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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.
Better than I expected! Love that the veggies stayed crunchy! I probably overloaded the veggies so came out more stew-like but added extra v-8 to compensate. I also added ground turkey to add some protein. Will def make again.
Thank You – this soup is delicious! Because it’s a weeknight and I have kids to feed, I cooked this on the stovetop. I used the spicy V8, and added an extra zucchini, and it was scrumptious. It took about 40 minutes to get the vegetables where I wanted them. It is great to fill my tummy with something warm and healthy. 😊
Excellent soup! I added some ground turkey and some chili flakes for a little kick, and we loved it, my husband gave it a 10! We felt terrific after eating it. Thanks, this will most likely become a regular in our home.
Made this so delicious!
Question though how many days is this good for in the refrigerator?
It should last a week!
Hey, wasn’t this posted in 2014?
Yes it was! We regularly retest and update our old recipes!
Can I use canned mushrooms or only fresh?
You can certainly use canned!
In my experience with mushrooms, fresh has an altogether different flavor. I stick with fresh because canned, to me, has no flavor.
I cooked this on HIGH in my crockpot for 3 hours. It was tasty but the veggies were still kind of crunchy and not as soft as I expected for soup. This was especially the case for the Green Beans – I used fresh whole green beans that I cut into 1/2 inch pieces and they were barely cooked. Was I supposed to steam them before adding to the soup? Also the carrots – even though I sauted them for 5 minutes per the recipe, they were still crunchy.
That is so strange! I usually just saute the crunchier veggies with the carrots and then 3 hours is enough. Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you!
Hello new here I want to make this this week I need some advice the v8 juice says see notes what notes what am I do do with v8 juice thank gou
The note says: *You can also use low-sodium V-8 juice, tomato juice, vegetable juice, or homemade tomato juice. Hope this helps!
Crock pots cook differently, my old one cooked nice and slow but the new one will burn food so you just have to know your Crock-Pot and know your veggies and to determine the time
Just a tip that I did, I added all the items in the crockpot that you weren’t supposed to Sautee. Example kidney beans, cabbage, tomatoes, broth and zucchini. I know crockpots take a little longer sometimes to get hot. Then I cut up my other stuff and sauté. I also ended up cooking an extra 30 mins or so because I like softener veggies in a soup.
Lifting weights has particularly good benefits. To determine the easiest way so that you can shed weight, consult your physician for recommendations. Note that the lengthy-term effects of a low carb diet are nonetheless being researched. It can also be troublesome to stick to a low carb diet, which can lead to yo-yo dieting and less success in sustaining a wholesome weight.
Going to try this. Thanx so much!
Is there a way to make this without using any tomatoes or tomato juice? My roommate can not have nightshades.
I’ve made the recipe several times, totally yummy thanks. I want to try making it in an instant pot, any suggestions on the time??
I usually don’t make tomato-based recipes in the instant pot because they get too hot and trigger the burn warning. You can totally make it in the crock pot though!
I did it in the instant pot! I sauteed the onions, garlic, carrots, green beans and mushrooms in olive oil. Then added broth and gave it a good stir to scrape up bits. I added Kale instead of cabbage and cooked it 5 minutes. Quick release, add zucchini and stir. Add tomatoes last and don’t stir. Cook another 5 minutes and quick release. I didn’t add beans or tomato juice. I sprinkled it with parmesan and it was wonderful!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I am going to include your instant pot directions as a recipe note for others who may want to cook the soup this way.
Excellent recipe ladies! Made it last night and loved it!
So glad you like it! Thank you!
Chopping, dicing, slicing, and shredding takes a lot longer than 20 minutes. And it makes so much, I will have to cook it in two batches. Had I known, I would have halved everything as I went along. But, I mixed it all in my largest mixing bowl and I have the first half cooking in my, what I thought was a large crock pot ! Looks wonderful. Can’t wait to try it ! Also, as I’m allergic to mushrooms, I substituted celery chopped quite fine and sautéed it with the onions, etc.
I suppose for a true “diet”, one should not have their much loved cup of joe with half and half and a little sugar in the AM? Or will that be so minimal that it will be okay?
If a diet isn’t sustainable, it won’t work! So I would have your cup of joe 🙂
Phew! Good!
Thanks…
I believe we need just need to find our own personal balance. I have thought about giving up my coffee before, but I am ultimately unwilling to give of that little bit of happiness in my mornings. I haven’t tried this soup yet. It is my plan for the coming week. Last week I made a huge pot of Cuban black beans and made rice in the crock pot. I still had my coffee every morning, sometimes 2 cups, both with half & half and sugar! I have started, slowly, decreasing my sugar in my coffee. I, also, increased my water intake and watched my serving sizes. I did sometimes snack more than what I should, but I still lost weight! If I give up everything I love, I burn out and then I end up binging. Nothing is a “one size fits all.” Small, gradual changes that you can maintain are key to success, imo.
Can I use beef broth in lieu of chicken broth?
Sure!
I like it with Spicy V8 juice and when I want a little extra protein in it I’ll add browned spicy sausage. Pork taste the best but spicy turkey sausage is good too. Make it all the time love it. I too will make it with whatever veg. I have available. It’s a good way to clean out the frig. 🙂
we enjoyed the soup. I used homemade broth and so we had some turkey meat in it which I felt added to it. I didn’t have zucchini so I added the rutabaga and some frozen mixed vegetables.. I substituted garbanzos for the recommended beans. I also added ginger root (fresh) dried sea kelp, and dried chilies. It was spicy but great!
Made this today
Very tasty
Has anyone tried this with green and red peppers and jalapeños I love peppers
Yes!!! i add red and yellow peppers and some Hot sauce 🙂 it makes it sweeter and gives it a little Kick!
Ohhhhhhhh
Peppers and hot sauce make this sound perfect. Thanks for the great tip
I know this is an older recipe and you have MANY comments and ratings, but I wanted to stop in and add mine, too. I have been making this weekly for years, and I couldn’t remember where I actually got the recipe until I stumbled onto your site again. I use the veggies I have available that week and meal prep it on Sunday with the rest of the meals for my family that week. I eat this for lunch most days, and sometimes for lunch and dinner if I am feeling a bit bloated. I love getting all the veggies for the day in one soup, and the micro nutrients are extraordinary. Also, I will eat this at night for a snack if I am feeling peckish (instead of that half can of pringles in the back of the cupboard), and it really does help me keep my weight under control. I’ve even made this in a coffee maker while traveling, desperate for something healthy to have in the evenings after a morning and lunch of mingling and conference food (which is basically just carbs anyway). Thank you, for such a great and customizable recipe!
You can try substituting the tomatoes with a can of pumpkin puree. That will give the soup some body without the acid.
OH MY GOD THAT SOUNDS AMAZING
I don”t like zucchini or squash, can I substitute with other veggies?
Of course! Use any vegetable you enjoy in soup, or you can double up on another vegetable in the recipe.
So good. And easy. I have varied the recipe. Still always delicious!