Soup should be comforting and satisfying, and luckily this Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup is that and more! Thanks to all of the vegetables, herbs and spices, you can expect big flavor and health benefits like plenty of fiber, which can help fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied. It only takes a little bit of prep to create a batch of this filling soup that you can enjoy right away or save for a later date. Here are the steps you need to make this delicious soup as well as tips for prep and how to add extra veggies for even more health benefits.
How to Make Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup
1. Prep Your Vegetables for Cooking
Before you begin cooking, it’s important to prep the vegetables and have them all chopped and ready to go. We have easy guides for prepping onions, bell peppers, garlic, cabbage and tomatoes to help you improve your knife skills in the kitchen.
2. Heat Your Oil for Sweating the Vegetables
To properly sweat (release some of their moisture) and soften your vegetables, you’ll need to heat the oil first. This only takes a minute or two, so stay close or you’ll wind up with a smoking pot. Add the vegetables and stir often because your goal is only to soften, not brown, the vegetables.
3. Add a Splash of Vinegar
Finishing the dish with a bit of vinegar balances the flavors, making it more robust and interesting. The pop of acid adds the perfect tang and punchiness for highlighting all of those perfectly softened vegetables. Plus, adding vinegar helps cut down on sodium by adding flavor without relying on salt.
Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen
These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!
- To save time, you can prep some of the vegetables a day ahead and refrigerate them separately in airtight containers.
- Mix up the flavors with different acidic ingredients. You already know vinegar plays an important role in this soup, but don’t feel like you have to stick with white-wine vinegar. Try red-wine, cider or even champagne vinegar. Or use citrus like lemon or lime juice in place of vinegar for an even fresher, brighter flavor.
- Consider this soup an opportunity for squeezing more vegetables into your diet. While you’ve got a solid base here with onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, cabbage and tomato, why not add a few more of your favorites? Try trimmed and sliced broccoli stems, cauliflower or green beans. Or add some yellow squash or zucchini to give the soup a summery spin.
Nutrition Notes
- Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, and like all cruciferous veggies, cabbage has numerous health benefits. According to the USDA, 1 cup raw cabbage provides 41% of your daily vitamin C needs and 2 grams of fiber—which will help keep things moving through your digestive system.
- Carrots contain beta carotene, a pigment that gives them their bright orange color and also promotes eye health. Beta carotene is also a precursor to vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant that supports immunity and can help fight inflammation.
- Red bell peppers provide 190% of the Daily Value for vitamin C per 1 medium pepper. Vitamin C is important for immunity and is also necessary for the repair and growth of body tissues. It’s also a key component in making collagen.
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Directions
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Add bell pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper and salt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add broth, cabbage and tomato; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, partially cover and cook until all the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.
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Equipment
Large pot
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this recipe vegan?
Yes, this recipe is vegan-friendly.
What is in a cabbage soup diet recipe?
There are plenty of cabbage soup diet recipes out there and all of them have one (obvious) ingredient in common: cabbage. Cabbage is low in calories and offers plenty of fiber that can help fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied. From a culinary perspective, cabbage is fairly mild compared to some of its cruciferous cousins like kale and broccoli. That makes it the perfect addition to a low-calorie soup, along with other nonstarchy veggies like peppers, celery and carrots. To keep the calories down even further, cabbage soup diet recipes like this one feature a brothy base. The sodium in this recipe is kept in check by using low-sodium broth and a small amount of added salt. White-wine vinegar adds just a touch of tanginess, which helps balance the flavors.
Will this soup make me lose weight?
This soup is packed with 7 grams of fiber, which helps to keep you fuller longer. If you’re looking to lose weight, consider adding the Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup to your diet plan along with a balanced exercise routine.
I don’t have Italian seasoning, what can I use instead?
You can make your own Italian seasoning blend with dried herbs from your pantry, like oregano, basil, thyme, sage and rosemary. Store in an airtight jar for up to 6 months. Or substitute with 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ½ teaspoon dried basil for a simple swap.
Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer, Jan Valdez, Carrie Myers and Sara Haas, RDN, LDN
EatingWell.com, December 2018
