Cabbage Soup – The Best Weight Loss Soup

Cabbage Soup is a one-pot, budget-friendly winter soup, loaded with vegetables, flavored with herbs and spices, and cooked in a rich tomato and chicken broth base.

While cabbage soup may not be anything to look at, it provides an incredibly nutritious and hearty meal. Packed with vitamins and minerals, this is your ticket to flavor while still being health-conscious. I started making this soup many years ago, inspired to create a delicious weight loss soup. Some people also refer to this as 0-point soup, referencing a low calorie and low impact food choice for Weight Watchers participants. Still others swear by the 7-day cabbage soup diet. I haven’t personally tried extended days of eating just this one soup, but it is filling and nutrient-rich.

While there are various adaptations to this cabbage soup, depending on which region of Russia you draw culinary inspiration or influence from, this straight-forward cabbage soup (or ‘shchi’) is loved for being simple, filling, and quick to make!

Serve this vegetarian soup with homemade dinner rolls or garlic bread for a wholesome family meal on those chilly days. 

You May Also Like These Other Hearty Soup Recipes:

• Rich, Homemade Tomato Bisque
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• The Best Green Chicken Chili Recipe

INGREDIENTS

The ingredients for this soup are extremely flexible. This recipe is my basic go-to cabbage soup recipe. There are so many different vegetables that can be subbed in or out – think of this recipe as suggestions rather than a must-have list of ingredients.

• ½ white onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
• ½ head of green cabbage, sliced
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch sections
• 1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
• 1- 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes (including the juices)
• 1 –  8 oz. can of tomato paste
• 8 cups chicken broth (low-sodium or homemade chicken stock can be used)
• 1 zucchini, lightly peeled and sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, saute diced onion and celery with a bit of non-stick cooking spray until softened (about 6 minutes). You can alternately use a bit of olive oil, which is still quite healthy, even on a low calorie diet.
2. Add minced garlic, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Saute 1-2 minutes more until herbs and garlic are fragrant.
3. Add sliced cabbage, green beans, carrots, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth. Stir until the tomato paste is evenly combined into the soup.
4. Bring soup to a simmer, reduce heat, cover, and boil gently until vegetables are tender and softened, about 20 minutes.
5. Add zucchini to the soup and cook several minutes longer.
6. Stir the soup, season with salt and black pepper to taste, and serve.

WHERE DOES CABBAGE SOUP COME FROM?

Cabbage soup is a national dish of Russia. In Russia, this soup is called ‘shchi’. While this soup varies depending on the region of Russia, a traditional cabbage soup is meatless and contains no sauerkraut. Instead, this mild flavored vegetarian soup is loaded with fresh cabbage, potato and tomatoes and can be enjoyed as a main meal or a starter. 

It’s an extremely affordable meal – its historic roots revealing a particular popularity among those with less financial means.

HOW TO STORE CABBAGE SOUP

Like most soups, this cabbage soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Thaw frozen cabbage soup overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Cabbage soup is a delicious winter warming meal that can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner alongside homemade dinner rolls or garlic bread. Omit the potatoes and serve with a slice of whole grain toast for a great weight loss option.

A sprinkle of fresh dill and a dollop of sour cream are great topping options when serving to the family or to guests.

WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE TO THIS CABBAGE SOUP RECIPE?

• This soup can be made with sauerkraut instead of fresh cabbage but is then more accurately known as ‘sour shchi’ or ‘kislye shchi’ which is actually another traditional Russian soup.
• Add in some sorrel, spinach, kale, and various other greens you may enjoy and you’re suddenly eating ‘green shchi’ or ‘zelyoniye shchi’. Yep, you guessed right – that’s another well known Russian soup version of this cabbage soup!
• While a traditional cabbage soup is meatless, you could opt to add in some pork, sausage, or beef brisket to bulk up your soup and squeeze in some extra protein. Try ground turkey for a leaner meat option.
• Other options for bulking up the soup include adding diced potatoes (Russet or Yukon gold will work) or even diced sweet potatoes.
• Cabbage soup is typically mild in flavor but you could add a kick of heat by using Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and increase the red chili flakes or add in some cayenne pepper. 
• We used dried herbs in this batch, but you can certainly experiment with fresh herbs. I typically use double the quantity of fresh herbs compared to the dried quantities in the recipe. Try fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano, or basil to flavor the soup. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for color.

IS THE ‘CABBAGE SOUP DIET’ INSPIRED BY THIS TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN SOUP?

No one can say for sure where the cabbage soup diet movement originated although it did start to grow in popularity in the 1980s. It’s hardly a stretch of the imagination to see how a simple vegetarian soup could be dubbed Weight Loss Soup since it’s high in good fibre and low in fat content. 

Nevertheless, whether the cabbage soup diet has been inspired by this Russian soup is no more than mere speculation. 

TIPS FOR MAKING CABBAGE SOUP 

• Go ahead and add any kind of vegetables to this cabbage soup. You could bulk up your soup with carb-rich vegetables such as turnips and potatoes, or keep your soup low-carb by using less starchy options. Just keep in mind that high-starch veggies do take longer to cook which you’ll need to factor into your overall cooking time.
• Canned vegetables can be used in place of fresh. For example, I’ve found that canned or frozen green beans work equally well in this soup and I’m sure the same applies for other vegetable options too. 
• The red pepper flakes add a nice kick to this soup with a mild-medium spice level. Feel free to add in more for a spicier soup or reduce the amount for a milder option. 
• This recipe calls for ½ head of cabbage which I’ve found to produce a fairly vegetable-heavy soup. You can easily double the quantities if you intend to serve a crowd or want to freeze extra soup for an easy meal later on.
• Only add the zucchini towards the end of the soup cooking time since it cooks very quickly and can therefore become quite soggy if added too early on.
• You can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for a strictly vegetarian soup although I enjoy the depth of flavor provided by the chicken broth. 
• Cooking this diet-friendly soup on the stove-top is quick and easy, but if you’d like to dump all your veggies into a slow cooker, program it to cook on High for 3-4 hours.
• For a cabbage roll soup variation, omit the green beans, zucchini, and celery. Saute ground beef along with the onions and add bell pepper and uncooked rice to the pot. Cook until the rice is soft!

More Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle Change

• This vegetable soup recipe is quite lean, but healthy fats are an important part of your diet, as well. Add some sliced avocado on your cabbage soup for that needed fat. Saute the veggies in olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil.
• Always drink plenty of water. I find that I feel my best when I am regularly drinking “half my body weight in ounces” of water every day.
• Whole grains can be served along with this soup – add barley or brown rice to your pot of simmering soup. Grab a slice of whole wheat bread to eat alongside your meal.