Best Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe (Vegan)
I remember when I was teenager my mom would tell me about the cabbage soup diet and how it was all the rage “back in her day”. She let me try some of the soup she made when she revisited the diet herself. Well, that is the moment I got hooked on cabbage soup!
I absolutely love veggie cabbage soup. Its sweet, spicy, and loaded with all sorts of delicious and healthy ingredients. Similar to my vegan chili, I find myself craving it when the temperatures drop down in the fall. If I feel like I need a little “reset” on my body or diet, I like to make a big batch of this soup.
I’ve also made this soup in the slow cooker and it’s delicious! There are so many different variations you can make as well. So, you can tailor it to your specific tastes or dietary needs. Also, this soup is really filling from all the fiber. You wouldn’t know it from being plant-based, but I’m always full and satisfied after I have a big bowl.
Recipe Highlights
- This recipe is naturally healthy and low-fat. You can eat a lot of it and feel full for a long time.
- I make this recipe and use it for meal prep. You can have soup for several days during the week if you make a big batch.
- The recipe is versatile. You can add additional spices and herbs, or omit ingredients you don’t like. Beef it up with more veggies and a stew-like consistency, or scale back!
- This soup is easy to make and doesn’t take long to cook. Most of the time is spent prepping the ingredients, which you can buy pre-cut to save time.
Ingredients Needed
- Green cabbage – It wouldn’t be cabbage soup without it. It’s so filling and I love the texture when used in soups.
- Diced tomatoes – Use organic if you can as I find the flavor is much better.
- Vegetable broth – If you are using low sodium broth, you will need to add additional salt to the recipe. If you are not vegan, you can use another type of broth.
- Celery, Carrot and Onion – Sautéed with a bit of oil for irresistible flavor.
- Garlic – I use 4 cloves in this recipe, but you can add more if you love garlic as much as I do.
- Spices – There are a lot of hearty and warming spices in this recipe. You can play around with them, but I love the way all these flavors come together. Ginger, thyme, cumin and smoked paprika all play an important role in this dish.
- Sugar – Just 1 tsp in the entire pot to help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Cayenne pepper – This is optional, but I recommend it. I fact, I am known to add a whole lot more to this recipe.
How To Make Cabbage Soup
Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large cooking pot and sauté celery, carrot, and the onion in olive oil for a few minutes until translucent.
Add chopped garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds or till fragrant.
Add salt and all the spices spices and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
Add in broth, tomatoes, and chopped cabbage and bring to a light boil. Then, reduce to simmer.
Simmer for at least 30 minutes. You can also cook the soup down if you like it thicker.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
What to add to your cabbage soup
This recipe is so incredibly versatile that I have made multiple variations over the years. I have tried it with all sorts of different ingredients and spices. Use this recipe as your base and make it unique to your preferences. Here are some ideas of what else you can add.
- Chopped kale
- Red cabbage
- Parsnips
- Fresh herbs like cilantro or rosemary
- Sweet potatoes
- Chopped tofu
- Hot peppers
- Chopped green or red bell pepper
- Broccoli
- Green peas
- White or black beans
- Chickpeas
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Using fresh veggies makes all the difference in this recipe. Look for fresh and in-season veggies at the farmers market or grocery store.
- Use organic tomatoes or tomatoes that come in a carton instead of a tin if possible. I find a big difference in flavor with better quality tomatoes.
- Consider adding a splash of coconut aminos, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce for added flavor, if it’s appropriate for your diet.
How can I add protein to this soup?
Consider spooning the soup over chickpeas, beans or tofu for added protein.
How can I store this soup?
I store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for later consumption.
What if I’m watching my salt?
Use low sodium broth and “no salt added” tomatoes in this recipe if you are watching your salt intake.
Other vegan soup recipes
Cabbage Soup Recipe (Vegan)
Equipment
- 1 large cooking pot
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage, chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 oz
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 chopped white onion
- 1 tbsp minced ginger or 1 tsp ground
- ½ tbsp sea salt
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper add more for extra spice
- 1 tsp sugar optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large cooking pot and sauté celery, carrot, and the onion in olive oil until translucent.
- Add chopped garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add salt and spices and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
- Add in broth, tomatoes, chopped cabbage and bring to a light boil. Then, reduce to simmer.
- Simmer for at least 30 minutes. You can also cook the soup down if you like it thicker.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
I made this soup for myself and my hubby and we love it, it’s one of our favorite soups now.
So very tasty. Quick and easy to make. Definitely a recipe to keep.