Nothing is better than a pot of cozy soup and this is a favorite.
Hearty and healthy, this vegetable soup recipe has a rainbow of vegetables, including carrots, cabbage and zucchini, cooked in a flavorful broth.
Naturally low in fat and calories, it’s the perfect lunch, snack, or starter! To make this a heartier main dish for dinner, we often add our favorite proteins or some whole grains.
A Delicious Skinny Vegetable Soup Recipe
- This veggie soup recipe is delicious, healthy, and filling!
- It’s great for weight loss because it’s filling and low in calories. I enjoy a small bowl of this vegetable soup before meals or enjoy it as a snack to tide me over until dinner.
- And if you follow Weight Watchers, this is a 0 point soup… a freebie and it’s low carb and keto friendly too.
- This soup is quick to make, reheats well and you can add proteins or whole grains to make a hearty meal.
- Prepared as directed, this vegetable soup comes in at only 52 calories per 1 cup serving and is loaded with protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Ingredients in Vegetable Soup
This is the ultimate soup for any kind of add-in. It will still turn out perfect!
Broth or Stock – We use either beef broth or chicken broth but you can use any homemade stock or broth or vegetable broth if you prefer.
A variety of vegetables make this soup fun and flavorful. The cabbage adds bulk and fills your belly. If you’re not a fan of cabbage, you can most certainly substitute kale or spinach. Keep in mind that kale will add more bulk and spinach will shrink down quite a bit.
- Low Carb Veggies Cabbage, beans, cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, celery
- Starchy Veggies Carrots, potatoes or sweet potatoes (may need longer to cook), corn, green peas.
Add your favorite seasonings. Minced garlic, bay leaves, fresh thyme, and basil add a subtle flavor to the soup that complements the vegetables. Optional additions include red pepper flakes or a squeeze of lemon juice.
More Soup-er Add-Ins
Homemade vegetable soup is so versatile!
- Protein: Add fresh or leftover proteins like chicken, ground beef, or sausage.
- Legumes: Keep it vegetarian and add white beans, chickpeas, or your favorite cooked/canned beans.
- Grains: Hearty grains like barley or pasta like rotini, shells, or fun bowties will also make this a new dish every time!
How to Make Vegetable Soup
Homemade vegetable soup is perfect for make-ahead lunches or batch cooking. I learned to make this healthy soup recipe years ago and it’s always a staple in our kitchen.
- Cook garlic & onion until softened.
- Add cabbage, carrots, & green beans, cook until tender.
- Add remaining ingredients (except for zucchini) & simmer as directed in recipe below.
- Add zucchini & cook until soft. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Serving Suggestion: Serve soup with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese or a small dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Storing Veggie Soup
While this soup isn’t a magic weight loss secret, if you’re trying to cut calories it is perfect to have in your fridge ready to enjoy when you need a snack or a quick meal!
This soup reheats well so mix up a big batch and enjoy it throughout the week!
Keep vegetable soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze chilled soup in zippered bags or a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months. Reheat or thaw directly on the stovetop.
More Veggie Packed Soups
Did you make this Vegetable Soup? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Vegetable Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups cabbage chopped, approx. ¼ head of cabbage
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 cup green beans cut into 1″ pieces
- 2 whole bell peppers chopped
- 2 cups cauliflower florets or broccoli
- 28 ounces low sodium diced tomatoes with juice
- 6 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon basil
- pepper to taste
- 2 cups zucchini sliced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion & garlic and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add cabbage, carrots, & green beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in bell peppers, cauliflower, undrained tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, and seasonings. Simmer 8-10 minutes.
- Add in zucchini, simmer an additional 5 minutes or until softened.
- Remove bay leaves before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Diet Vegetarian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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This is NOT medical advice. This recipe is provided for informational purposes and enjoyment only. Eating this soup doesn’t guarantee weight loss. Before starting any weight loss program, be sure to consult your doctor.
NOTE: Nutritional information is auto-generated and is based on the quantities, amounts, and brands of products I used in this recipe. Actual amounts may vary based on your preparation and the products used. For informational purposes only, this is not medical information or advice.
I make a similar soup to this and it’s delicious…. I added celery and didn’t even think to use zucchini?? Will need to try that! When I’m trying to lose a few pounds I eat this. Will eat just a bowl of soup for lunch and if I’m super hungry for dinner, I make another big bowl plus cook a small baked potato. Pour some of the soup over the potato. Tastes great and is filling. Plus helps drop a few pounds quick! :)
We loved it! Can the leftovers be canned with a pressure cooker?
I have not tried canning this recipe so I can’t say for sure Audrey. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Loved this soup so much, I made a large batch and froze individual portions for
later! So easy and my husband said on a “scale of one to ten, this rates a 12!”
Most definitely saving in my collection as it is a keeper!
Great tasting soup.
I love this recipe! And I love that it has no potatoes! Pair it with a sandwich and you’ve got a low-cal but filling lunch!
very good ,fast and easy .
I love this recipe. It is similar to the Mayo diet cabbage soup but way better. My family loves to nosh on this delicious soup for lunch with a half a sandwich. I love how variable it is as I have mixed in kale, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, parsnips, potatoes, and other root vegetables. I count carbs so having a soup that is nutritious as well as low carb is a giant plus.
Great recipes are a starting point and this one has become one of my go to recipes for the start of the year.
Thank you for sharing Dormeil! I’m so happy to hear how much you love this soup. It’s definitely a favorite around here too!
Make it a meal by browning a pound of lean beef or turkey in the first step and adding some cooked mini bowtie or ditalini pasta to it.
Is this recipe doable in a slow cooker? Any adjustments needed?
We use this vegetable soup recipe to cook in the slow cooker
This recipe is terribly put together. I recommend not making this. Simmer carrots for 10 minutes does not cook them.
Hi Joanna, the carrots are added in step 2 and then the soup cooks for a total of 20 minutes after they are added so they should be nice and tender. If you prefer them softer, you can continue cooking the soup until they are your desired level of softness. I hope this helps!
This is a great recipe for vegetable soup. I made this tonight and it turned out great. Will make this again
Great flavor.
I’m making this today, I’m thinking about adding some sort of mushroom. Has anyone done this? What kind of mushrooms did you use??
Love, love, Looooved this soup. Sooo tasty and the depth of flavor amazing. Used McCormick beef base I had on hand, doubled thyme and basil, used an extra bay leaf (mine were kind of small), used 28oz of fresh, chopped, ripe tomatoes (it didn’t even need salt, I’m guessing it balanced out from sodium in the beef base), oh and I forgot to add pepper. Had two whole cups… and then a third. This recipe makes a whole lotta chunky soup, plenty to gift or for other days. Loved that too.
perfect!!!
This soup is amazing! I was looking for something simple and light. This was excellent!