Low FODMAP Stock: Vegetable Stock Without Onion and Garlic
A good stock is the base for soups, risotto and many sauces. On the FODMAP diet, though, it quickly becomes a problem, because almost every stock in the supermarket contains onion, garlic or both. They often appear as powders in the ingredients list or hide behind the word ‘spices’. This guide explains what to look for when you buy stock, which products work and how to make your own low FODMAP vegetable stock.
Key points
- Onions and garlic contain fructans. These dissolve in the cooking water and stay in the stock, even if you take the vegetables out later.
- Check the ingredients list for onion, garlic, leek and celery, including in powdered form and behind umbrella terms such as ‘spices’.
- Massel stock is certified low FODMAP by Monash University. It contains neither onion nor garlic.
- For homemade stock, carrots, parsnips, celeriac and the green part of leeks work well.
Why regular stock is not low FODMAP
Classic vegetable or chicken stock almost always contains onion, garlic and leek, and often celery too. This is how the typical ingredients compare:
They are among the biggest sources of fructans, and the fructans pass into the water during cooking. So it does not help to cook the onion in the stock and take it out at the end. For the flavour, use onion replacer.
Also rich in fructans. You can get the flavour from garlic oil, because fructans do not dissolve in oil.
The white part contains a lot of fructans. The dark green part is low FODMAP and gives the stock a mild onion note.
Contains the sugar alcohol mannitol. A small piece is fine, but for celery flavour, celeriac is the better choice.
Low FODMAP in normal amounts. It gives the stock its typical celery flavour.
Together with herbs, they make a good base for a low FODMAP stock. One tomato in 1.5 litres of stock is fine too.
Almost always made with onion or garlic powder. The powder is highly concentrated, and even small amounts can add up with other FODMAP sources in a meal. Read more in our article on FODMAP stacking.
What to look for when buying stock
A quick look at the ingredients list tells you whether a stock is suitable.
Watch out for
- Onion, onion powder and shallots
- Garlic and garlic powder
- Leek, especially the white part
- Celery in larger amounts
- Umbrella terms such as ‘vegetables’, ‘spices’ or ‘flavourings’, which can hide onion or garlic
- Inulin, chicory fibre or fructooligosaccharides (FOS) added as fibre
Generally fine
- Salt and sugar
- Individual herbs and spices such as parsley, pepper or turmeric
- Carrots, parsnips and celeriac
- Vegetable oil
- Cornflour
The easiest option is to buy products with a low FODMAP certification, for example from Monash University or FODMAP Friendly. These products have been tested in a laboratory for their FODMAP content.
Massel: stock without onion or garlic
The Australian brand Massel makes stock that is certified low FODMAP by Monash University. All varieties are vegan and gluten-free, including the chicken style and beef style versions. At FODCORNER you can buy Massel as a powder and as stock cubes.
Vegetable stock powder168 g, for soups, risotto and vegetables
Chicken style stock powdervegan, 168 g, for light sauces and noodle soups
Beef style stock powdervegan, 168 g, for stews and dark sauces
Chicken style stock cubesvegan, 3 × 35 g, one cube makes 250 ml
Recipe: homemade low FODMAP vegetable stock
Low FODMAP vegetable stock
INGREDIENTS
- 2 carrots
- 1 parsnip
- 100 g celeriac
- the green part of 1 leek
- 1 tomato
- 1 piece of ginger (about 2 cm)
- 1 bunch of parsley (the stalks are enough)
- 2 bay leaves and 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
- 2 litres of water
- Salt
METHOD
- Wash the vegetables and chop them roughly. There is no need to peel them.
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the carrots, parsnip and celeriac and fry for about 5 minutes.
- Add the leek greens, tomato, ginger, herbs and peppercorns, then pour in the water.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat for about 60 minutes.
- Strain through a fine sieve and season with salt.
Storage: The stock keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. If you freeze it in ice cube trays, you always have small portions to hand. When you are short of time, use Massel vegetable stock instead.
How to give your stock more flavour
Browning
Frying the vegetables briefly in oil before you add the water gives the stock colour and a deeper flavour.
Leek greens and chives
Both add a mild onion note and are low FODMAP.
Garlic oil
A dash of garlic-infused olive oil at the end replaces fresh garlic.
Onion replacer
A teaspoon of FreeFOD onion replacer gives you the flavour of an onion, but not its fructans.
Umami
A piece of Parmesan rind or a dash of soy sauce rounds out the flavour.
Herbs
Parsley stalks, thyme and bay leaves simmer in the stock. Add fresh herbs only at the end.
Shopping list for low FODMAP cooking
These products help when onion and garlic are off the menu:
FreeFOD Onion Replacer1 tsp replaces one onion
FreeFOD Garlic Replacer1 tsp replaces one clove
Fody Garlic Olive Oilfor frying and finishing dishes
Fody Lemon & Herbseasoning without onion or garlic
Frequently asked questions about low FODMAP stock
Is stock low FODMAP?
Most ready-made stocks are not, because they contain onion and garlic. Products without these ingredients are low FODMAP, for example certified stock such as Massel’s, and so is homemade stock made from low FODMAP vegetables.
Can I have vegetable stock if I have IBS?
Yes, as long as it is made without onion, garlic and the white part of leeks. A clear vegetable stock also works well as a base for soups, risotto and sauces during the elimination phase.
Can I cook onions in the stock and take them out afterwards?
No. The fructans from onions and garlic pass into the cooking water and stay in the stock. With oil, on the other hand, the trick works: if you fry garlic in oil and take it out before any liquid goes in, the fructans stay in the garlic.
Is chicken stock low FODMAP?
Meat and bones contain no FODMAPs. So homemade chicken stock is low FODMAP as long as you leave out onion, garlic and celery. Use the vegetables from the recipe above instead.
Which Massel stock should I use for what?
Vegetable stock goes well with soups, risotto and vegetable dishes, chicken style with light sauces and noodle soups, and beef style with stews and dark sauces. All varieties are vegan.
How long does homemade vegetable stock keep?
It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and around three months in the freezer. Small portions are handy, for example frozen in ice cube trays.
For an overview of low FODMAP foods, see our FODMAP list.
Sources: Monash University, Cooking with onion and garlic · Monash University, The 3-step FODMAP Diet (2026) · Massel, Low FODMAP product range · FreeFOD, Onion Replacer
Photo: NK Lee on Unsplash
