Low Calorie Spicy Cabbage Soup

Name: Low Calorie Spicy Cabbage Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon olive oil; 1 cup yellow onion (chopped); 1/4 of a green bell pepper (chopped); 1 cup carrot (chopped); 1 cup celery (chopped); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 head green cabbage ((~3-4 cups), shredded); 1/2 cup tomato puree ((see Notes)); 3 1/2 cup water ((or broth of choice)); 1/3 cup fresh parsley (chopped); lemon wedges (for serving, optional); salt and pepper (to taste)

Published: Jan 25, 2016 · Modified: Nov 18, 2022 by Lauren · This post may contain affiliate links · 42 Comments

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Low Calorie Spicy Cabbage Soup - A delicious way to enjoy cabbage, made with lots of vegetables that is filling, yet low in carbs and calories.

Why I love this recipe

It helps when you've overeaten! Given the low carb nature of this soup, it makes a great meal after indulging in fat or sugar.

It's delicious! It's true, cabbage can be mighty tasty. The trick with this soup is to let it cook down so that it's nice and soft.

It's packed full of vegetables. There are seven, count'em, SEVEN vegetables in this soup! If you're having trouble getting your daily dose, this is a great way to fit them in.

This recipe is versatile. While I created this to be a 'cleansing' soup, adding in some chicken or beef would work well, as would beans or a scoop of cooked grain.

It's filling! Despite it not having meat or beans, this soup is very satisfying, in terms of satiation.

Ingredients needed

To make this cabbage soup, you'll need:

Olive oil - This is for sauteing the veggies and bringing out their flavor. A little bit goes a long way!

Flavoring vegetables (onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot, and celery) - These veggies all add to both nutrition and flavor.

Various spices - (red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, and bay leaf) - The oregano and basil complement the tomato nicely, while the bay leaf is great for overall flavor when you're not using broth. I like my soup spicy, so I add about 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, but just use less or even black pepper if you'd prefer it more mild.

Cabbage - The main star! Cabbage is great for so many things, and it is filling without being heavy in your stomach.

Tomato puree and water - This is the base of the recipe, no need for broth!

Parsley and fresh lemon wedges - Both are great ways accoutrements to this soup, helping to flavor and de-bloat.

I ate a whole pot of this soup over the weekend and felt great.

After I cooked it the first day, I left the pot on the stove so that I could snack on it here and there when I got hungry.

It kept my tummy full without being uncomfortable, and I had good energy.

Also, with low calorie soups like this one, I feel better about eating a big, fat cheese crisp alongside it (tortilla recipe here!) which is exactly what I did.

Carbs in moderation. 🙂

Recipe notes

Add red pepper flakes as desired for spicy-ness. I use 1/2 teaspoon, but my husband finds that a bit too much for him. Use your best judgment.

I use this tomato puree in this recipe, but I imagine tomato sauce would work well too.

Cabbage soup with tomatoes and vegetables in a bowl

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4.41 from 30 votes