quinoa or gluten-free pasta. If using a gluten-free pasta look for a higher fibre option (eg. 3g or more of fibre per 85g serving). Also, be prepared for the pasta to absorb a lot of liquid and puff up, so use a smaller 1/3 cup raw portion in this soup.
Carrots and parsnips. Carrots and parsnips and very low in FODMAPs. You could also use peeled sweet potato in place of the carrots in this recipe. Green beans would be a nice low FODMAP alternative to the parsnips.
Kale. Leafy greens like kale, spinach, bok choy, and lettuce are low FODMAP. Dark green leafy vegetables are sources of iron and calcium. Baby spinach would make a great alternative to kale in this soup.
Thyme and parsley. Herbs (fresh and dried) are low FODMAP. Sage, rosemary and dill work well with chicken and could easily be added to low FODMAP chicken soup to enhance the flavour.
Chicken meat. Meat – be it chicken, pork, beef, fish or eggs – do not contain FODMAPs. If you’re trying to increase plant protein in your diet, you could halve the chicken in this recipe and use 1 cup canned and rinsed lentils or chickpeas (1/4 cup canned and rinsed lentils & chickpeas are low FODMAP).
Tips for Success
- Tie thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine if you have it. Otherwise, retrieve thyme sprigs from the soup before adding parsley in the final step.
- Add the carrots before the parsnips because carrots are tougher and take longer to cook. Parsnips cook pretty quickly.
- Ya, sorry, I’ve got no more tips – this soup is just so easy 🙂
What to Serve with Low FODMAP Chicken & Buckwheat Soup
- Sourdough bread dipped in extra-virgin olive oil (for an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean twist) or butter.
- Low FODMAP buttermilk biscuits (make low FODMAP buttermilk but adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of lactose-free milk).
- A low FODMAP sandwich on gluten-free or sourdough bread.
Low FODMAP Chicken and Buckwheat Soup
Ingredients
- 8 cup homemade low FODMAP chicken broth
- 1/3 cup buckwheat (I used Bob's Red Mill buckwheat)
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 small parsnips, chopped
- 2 cups chopped kale, chopped
- 2 cups cooked chopped chicken
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 5 sprigs thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add low FODMAP chicken broth broth, buckwheat and thyme to large stock pot and bring to boil with lid on.
- Once boiling, add carrots and continue to cook on high with lid on but askew for 3 minutes.
- Turn heat down to medium and add parsnips, kale and chicken. Simmer with lid askew for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are soft.
- Add parsley and simmer for 2 more minutes.
xoAndrea, RD
