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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.
I was surprised I liked it. I’m not a big cabbage person, but it was delicious! Came together easily
I might have this for breakfast the rest of the week. I use chick peas instead of cannellini beans. I also used a mix of Napa and green cabbage. Soup came together quickly.
I wasn’t real thrilled when I saw this recipe . But I have to say that the Napa cabbage has a sweet flavor that is a surprise and my husband and I both liked it! It won’t be something I will fix often, but I will be fixing it again.
This tasted so much better than the cabbage soup that I had in my 30s!
Despite Napa cabbage being weirdly hard to obtain where I am, I was able to find it and make this soup! To be honest I was a bit hesitant sitting down to eat this that it wouldn’t be good, still have a little PTSD from the first recipe of this challenge . Happy to say this soup is quite delicious for a cabbage soup! The spice level was just perfect, I love the addition of the beans to give it some girth. I would make this again. Thanks for the recipe.
First time I had napa cabbage. For some reason I thought it would be more tender than regular green cabbage. The soup was full of flavor, but too spicy for me. but others in my household enjoyed it.
This weight loss cabbage soup was easy to make, which I loved. I think I should have left out the lime; not a big fan of the taste, but the soup was good. I believe it would have been better without the lime. Love cabbage, all cabbage, so that’s a win for me!
Made this soup for lunch today. Very flavorful! I’ve never had kimchi before but I think that’s what gave it such a great flavor. Will be making it again this winter. Now I’m excited to see how much weight I’ve lost tomorrow! 😉
This is my favorite so far! Tasty, easy, comforting, filling, it checks all the boxes! I followed the recipe pretty closely; the only change I made was using dill instead of cilantro because I had some I needed to use. I don’t regret it!
This soup was the simplest to prepare and definitely the chunkiest with pieces of cabbage, carrots, and celery throughout. The flavors are subtle from tangy to spicy.
I am seriously loving how quick and easy all these soups have been! Adding the kimchi was a must for me in this cabbage soup, feels like I’m not even eating healthy!
I didn’t expect to have a chance to make this soup but I’m glad I did. It was very flavorful and easy to prepare. I’m fortunate to have a Korean market in my neighborhood that makes homemade vegan kimchi (traditional kimchi is not vegan). It adds just the right amount of spice. If I were to do this again I’d use just a tablespoon of lime juice and more beans but I really like beans.
I enjoyed the soup. I could not find napa cabbage, so I used a head of regular cabbage. I had made my own fire-roasted tomatoes earlier in the week, so I used those. I did not use the kimchi, but I did add the remaining jar of salsa from the black bean soup to add some flavor. I did find that it needed some salt. I mashed the beans because my husband isn’t a fan of the texture (just in case he might want to try it ). I would make it again.
I absolutely LOVE this soup!! I’m a cabbage fan (and Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, anything in that brassica family) so I knew this would be a hit for me. It has just the right amount of everything. Texture, flavor, spices, all the good things. It reminds me of exactly what anyone needs on a cool autumn day. But then again, it would probably be good on a sunny, hot day as well. At least it would for me!
I hardly ever have cabbage other than in Cole slaw, so this is great way for me to incorporate this healthy vegetable in my diet. However I didn’t care for the cumin in it ~ I might leave it out next time.
I really enjoyed this soup. I did have to add more Avocado oil when I added the cabbage. I used a can of chopped tomatoes. Flavors are good. Just the right amount of liquid. This recipe is a keeper.