A low FODMAP root vegetable crumble, with parsnips, sweet potato, cheese and plenty of herbs. Gluten free and easily made vegan too. A goodie on cold days as a perfect side to your roast or even as your main, served with a big crunchy salad.
If you’ve never tried a savoury crumble before either, then this is your time!! Think stuffing-sorta vibes, with rich, autumnal veggie flavours. Following a low FODMAP diet doesn’t mean you have to miss out on flavour and this recipe is so comforting and satisfying. Serving it with a green salad sounds uninteresting but I promise as long as it’s fresh and crunchy and maybe drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic it’s really, really good.
Crumble-to-topping ratio is very important
When it comes to the low FODMAP crumble topping, I’m looking for a good, crunchy, rich, topping-to-veg ratio. I tried making the crumble topping first off with gluten free flour and butter, but was quickly reminded that gluten free flour doesn’t always brown well when baked. The end result didn’t give the deep, enticing golden colour I was after. For my second go I tried bread, torn instead of cut (obvs) for extra texture and on the third go I added in oats and wholegrain mustard, for even more texture and flavour. Chives and garlic-infused oil add even more flavour, so you won’t even notice those often-found higher FODMAP culprits are gone.
Low FODMAP root vegetable crumble recipes notes and suggestions (there’s a world of possibilities for this one!):
- Carrots would be a delicious veg sub in
- Use could use a vegan cheese alternative to make this recipe low FODMAP and vegan
- For a higher FODMAP variation, use olive oil instead of garlic-infused olive oil and fry a finely sliced garlic clove at the same time as the veggies
- Crème fraîche instead of stock (higher FODMAP) is delicious
- A teaspoon of miso paste added into the stock gives an even bigger depth of flavour
- I tried this recipe with 30g chopped hazelnuts added to the crumble topping and it was delicious – sadly because of FODMAP stacking it takes you over elimination phase levels, but definitely one to try down the line if suitable for you. Pecans would be good too!
- If you have a cast iron pan you can cook this on the hob in the same pan that you put into the oven to bake – if not, don’t worry, simply use a taller sided frying pan or saucepan when cooking on the hob and then transfer into a baking dish for the oven
Ingredients
400g parsnips, trimmed, scrubbed and cut into small chunks
200g sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into small chunks
small bunch of chives, finely chopped
a couple of rosemary springs, leaves removed from the stem and finely chopped
small bunch of thyme, leaves picked
sea salt and cracked black pepper
60g cheddar cheese, divided in half
150ml stock or hot water
For the crumble topping:
1 slice of gluten free bread, torn into small chunks
40g oats (gluten free if needed)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
To serve:
crunchy green salad, dressed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Method
Preheat your oven to 200C, fan 180C, gas 6. Fill your kettle and put it onto boil.
Heat the garlic-infused oil in a pan over a medium heat and add in your chopped veg, along with the herbs and a generous sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until the veg starts to soften and caramelise and the herbs get even more fragrant. Pour in a big splash of water, pop a lid on and allow the veg to cook for another 10 or so minutes, until just tender. Stir often and check in on them every now and then, adding more water if you need it and if anything is starting to stick.
While the veg is cooking, grate the cheddar and make your crumble topping by combining all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, along with 1/2 of the cheese. Season generously and put to one side.
Once the veg is just cooked, stir in 150ml of stock and the remaining half of the cheddar. You don’t want the mix to be soupy, but you want it to have enough liquid so that it won’t dry out when baked in the oven. If your pan can go directly into the oven, top the cheesy veg and stock mix with the crumble topping and pop in the oven. Alternatively if your pan isn’t oven safe, spoon the veg mix into an oven dish and then top with the crumble.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a big crunchy green salad.
