I’m a common sense type of eater, and so I’m not interested in faddish diets, but, like everybody else, the pounds sometimes creep up on me. My secret is simple ~ soup! This filling low carb brothy vegetable soup is my go-to for healthy weight loss.
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I know it sounds naive in this era of weight loss injections, but for me, this brothy vegetable soup is my best natural way to shed pounds.
🍅 The broth hydrates the body and adds volume to make you feel full without the calories.
🥦 All those colorful veggies bring fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to the bowl.
🧅 Go ahead, go back for seconds, this soup is low calorie so you don’t have to limit yourself.
Every ingredient in this veggie soup has a purpose
This can absolutely be a clean-out-the-fridge soup, but I also love deliberately shopping the produce aisle for a mix of richly colored vegetables.
The sheer variety of vegetables is the magic of this recipe. You’ve got cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, root vegetables, mushrooms, and peppers ~ each contributing different nutrients.
- Fiber: Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, and greens contribute to fullness and digestive health.
- Vitamins and minerals: Bell peppers and broccoli supply vitamin C; carrots provide beta-carotene; kale contributes vitamins A, C, and K.
- Colorful plant compounds: Red cabbage, golden beets, tomatoes, and leafy greens provide a variety of antioxidants and other phytonutrients.
- Broth: Adds satisfying volume without many calories, while ginger, garlic, and mushrooms build flavor.
You can add some shredded rotisserie chicken or tofu for more protein. I like to hit it with a touch of Parmesan cheese just before serving, which adds a nice ‘umami’ flavor and a bit of salt. That tiny amount of Parm goes a long way towards making the soup seem complete and satisfying.
This veggie soup is just as comforting as chicken soup when you’re sick
Chicken soup has a well-earned reputation for helping us feel better when we’re under the weather. The warm broth helps with hydration and can temporarily ease congestion and a scratchy throat. My vegetable soup offers those same comforts, along with a colorful mix of vegetables supplying vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Traditional chicken soup has the advantage of more protein, but you can always add some shredded chicken to this one.
A short simmer keeps the vegetables colorful and crisp-tender
I let this soup simmer just long enough to barely tenderize the vegetables. That way, they keep their vivid colors and different textures, so every spoonful is a little different. Unlike soups that benefit from hours on the stove, this one is best with a quick simmer. Short and sweet!
See all my soup recipes here
Reader Rave ~
“This is the best vegetable soup I’ve ever had! Light years ahead of the usual “cabbage soup” recipes we see this time of year. I’ll make it again and again. It’s light, but it is still substantial and hearty. And so nutritious! Thanks a million!” ~Lisa
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Slimming Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 32 ounces unsalted chicken broth
- 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium golden beet, or several baby beets, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
- 1 hot chili pepper, I used a Serrano pepper, sliced (optional)
- 3/4 cup pea pods, any type, halved if large
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 bell pepper, any color, cut in strips
- salt and black pepper , to taste
- 1 cup baby kale, and/or spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
garnish
- grated Parmesan cheese, or other hard Italian cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Gently sauté the shallot, garlic, and ginger for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the broth to the pan and bring up to a simmer. Add the carrots and beets and simmer for several minutes.
- Add in the broccoli and cauliflower florets and the hot pepper, if using, and simmer for another couple of minutes. The veggies should be just barely tender. If not, cook a little longer.
- Next go the pea pods, mushrooms, red cabbage, and bell pepper. Bring back to a boil and then turn down the heat again, these veggies don’t require much cooking at all. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- When you are ready to serve, throw in the leafy greens and the tomatoes and give everything a stir.. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of cheese.
Notes
- I think of the vegetable measurements more as handfuls than exact amounts ~ don’t stress over it ~ veggies are difficult to measure, and there’s lots of leeway here for you to decide how much or how little of each ingredient you want to add.
- This recipe has plenty of room for improvisation when it comes to what ingredients you choose, too. Other ideas might be asparagus, Brussels sprouts, Napa cabbage, celery, green beans, onions, bok choy, eggplant, edamame beans, summer squash, etc. I try to stay away from starchy veggies like potatoes and corn.
- This is not a strongly flavored soup, it’s mild and focuses on the flavors and textures of the vegetables themselves. But don’t leave out the shallot, garlic, and ginger ~ they form a flavor base for the broth. If it is too mild for you, you might try adding a can of crushed tomatoes for another layer of flavor.
Nutrition
More satisfying soups
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Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
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Creamy Salmon Soup with Lemon
My creamy salmon soup has chunks of tender salmon and veggies in a light lemon cream broth.
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Easy Tuscan artichoke soup captures the essence of the Italian countryside ~ it's creamy, comforting, and convenient (we use canned artichokes!)
What a beautiful soup! Pretty sure I’ve never said that before but the colors alone show that this is a soup that is really good for you. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for sharing!! ? Bita
Wowza. This looks so healthy! I love a good soup recipe 🙂
I’m willing to bet BIG that “The Cabbage Soup” doesn’t hold a candle to this. Gorgeous! So many great ingredients that shine through in the soup’s simplicity! (and I soooo need a batch of this!)
I can vouch for that, Patricia, cabbage soup doesn’t compare 🙂
So gorgeous! Now this is the way to detox, and it looks far superior to the cranberry juice I’ve been downing.. 😉
Thanks Laura, I’m big on cranberry juice too…
You’re a lifesaver Sue! I NEED this right now!!
I think we ALL do Mary Ann…
It’s a gorgeous soup, and my family is big on soups, whether rich or light. My girls would love the color in this. We’ll have to try it out soon because it begs them to help in the kitchen and take turns adding ingredients.
I didn’t think of it with kids in mind but you’re absolutely right, what great way to get them interested in veggies — they can learn their colors while they’re helping 🙂
Isn’t funny how many people ask you for the malnutrition fact and you completely ignore the question!
I have answered before, Sarah, and the brand asked me to remove the nutritional facts, so I did. I think the nutritional calculators that I can access aren’t completely accurate, and so Swanson doesn’t want to have them up. If you like you can punch in the ingredients to any number of free online nutrition apps to get the numbers.
I love the colours – it’s so much easier to eat good food when it looks great. I particularly like about this soup is how you can eat it as is or top it up with extras like chicken, tofu or pasta. You can eat the same basic soup but have some variety every day.
Vegetable soups are commonplace, but I think the idea here is to emphasize the colors and textures, because I agree, it is easier to eat right when it’s lovely to look at.
This looks delicious! I always turn to homemade soups, carrots/hummus and green juices when I need to shed a few food blogger pounds. I’ll have to add this recipe to my routine 🙂
You’ve just outlined a great daily meal plan – the juice for breakfast, hummus and carrots for lunch, and soup for dinner!
This looks more like a work of art to me. Then again it looks like a soup I’d be happy to eat any day of the week! Beautiful, vibrant and super delicious looking!
I totally in love with all of the colors in this soup! This would be perfect for this cold, chilly day that we’re having!
Thanks Angie, I need to get another batch going, we’re having rain all week here!