Potato, Carrot & Ham Soup
By Mira Sefton
Calcium & vitamin D +
Canned salmon (with bones)Sardines (with bones)Fortified oat milkOmega-3 fats +
SalmonSardinesCanned tunaThree lenses: how gentle on the gut, how nourishing, how tasty — because gentle isn't the same as healthy. How the scores work →
A smooth, comforting soup built on peeled potato and carrot with lean ham — no onion or garlic bulb, gentle on a sensitive gut.
This is the kind of soup you want when you're tired and your gut needs a break. It's mostly peeled potato and carrot, cooked soft and blended smooth, with a little lean ham for savoury depth.
The usual version starts with onion and garlic, which can be hard going — they're high in fructans (a carb that ferments quickly and makes a lot of wind). Here you get that warm, savoury background from garlic-infused oil and the green tops of spring onions instead, so the flavour stays without the same load.
Blending it smooth also lowers the particle load, which many people find sits easier. The ham brings salt and richness, so you won't miss much.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil
- green tops of 3 spring onions, sliced
- 500 g potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 medium carrots (about 300 g), peeled and sliced
- 1 litre onion-free stock (or low-FODMAP stock)
- 120 g lean cooked ham, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- a pinch of dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley, to serve (optional)
Method
- Warm the garlic-infused oil in a large pot over a medium heat.
- Add the green spring onion tops and cook gently for 1-2 minutes, until soft. Don't let them brown.
- Add the peeled potato and carrot and stir to coat in the oil.
- Pour in the stock, then add the bay leaf and thyme.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then turn down and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.
- Lift out the bay leaf.
- Blend the soup until smooth, using a stick blender or a stand blender in batches. Take care with the hot liquid.
- Stir in the diced ham and warm through for 2-3 minutes.
- Taste and season with salt and white pepper. Serve with a little parsley if you like.
Gentler swaps
- Ham too salty or rich? Leave it out for a smooth potato-carrot soup, or use a small amount of cooked chicken instead.
- Want it thinner? Add a splash more stock or water after blending.
- No garlic-infused oil? Use plain olive oil — you'll lose a little depth, but it's still gentle. Make sure your oil is the infused kind, not chopped garlic in oil.
- Dairy adds comfort and you tolerate it? A small swirl of cream or a spoon of lactose-free milk softens the flavour nicely.
For the family
Cook once — your gentle version, plus how to pep it up for everyone else.
Cook the whole pot gentle, exactly as written, and blend it smooth. Everyone shares this same comforting base.
For the bolder eaters, set out toppings to stir into their bowls: a spoon of crispy fried onions, a pinch of chilli flakes, a grating of sharp cheese, or a swirl of garlic butter. A few cracks of black pepper and some crusty bread on the side does a lot too.
You keep your bowl plain and smooth; they pep theirs up at the table. Same pot, same dinner — no separate sad plate.
Scores are modelled estimates, not medical advice. Everyone's gut is different, and tolerance changes over time. Reintroduce foods one at a time, and follow your own medical team's advice.