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.
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.
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 Myersand Sara Haas, RDN, LDN
"The cabbage soup diet promises quick weight loss, but experts agree it's not a sustainable option. Protein and vegetables are a focus, but any weight lost is likely to be gained back.
Does cabbage burn belly fat? Although cabbage is a nutritious low-calorie vegetable, many people associate it with weight loss because of the popular "cabbage soup diet". Some creative marketing has led people to believe that cabbage actually burns body fat. In fact, no food, including cabbage, burns body fat.
One of the most popular soup diets, the cabbage soup diet is a 7-day eating plan that involves eating a chicken- or vegetable-broth-based soup that contains cabbage and other low carb vegetables. In addition to cabbage soup, you can also have one or two other low calorie foods, such as skim milk or leafy greens.
No fruit, corn, beans, or peas. One russet or sweet potato baked with butter or oil is allowed. Breakfast: You can begin the day with the baked potato. Dice the potato into cubes, sprinkle it with some cinnamon and olive oil, then roast in the oven with onions and bell pepper.
One of the main problems with the Cabbage Soup Diet is that it can only be followed for 1 week, which is not long enough for meaningful weight loss. Your body can only burn so much fat per week. In the first week of a low calorie diet, only about 34% of the weight lost is from fat.
It will likely leave you feeling hungry, weak, and bored. You might even feel sick. And if you follow the Cabbage Soup Diet for more than a week, you could run short on key nutrients. Nor does the diet encourage the necessary lifestyle changes you need to make in order to be healthier and have lasting weight loss.
They are high in calories and sugar, so they are not recommended on the cabbage soup diet. High-Fat Foods: Foods rich in saturated fats, such as fried foods, fatty cuts of meat, full-fat dairy products, vegetables like avocado, and high-fat sauces or dressings, should be avoided. It is also recommended to avoid eggs.
Low-calorie intake Cabbage is a great food for weight loss because it is low in calories. A cup of shredded cabbage only has 22 calories. This means you can eat a lot of cabbage without worrying about overeating. Adding cabbage to your meals can help you consume more food while consuming fewer calories.
Vegetable soup. Lean protein from chicken combined with a variety of vegetables can make a satisfying and low-calorie soup that can help you feel full and satisfied.
DRINKS: Stick with water, unsweet tea, black coffee, unsweetened juices, cranberry juice, or skim milk. Black coffee is permitted, but you may find that you no longer need the caffeine after the third day.
Cabbage has diuretic properties that helps get rid your body of excess liquid and toxins. It helps cleanse your liver and colon. Which is why cabbage forms the base for this detox cabbage soup. You can add veggies or proteins of your choice such as egg, ground chicken, lamb!
People who follow the diet strictly will likely lose some weight, potentially 10 pounds per week or more. This is because it involves eating so few calories each day. However, in most cases, people quickly regain this lost weight once they return to their regular diet.
The cabbage soup diet has low calories. Eat as much cabbage soup as you would like to keep your stamina up and drink plenty of water. If I start to feel sluggish, I cheat and have a baked sweet potato, a protein shake, or some juice.
Most variations of this diet suggest that people eat this soup two to three times a day—although some variations enable the participants to consume even more of the soup. The cabbage soup used in this diet combines ingredients like broth, nonstarchy vegetables, pepper, herbs and, of course, cabbage.
They are high in calories and sugar, so they are not recommended on the cabbage soup diet. High-Fat Foods: Foods rich in saturated fats, such as fried foods, fatty cuts of meat, full-fat dairy products, vegetables like avocado, and high-fat sauces or dressings, should be avoided. It is also recommended to avoid eggs.
Vegetables are crucial for weight loss, especially cruciferous vegetables like cabbage. These vegetables are low in calories and fibre-rich, making them a fantastic addition to a weight-loss diet. Cabbage, in particular, is a powerhouse of nutrients that can aid weight loss.
Cabbage does double detox duty. Its diuretic properties help rid your body of excess liquid, carrying toxins along with it. Like other cruciferous veggies, cabbage is also sulfur-rich, helping your liver break down toxins so they can be more easily expelled.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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