Name: Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 2 medium carrots, chopped; 2 stalks celery, chopped; 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 0.5 teaspoon ground pepper; 0.25 teaspoon salt; 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 1 medium head green cabbage, halved and sliced; 1 large tomato, chopped; 2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

Active Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

55 mins

Servings:

6

Yield:

12 cups

Nutrition Profile:

Nut-Free Dairy-Free Soy-Free Vegan Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Notes

Is Cabbage Good for You?

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, and like all cruciferous veggies, cabbage has numerous health benefits. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 1 cup raw cabbage provides 41% of your daily vitamin C needs and 2.5 grams of fiber—which will help keep things moving through your digestive system.

Is This Recipe Vegan?

Yes, this recipe is vegan-friendly.

Tips from the Test Kitchen

What’s the Best Way to Prep the Vegetables?

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. To save time, you can prep some of the vegetables a day ahead and refrigerate them separately in airtight containers.

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.

Can I Make Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup Ahead?

If you are giving the cabbage soup diet a try, you will quickly notice that you want to have a lot of cabbage soup on hand. Luckily, it is easily made ahead. The soup can be made up to 4 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 3 months. You can portion it out into individual serving sizes before storing it so it's ready to just grab and go.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer, Jan Valdez and Carrie Myers

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 medium head green cabbage, halved and sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

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.

Jen Causey (Photographer), Julia Bayless (Prop Stylist), Chelsea Zimmer (Food Stylist)
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.

Equipment

Large pot

Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, December 2018

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

133	Calories
5g	Fat
20g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Serving Size about 2 cups
Calories 133
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 20g	7%
Dietary Fiber 7g	25%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 3g	6%
Total Fat 5g	7%
Saturated Fat 1g	4%
Vitamin A 4480IU	90%
Vitamin C 88mg	98%
Folate 91mcg	23%
Sodium 451mg	20%
Calcium 111mg	9%
Iron 2mg	8%
Magnesium 30mg	7%
Potassium 504mg	11%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.