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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.
Not my favorite… I added a few slices of leftover steak to use it up. I left out the kimchi & lime juice, used baby lima beans again instead of white beans, beef broth instead of veg broth. I’m just not that fond of cabbage.
This was an excellent soup. Not the traditional weight loss cabbage soup. The kimchi add a bit of spice and warmth and with the variety of veggies, each spoonful us delicious
This was an excellent soup. Not the traditional weight loss cabbage soup. The kimchi add a bit of spice and warmth and with the variety of veggies each spoonful us delicious
I liked this a lot. I prepped some of the chopping earlier, so it was easy to put together. I really wanted to try the kimchi, and it was sitting there in the front of my refrigerator, but I totally forgot it! I’ll add some to tomorrow’s lunch.
The reason I rated this one a three is because it was way too spicy for me. And I’m sure that came from the kimchi which I’ve never tried before. I know the recipe said it was optional, but I wanted to give it a try. I will say it was an experience. Unfortunately, I’m not a real big fan of cabbage either. But I’m not a quitter so I was determined to try this one.
A good cabbage soup, light but tasty. I added a little salt and some cooked rice into it; I didn’t want it too spicy since the black bean soup was very spicy. I like the mild taste better, definitely a keeper
Best cabbage soup we’ve tasted. “Put this in the meal rotation,” said my Beau.
We eliminated the beans, used mild kimchi, and didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes (used canned diced tomatoes instead). Took your advice and added spinach at the end.
It was still so delicious. Thank you for the recipe. Introduced us to a new flavor of soup!
This soup is really good full of flavor even though I had to make it mild without kimchi etc. Omitted the lime juice. though I love the combination of cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic and tomatoes. I did stir in baby spinach and spooned in some brown rice ate this for my dinner this was so good..
This reminded me of a WW soup I made year’s ago. I was surprised that it had a sweetness to it. Perhaps that is because of the carrots. I had never used Napa cabbage before so that as fun for me. It was ok. Not a favorite but it was good.
I enjoyed the soup – really easy to make and tasty. I used my homemade vegetable stock which was not seasoned at all, so I added some salt after I tasted it. Next time I will add some pepper as well, but this time I wanted to taste the soup as was. I usually prefer blended soups but this was great for dinner unblended and texture was great.
The kimchi I chose was spicy and I served it on the side instead of adding to the soup. Glad I did as it was really very spicy.
I made this soup with a few substitutions. First, as I could not find Napa cabbage, I had to use regular. While I would have preferred the Napa, the regular was perfectly fine. Second, I decided to use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth tonight, as I was in the mood for a more savory flavor. While the soup was in the final stage of cooking, I tasted it to see if the cabbage and carrots were done and at that time, found the soup to be bland. However, the lemon juice (another substitution) and parsley (final substitution) added at the end gave the soup exactly what it was lacking. The tanginess of the lemon juice complemented the sweetness of the carrots and the spice of the cumin, as well as the other flavors of the soup. This cabbage soup was delicious and I will definitely be making it again.
This was a surprise for me, a pleasant surprise. I usually do not like cabbage but, I didn’t taste it. The flavor was fabulous even the family enjoyed the soup.
Update: I added coconut aminos to assist w/not tasting the lime juice (I messed up and added a entire lemon my fault) and it is perfect now!!! I really LOVE this soup!!!!
LOVE! LOVE!! LOVE!!!
I used the kimchi and cayenne, I love the spice. Hearty and light at the same time. This is the perfect meal for me, I’ll be making this one often
Another one of my favorite which I have had cabbage soup as a weight loss plan several years ago lost around 30 lbs but of course gain it all back over the next few years. The smell in the house has everyone lifting the lid “what are you cooking, smells wonderful”. I followed the full recipe and directions turned out amazing.
I used tomatoes with green chiles which gave this a tiny kick that I liked. I also blended the beans before I added them in order to hide them from the child with a bean prejudice It was yummy.