This healthy detox cabbage soup is full of fresh veggies and beneficial antioxidants, plus it's vegan, inexpensive to make, and so tasty! Not only that, but this flavorful cabbage soup makes a wonderful light lunch or dinner! Did I mention it's low-fat, low-calorie, high-fiber, and you can eat as much of it as you want?
Healthy Detox Cabbage Soup
While the 'cabbage soup diet' was all the rage for a while, the magical instant weight loss that was promised was less than true. However, the detox cabbage soup itself is incredibly delicious, and while it might not miraculously melt off pounds, it does help your body to function in tip-top shape!
This flavorful vegetable soup is not only low calorie, but it is vegan and vegetarian friendly, full of beneficial antioxidants, and it's easy and inexpensive to make! My favorite thing, however, is that you can eat as much of it as you want, guilt-free!
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🍲 Why This Soup Works
Not only is cabbage soup light and healthy, but the cabbage itself has diuretic properties. That means the cabbage helps to rid your body of excess toxins and fluids!
This soup assists your body with cleaning out your colon because it's easy to digest. It helps your liver because cabbage is rich in sulfur which helps it to break down toxins!
While this soup is not intended for weight loss per say (though it is low calorie and making other healthy food choices with this soup may have that result), it is a great way to factory reset your body after the holidays, any time you're a little bloated, or just feeling overall less-than-great.
Replacing even one meal a day with cabbage soup is enough for your body to reap the benefits!
🥘 Ingredients
There are lots of fresh veggies in this cabbage detox soup! If you want to save time, you can always chop/dice them in advance (*see note).
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is preferred.
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon, finely chopped.
- Ginger - 1 teaspoon, finely chopped.
- Onion - ½ a cup, chopped.
- Celery - 2 ribs, diced.
- Carrots - 2 medium carrots, chopped.
- Red Bell Pepper - ½ a pepper, diced.
- Cabbage - 1 ½ cups, chopped (or roughly ½ of a small head of green cabbage).
- Diced Tomatoes - 14.5 ounce can, or petite diced, do not drain.
- Salt - 2 teaspoons or more to taste.
- Vegetable Stock - 6 cups.
- Bay Leaves - 2 bay leaves.
- Dried Basil - 1 teaspoon of dried basil or Italian seasoning.
- Red Chili Flakes - 1 teaspoon.
- Pepper - 1 teaspoon.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
The most time-consuming part of this entire recipe is just chopping and dicing the veggies, after that it's a breeze! You'll need a knife and cutting board for the veggies, a large saucepan, and a spoon or spatula for stirring.
- Saute. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of garlic and 1 teaspoon of ginger and saute for 30 seconds. Then, add ½ a cup of chopped onions and saute for an additional minute.
- Cook. Add 2 diced ribs of celery, 2 medium chopped carrots, and ½ a diced red bell pepper. Cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add. Next, pour in a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes with juices as well as the seasoning (salt, pepper, dried basil, and crushed red pepper flakes). Add the chopped cabbage and stir.
- Simmer. Pour in the 6 cups of vegetable stock and toss in 2 bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Serve. Remove from heat when done and stir to find the bay leaves. Discard the bay leaves and serve the detox soup while hot.
This soup is delicious chunky, but you may also blend it until smooth if you prefer. It makes a wonderfully light lunch or dinner any day of the week. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- To save on prep time you can chop your veggies in advance and refrigerate or freeze them (frozen cabbage should be used in 1-2 months max).
- If you want to add extra protein, you could add beans, cubed tofu, shredded chicken, ground beef, whatever your prefer.
- Storing: In the fridge, cabbage soup will last up to 5 days. Freeze individual portions in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or in warm water and reheat on the stove-top or in the microwave before eating.
😋 More Tasty Soup Recipes!
- Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Crockpot Creamy Ham Potato Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Albondigas Soup
- Italian Chicken Pastina Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
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📋 Recipe
Detox Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
- ½ cup onion (chopped)
- 2 ribs celery (diced)
- 2 medium carrots (chopped)
- ½ large red bell pepper (diced)
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes (or petite diced, do not drain)
- 1 tablespoon dried basil (or Italian seasoning)
- 2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ cups cabbage (chopped)
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and saute for 30 seconds before adding the onions and sauteing for an additional minute or until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ cup onion
- Add the celery, carrots, and bell pepper to the saucepan and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.2 ribs celery, 2 medium carrots, ½ large red bell pepper
- Next, add in the diced tomatoes (do not drain!) and seasoning (salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, dried basil). Add the cabbage, then pour in the vegetable broth and and add bay leaves. *Add the optional apple cider vinegar and lemon juice at this point if desired.14.5 oz diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 ½ cups cabbage, 6 cups vegetable stock, 2 whole bay leaves, 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Stir then bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat when done and remove the bay leaves before serving.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- To save on prep time you can chop your veggies in advance and refrigerate or freeze them (frozen cabbage should be used in 1-2 months max).
- If you want extra protein in your soup, you could add beans, cubed tofu, shredded or grilled chicken, ground beef, kielbasa, or whatever your prefer.
- In the fridge, cabbage soup will last up to 5 days. Freeze individual portions in freezer bags or freezer storage containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or in warm water before reheating.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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