The cabbage soup recipe for weight loss is a low-calorie vegetable soup cabbage tomatoes carrots celery onions and peppers simmered in broth eaten as the main food for 7 days. People typically lose 5–10 pounds in a week but most of it is water weight not fat and it usually returns once normal eating resumes. It’s a short-term kickstart, not a lasting diet.
What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet
The cabbage soup diet is a famous 7-day fad diet built around unlimited cabbage soup plus small amounts of specific foods each day. It dates back decades and resurfaces every few years because the promise 10 pounds in a week is dramatic. The soup itself is healthy; the extreme 7-day plan around it is where the problems begin.
Cabbage Soup Recipe (Ingredients + Steps)
Ingredients:
- 1 medium green cabbage, chopped
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 large onions, diced
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 4–5 tomatoes, diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6–8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs to taste
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, and peppers for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Add cabbage, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer 25–30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Season to taste. Eat as much as you like one bowl is roughly 100–150 calories.
7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet Plan
- Day 1: Soup + fruit (except bananas)
- Day 2: Soup + vegetables (+ 1 baked potato at dinner)
- Day 3: Soup + fruit and vegetables
- Day 4: Soup + up to 6 bananas + skim milk
- Day 5: Soup + up to 20 oz beef/chicken + tomatoes
- Day 6: Soup + beef + vegetables
- Day 7: Soup + brown rice + vegetables + fruit juice
Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Really Work
yes for the scale, no for lasting fat loss. The plan is extremely low-calorie (~800–1,000 cal/day), so the scale drops fast but most of the loss is water and glycogen, plus some muscle. Studies and dietitians agree it’s nearly impossible to lose 10 pounds of actual fat in 7 days.
The weight typically returns within 1–2 weeks of normal eating. The soup itself, used as a regular low-calorie meal, is genuinely useful the crash-diet plan around it is not.
Is the Cabbage Soup Diet Safe?
For most healthy adults, 7 days is tolerable but unpleasant: common side effects include gas, bloating, headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. Avoid it if you have diabetes, kidney issues, are pregnant, or take medication affected by very low calories talk to a doctor first. Never extend it beyond 7 days.
A Smarter Way to Use Cabbage Soup
Instead of the crash plan eat a bowl of cabbage soup before lunch or dinner 3–4 times a week. It fills you up on ~100 calories, so you naturally eat less at the main meal. Combine this with how to suppress appetite naturally and the best superfoods for weight loss for sustainable results. For a gentler morning drink option, try our baking soda weight loss recipe or the gelatin weight loss recipe.
FAQs
What is the cabbage soup recipe for weight loss?
A low-calorie soup of cabbage tomatoes carrots celery onions, and peppers in broth about 100–150 calories per bowl eaten as the main food on the 7-day cabbage soup diet.
How much weight can you lose on the cabbage soup diet?
Typically 5–10 pounds in 7 days on the scale but most is water weight not fat and it usually returns after normal eating resumes.
Can I eat unlimited cabbage soup?
On the classic plan yes eat as much soup as you want. That’s the one sensible part the soup is low-calorie and filling.
Is the cabbage soup diet healthy?
The soup is healthy The 7-day crash plan is not it’s very low in protein and calories. Using the soup as a regular meal is the healthier approach.
Can I do the cabbage soup diet for more than 7 days?
No. It lacks protein and essential nutrients Stop at 7 days and return to balanced eating.
What can I drink on the cabbage soup diet?
Water (plenty), unsweetened tea, black coffee. Avoid alcohol, soda, and sugary drinks entirely during the 7 days.
Note: This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before starting any extreme diet.