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Looking for a light, nourishing meal that actually satisfies? This weight loss cabbage soup is packed with fresh veggies, full of flavor, and ready in under an hour. With plenty of fiber and very few calories, it’s a simple way to reset, beat cravings, and support healthy digestion while still feeling full.
Every bowl is loaded with tender cabbage, naturally sweet carrots, juicy tomatoes, and a savory mix of garlic and onions, all simmered in an herb-infused vegetable broth. The result is a soothing, detox-friendly soup that’s both energizing and comforting.
Table of contents
Ingredients for Cabbage Weight Loss Soup
More than just a “diet soup,” this recipe is crave-worthy comfort food you’ll actually want to eat—nourishing, wholesome, and delicious down to the last spoonful. These ingredients are where it shines:
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: These smoky, slightly sweet tomatoes bring a deeper, more complex flavor than regular canned varieties. Go to the canned goods aisle for great organic options.
- Napa cabbage: This tender, slightly sweet cabbage is softer and more delicate than traditional green cabbage, making it perfect for quick-simmering soups. Find it near bok choy and other Asian greens in the produce section.
- Kimchi: The secret ingredient that brings gut health and serious flavor. You can find it at the refrigerated section near sauerkraut and pickles.
- Cannellini beans: Creamy, protein-rich, and full of fiber, these white beans make the soup more satisfying and help keep you full longer. Look for BPA-free cans and low-sodium options when possible. You can also find them dried in bulk bins.
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How to Make Weight Loss Cabbage Soup
This weight loss cabbage soup recipe comes together in one big pot using fresh veggies and pantry staples you probably already have on hand. With just a little chopping and simmering, you’ll have a nourishing, flavorful soup perfect for any day of the week. Here’s how to make it:
- Heat a splash of avocado oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, and sauté until softened (about 5–7 minutes).
- Toss in the chopped Napa cabbage and stir well to combine. Let it cook down gently, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened.
- Pour in the fire-roasted tomato, minced garlic and spices. Give everything a good stir to combine.
- Add a good amount of vegetable stock in the mixture.
- Add creamy cannellini beans and kimchi into the simmering pot.
- Reduce the heat to let the soup simmer. Then, take off heat and stir in chopped fresh cilantro and a generous squeeze of lime juice.
Storing and Reheating
This soup is perfect for batch cooking, so don’t hesitate to make a big pot. Once the soup has cooled completely, portion it into airtight containers or mason jars for easy storage in the fridge. For longer-term meal prep, pour the soup into freezer-safe bags or containers and lay them flat in the freezer to save space. When you’re ready to reheat, simply warm it on the stovetop over medium heat or pop it in the microwave.
Recipe Tips
One of the best things about this cabbage soup diet recipe is it’s endlessly customizability. Whether you’re using up veggies in your fridge or craving something a little heartier, these simple swaps and flavorful add-ins make it easy to keep things interesting:
- Have extra produce to use up? Toss in bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, kale, or cauliflower. Add heartier veggies earlier so they have time to cook, and more delicate ones (like greens) toward the end.
- Craving more heat? Adding some sliced jalapeño, or extra red pepper flakes can rev up the metabolism and add a gentle kick that balances the broth perfectly.
- Switch the broth: Swap the vegetable broth for mushroom broth, or even miso broth to deepen the flavor and support digestive health.
- Add a scoop of cooked brown rice, quinoa, or farro before serving. These whole grains soak up the broth beautifully and turn the soup into a satisfying one-bowl dinner.
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Weight Loss Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 carrots diced
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 celery rib diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilis canned
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 head napa cabbage cored and chopped
- ¼ cup kimchi
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans rinsed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- dash cayenne pepper if needed
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, celery, cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add cabbage; cook, stirring occasionally until slightly softened, about 10 minutes more.
- Add tomatoes, garlic, cumin, kimchi, broth, and beans. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice.
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Notes
- Storage Tips: Let the soup cool completely before refrigerating. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze in individual portions for up to 2 months.
- Broth Boost: Use low-sodium vegetable broth if you’re watching salt intake. For added depth, stir in a spoonful of white miso or a dash of tamari.
- Cabbage Options: Napa cabbage cooks down quickly and adds a mild flavor, but green cabbage or savoy are great substitutes if that’s what you have on hand.
- Add-Ins: Stir in baby spinach, kale, or chopped zucchini at the end of cooking for extra greens.
- Spice Control: The cayenne adds gentle heat—feel free to omit or increase based on your preference.
- Kimchi Tip: Add kimchi just before serving to retain its crunch and probiotic benefits.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
To make weight loss cabbage soup, start by sautéing onions, carrots, and celery in a bit of avocado oil until softened. Add chopped cabbage and cook until slightly tender. Stir in garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth, spices like cumin and cayenne, and cannellini beans for fiber and protein. Simmer until all the veggies are tender, then finish with fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro for a burst of flavor. The result is a low-calorie, nutrient-rich soup that’s filling and satisfying, perfect for healthy meal prep.
While results vary, some people report losing 5 to 10 pounds in a week on the cabbage soup diet. However, much of this initial weight loss is water weight, not fat. The cabbage soup diet is a very low-calorie, short-term plan, and it’s not meant for long-term use. For sustainable weight loss, it’s best to enjoy cabbage soup as part of a balanced, whole-food diet rather than relying on restrictive meal plans.
Weight loss cabbage soup is made with wholesome, low-calorie ingredients that keep you full and energized. The base includes avocado oil for sautéing, followed by a flavorful mix of yellow onion, carrots, and celery. Crisp Napa cabbage adds bulk and fiber, while fire-roasted tomatoes bring smoky richness. Garlic and warming spices like ground cumin and cayenne pepper enhance both taste and metabolism support.
Vegetable broth ties everything together, and cannellini beans provide plant-based protein to help you stay satisfied. Optional additions like kimchi offer a gut-healthy probiotic boost, while a splash of lime juice and fresh cilantro brighten the final flavor.
This soup has all your healthy ingredients and was surprisingly flavorful. I will be adding into my winter rotation for sure. I did not have kimchi, but I did have homemade jalapeno kraut which I think made a perfect substitution. I really believe it makes a huge difference, flavor-wise so although optional, I would recommend adding the kimchi or subbing kraut.
Just wow! This Cabbage Soup was a huge surprise for me. I’m not a huge fan of cabbage except for in cole slaw, but this recipe changed my mind. It tastes amazing and feels so healthy and nutritious. Never had kimchi either but kimchi adds another dimension as does the lime juice. I’m a fan! Fabulous!!!!
Fabulous!! I didn’t have high hopes for this one, but it is SO good! It doesn’t taste like a weight loss soup—which is great as you don’t feel deprived. Will enjoy again and again!
Love this soup! I left out the kimchi and added lots more carrots. It’s a hearty soup and very flavorful.
Love cabbage and Kimchi. Great soup recipe
I really liked the flavor on this soup. I’m not usually a big Kimchi fan, but it did add a lot to this recipe. It was warm and spicy and was more than I was expecting it to be at first glance.
A much more interesting and exciting version of the old fashioned cabbage soup. So many delicious flavors and textures. This recipe is a keeper and appreciated.
This soup was not exactly what I was expecting. I had to watch it and stir it a lot once the cabbage was added. The Weight Loss Cabbage soup was flavorful. I thought it would be more bland with all of the cabbage. I blended it in the Vitamix as it is easier to eat while I am working. I would also recommend this soup along with the others from this week. Looking forward to one more soup tomorrow!
The soup was yummy! Full disclosure, I am a cabbage fan and used Napa cabbage in the recipe. The kimchi was a great addition. Unfortunately I could not find canned fire-roasted tomatoes with chili but I added some hot sauce to my bowl of soup and that was fine.
It’s my birthday today and so I had the choice of going out to lunch with a friend or inviting her over for cabbage soup so that’s what I did and we enjoyed this delicious soup!! The addition of the kimchi at first I needed to get used to it, but then I found I loved it! It was a hit! I didn’t need to add a little bit more liquid because my beans I think expanded a bit.
This soup was very tasty. not quite what I was expecting. I was expecting bland, but this soup was full of flavor and very good.
This soup was loaded with vegetables, I just needed to add some black pepper to it
I was surprised I liked this soup as much as I did. The addition of the cumin and green chiles really made it a winner for me. I’m still getting used to the taste of kimchi. Not my favorite but I’ll give anything a try!
This is one of my new favorite soups. The addition of the kimchi before serving adds a nice amount of spice and texture to the soup.
I’m not to sure about this soup. It may be the texture, but I also found it bland.
Due to time schedule and similiarity to my regular cabbage soup that I had last week I’m skipping this one, but I thought others might like a link to my regular one that’s easily tweakable. I usually add celery and bell pepper and sometimes ginger. Use a canned tomatoes, usually fire-roasted, in place of fresh and regular green cabbage in place of the romaine, especially around St Patrick’s Day when cabbage goes for .29 to .39 cents a pound, although the romaine is good too if you have lettuce to use up. Sometimes I put the pasta, seldom bothering to brown, and sometimes I leave it out and sometimes adding a small amout when I rewarm a serving. Not be vegan or vegetarian, I often add leftover protein to the soup for lunch the next day.
This is definitely my favorite soup! I happen to love cabbage, so I was excited to try this recipe. The flavors are amazing and this is what I really love about these soup challenges is to step out of my “comfort zone”. I have never tasted Kimchi, but so glad I did. And as a bonus, my husband who is a meat and potatoes guy, actually asked to try it when I was telling him about the ingredients. As a Navy veteran, he actually ate Kimchi often when abroad; I had no idea. I really liked the heat of the Kimchi so I added a little more to my bowl along with the cilantro. Delicious!