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Weight loss soup is the perfect recipe for a healthier you in 2024! If you are looking to drop a few pounds this low-calorie, nutrient-rich, high-fiber soup is healthy, flavorful, and fills you up!
Weight loss soup is a combination of a couple of weight loss soup recipes that have been around for years – Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup and the Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe. We added kidney beans for protein to help you feel fuller for a longer period of time. Feel free to add or subtract vegetables to your taste.
We call this soup “magic” because we have all incorporated it into our diets at one point in another with terrific results! It’s so much more than a bland cabbage soup or vegetable soup. It is a low-carb, hearty soup that is full of flavor and keeps you satisfied and on track with healthy eating.
Ingredients for Weight Loss Soup
- Chicken broth – Low-sodium chicken broth gives a flavorful base for the soup. It adds liquid and moisture to the soup.
- V-8 juice – This is a flavor enhancement filled with all the nutrients from eight ingredients everyone loves.
- Diced tomatoes – Italian diced tomatoes from a can are poured into the soup. Tomatoes have a rich flavor with a great source of vitamins.
- Onion – Slice and chop the onion into small pieces.
- Garlic – Minced garlic cloves have their own health benefits.
- Mushrooms – Slice the mushrooms into thin slices.
- Vegetables – Carrots, zucchini, and squash are peeled and sliced in uniform sizes to help them cook and soften at the same time.
- Green beans – Fresh or frozen green beans work well.
- Kidney beans – Drained and rinsed thoroughly in a strainer. Add more types of lentils for more protein.
- Cabbage – Shredded cabbage softens and adds flavor to the base of the soup.
- Italian seasoning – Adds flavor and seasoning to the weight-loss soup.
How to Benefit from Weight Loss Soup
You still need to get a healthy amount of calories (about 1,200 a day) to lose weight at a healthy rate. For best results follow this diet plan we have found to work!
- Breakfast – Eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, focusing on lean proteins.
- Lunch – Eat a bowl of Weight Loss Magic Soup for lunch.
- Snack – Have another bowl of the delicious vegetable soup for an afternoon snack.
- Dinner – Then, at dinnertime, eat a bowl of the weight loss soup along with a serving of lean protein and a serving of whole grain, for example, a 4-ounce chicken breast and ½ cup of brown rice.
- Water – Drink plenty of water during the day to stay hydrated.
- Work out – Exercise at least 30 minutes 5 or more days a week for maximum results.
Will I Gain All My Weight Back Afterwards?
It’s important to note that we don’t recommend following this strict diet for more than seven days. After a week, be sure to maintain a healthy diet, having this soup intermittently until you reach your desired weight. I like to think of this as a positive kick-off to my diet, a way to shed pounds and gain some confidence as I continue with my lifestyle change.
A great way to help with portion control is to eat a bowl of soup before you eat your regular meal. The soup will fill your stomach with healthy vegetables, and you will feel less hungry during your meal.
Substitutions for Weight Loss Soup
Vegetables – You can substitute any vegetable. Just try to avoid starch ones like potatoes, peas, or corn if you can. Kale, spinach, and celery are delicious and filling substitutions.
Chicken broth – Beef broth or vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth. Feel free to use low-sodium broth or make your own.
Protein – We use kidney beans in our recipe to add some protein to this soup. White beans, pinto beans, black beans, or red beans can also be used and the calorie count will stay the same. You can also use lean ground beef or ground turkey, but keep in mind that the calorie count will go up.
Instant Pot Weight Loss Soup
We received a comment from Samantha, who made this soup in her Instant Pot. Thank you for sharing this, Samantha! Read her review on how she made the weight-loss soup in the instant pot!
“I did it in the instant pot! I sauteed the onions, garlic, carrots, green beans, and mushrooms in olive oil. Then, I added broth and gave it a good stir to scrape up bits. I added Kale instead of cabbage and cooked it for 5 minutes. Quick release, add zucchini and stir. Add tomatoes last and don’t stir. Cook another 5 minutes and quickly release. I didn’t add beans or tomato juice. I sprinkled it with parmesan and it was wonderful!”
Spices and Herbs to Use for Seasoning
In addition to the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and the seasonings in the diced tomatoes and V-8 juice, you can add any of the following additional seasonings!
- Basil
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Sage
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning
“Wow!! Just made this! I’ve never made soup before and it tastes AMAZING!! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!”
-Kristen
Frequently Asked Questions
This weight-loss soup recipe makes about 20 cups of soup, so you will have plenty to eat all week long. It stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to seven days and freezes beautifully. Make a double or triple batch and store it in the freezer for up to three months.
It is always good to have a variety of meals each day. This is a great way to start a healthy new year and diet but is also good to have variations of meals for more nutritional value.
The amount of weight loss varies for each person. There are several variables to consider when using this weight-loss soup. Some examples are exercise, hydration, and body structure or type. These can all have an effect on the amount of weight you can lose and how quickly you lose it.
More Healthy Soup Recipes
Weight Loss Soup
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 32 ounces chicken broth you may use low-sodium
- 3 cups V-8 juice *see recipe notes
- 28 ounces Italian diced tomatoes
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 yellow squash diced
- 2 cups green beans fresh or frozen
- 14 ounces kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 3 to 4 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large frying pan sprayed with cooking spray, saute garlic, onions, carrots, and mushrooms for about 5 minutes.
- In a large crockpot, combine sauteed garlic and vegetables with the remaining ingredients.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until vegetables are fork-tender.
- FREEZING INSTRUCTIONSThis makes a large batch of soup. If you would like to freeze portions of it to use later, undercook the vegetables just a little. Pour the soup into freezer Ziplock bags and let as much air out as you can. Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the soup is frozen flat, it is easy to layer in your freezer and won't take up much room. To thaw, place the bag in the fridge for 24 hours and then reheat.
I hate beans..can I replace with something else?
You can simply leave them out and it won’t affect the taste at all. If you want to add some protein to the soup, you replace it with cooked ground turkey or chicken without adding too many calories.
what can i sub out for mushroom and green beans i dont like either. I am a very textural eater and dont like veggies could i puree the soup?
You can really substitute any vegetables, and yes you can puree the soup!
I have puréed the soup and it’s wonderful!
Can you eat beef chunks in the soup
Yes, you can add beef chunks!
Can the V8 and or diced tomatoes (or both) be subbed out with more broth? I ask, because tomato based soups do not agree with me and cause terrible ingestion, almost to the point of becoming ill. Just curious.
We haven’t tried it that way – but the tomatoes are what give this soup a lot of it’s consistency and flavor. Taking those out would yield a very different recipe!
Add a pinch of baking soda.that takes care of it.
Made this tonight (on the stove, though) and added a little cayenne pepper!! *AMAZING*
Was wondering I am following a pre op diet and it says to eat 4-7 oz of lean meat, was wondering if I could add diced chicken breast to this and cook it..if it would hurt the calories or anything?
Adding chicken would add calories to the soup but it will still be a really healthy soup!
If im adding chicken or turkey should it already be cooked or should i just throw it in uncooked
I used fish filets and it was yummy!
I was looking to add chicken or turkey was wondering should it already be cooked or throw it in uncooked sorry im not great with homemade soups
Randy, you should use cooked chicken or turkey in this recipe. It can be cubed or shredded. Don’t add to much though because you’re adding more calories to the recipe and you want to watch out for that.
Soups on the stove right now..smells wonderful
Let us know how you like it!
I cooked this soup last night on “high” as the recipe said and all of the liquid evaporated and burned my pan!!!
The lid on the slow cooker should prevent the liquid from evaporating and burning. I’m not sure how this could have happened. We have never had anyone experience this soup burning. What kind of slow cooker are you using? Maybe the type you have heats extra hot?
I have read on multiple websites that cabbage is bad for Bariatric Patients…then on other websites…it says it’s ok to eat. This goes with other foods as well !!! My question is…Who do you believe ????? Help !!!!
This may be a question that is best suited for a physician.. I honestly have no idea. I always thought cabbage was good for you but I could be wrong!
Hi im excited to make this soup however im not a fan of mushrooms or kidney beans what would you recommend as a substitute
This soup is great because you can add really any veggie that you want! For the kidney beans you could substitute Great Northern Beans, Navy Beans, or Chickpeas!
You only sauté the veggies for 5 min., then transfer to a crockpot. Is that what you did? You also said you made it “last night” which makes me think you tried to make it completely on the stove. A crockpot rarely “cooks dry” because with the lid on tight, it should produce steam which is “wet”. You may want to try again! : )
Did this do good on the stove? I was thinking low n slow?
yes, you can definitely do it on the stovetop. Hope this helps!
Good soup but it does make a lg. Quantity.
Yes, it makes a lot. You can freeze it if you don’t think you’ll get through it within a week.
This is so yummy! Can we add shredded chix? For protein.
Sure! That sounds delicious!
I don’t like kidney beans can I use pinto beans? If not what can I substitute for them
Thanks
I would do Great Northern Beans or chickpeas instead!
Cannalonie beans or navy beans
I love this, easy now with IP. I sauteed the garlic, onion, mushroom and carrots using the saute feature for 5 mins, dumped the rest of the ingredients and set it on high pressure for 10 mins. Did the quick release and done! Its delicious and using an IP definitely made this too easy to make. I can eat this for days while other recipes only last 2 days max as the flavor changes but I think this stays the same or gets better later so thanks!
What size instant pot did you use to make this soup?
I used my 8 qt. Gowise pressure cooker. High Pressure 15 minutes quick release. Got perfect.
Awesome post. It was great to read as you explained in detail about magic soup and that too simple which are easy to prepare. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!
can i have protein for breakfast. Also, can i put a small amount of chicken in the soup?
Yes, on both questions. Protein is always helpful when you are trying to lose weight. Thank you for asking!
I saw this recipe on Facebook, looked at it and decided, No, because of some of the vegetables. But I just kept seeing it, and decided to look again. I wrote down the ingredients (without the mushrooms) and made it, I was so surprised of how much flavor it has. It is very filling. I make extra to freeze, I eat it often, and started taking Probiotics. I feel better and so far I have lost 26 pounds. I may drink one soda a week, but water with lemon and eating better. Thank you very much!!!
That is AWESOME, Lisa! Thank you for sharing this and a BIG CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss!!!
Besides the kidney beans, is this recipe Whole 30 approved? Anyone know?
Soup is delicious. I followed this for exactly seven days and noticed a change with a daily exercise for a hour and eating 4xs a day. Drinking only water and snacking on fruits and nuts I feel so much bettter. It was so my guy followed with me. This will be my go to meal any time I’m snowed in. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this Britney! I’m so glad this Weight Loss Magic Soup is working for you!
THANK YOU! for providing a recipe for this that doesn’t have dry soup mix. How is that even healthy??? This is wonderful. Can’t wait to try it.
I hope you like it! It really is a healthy soup and I agree – using real onions flavors it better than the salty soup mix.
I have a 1.8 litre (10 cup) warm+cook rice cooker that goes unused for like 350 days of the year. And what to put it to good use.
If I would half the ingredients, would that fit in to my rice cooker?
Also, what cooking time should I substitute for the 2-3 hours cooking time?
Cheers!
ok enough with terrible reviews. I’m pretty sure they do not mean; eat this soup all day, every day and weights falls off. Yes you still need to be conscious of what goes in your mouth, along with drinking plenty of water and exercise. This soup is quite delicious and I can honestly say I have lost 5 lbs in 3 days eating this soup with the assistance of a regular exercise regimen (and I do not mean busting my tail for hours on end in a gym), drinking lots of water and eating breakfast. This soup is to help you lose weight, you still have to do the work, like like any other healthy diet. But for the negative reviewers just be quiet, people want words of encouragement and motivation.
You are absolutely right.. you definitely don’t need to eat ONLY this. You still want to eat enough calories to keep you healthy. This is just something to help you feel satisfied thoughout the day without consuming many calories. Thanks so much for your comment! We are thrilled that you lost 5 Lbs. in 3 days! That is awesome!!! Congrats!!!