Weight loss soup: the cabbage soup diet checked, and 8 better recipes

Is soup good for weight loss? The short answer

Yes, soup is one of the most useful foods for weight loss, as long as it is broth-based, packed with vegetables and includes some protein. Its high water content means a large, warm bowl brings relatively few calories, and it takes time to eat.

Soup is not magic, though. A soup thickened with cream, cheese or plenty of oil can be as rich as a plate of pasta, and living on soup alone leaves you short of protein and nutrients.

On this page you will find what the research says, an honest look at the famous cabbage soup diet, and eight original recipes that actually keep you full. Talk to your doctor first before changing your diet, in particular if you live with diabetes, kidney disease or high blood pressure.

Why soup can help you eat fewer calories

Soup helps mainly through energy density: the number of calories in each gram of food. Water adds weight and volume without adding calories, so a bowl of vegetable soup fills your stomach for far less energy than the same weight of bread, cheese or crisps.

Researchers led by Barbara Rolls at Penn State University have tested this idea for decades. Their studies are small and mostly short, but the pattern is consistent. Our guide to foods for weight loss explains energy density for all food groups; here we look at the soup studies themselves.

Water inside the food, not next to it

In one experiment, 24 women ate a chicken and rice dish before lunch on different days. Sometimes it came as a casserole, sometimes as the same casserole with a glass of water, and sometimes as a soup made from exactly the same ingredients and water.

After the soup, the women felt fuller and ate about a quarter fewer calories at lunch. Drinking the same amount of water with the casserole made no difference. They did not make up for it by eating more at dinner.

The lesson: water fills you most when it is cooked into the food.

A bowl of soup before the main meal

In a later study, 60 adults came to the lab for lunch once a week for five weeks. On four of those days they first ate a bowl of low-calorie vegetable soup; on one day they had no soup at all.

When they started with soup, they ate about 20 % fewer calories over soup plus lunch combined, roughly 134 calories less. It made no real difference whether the soup was clear broth with vegetables on the side, chunky, partly blended or completely smooth.

So choose the texture you enjoy most. Keep in mind that the people in this study did not have obesity and that it measured single meals, not weight loss over time.

What happened over a whole year

Longer studies are rarer. In a one-year trial with 200 adults with overweight or obesity, everyone followed a calorie-controlled diet with dietitian support. Some were also asked to eat one or two portions of low-calorie soup a day, and others two portions of energy-dense snack foods with the same calories.

After a year, the group with two soups a day had lost about 7.2 kg, compared with 4.8 kg in the snack group. However, the group that ate no special food at all lost about 8.1 kg, so soup was not better than a good diet without it.

In another one-year trial, 97 women with obesity who learned to eat more water-rich foods, mainly fruit and vegetables, lost slightly more weight and reported less hunger than women who only cut fat. That is the same principle as a good vegetable soup.

People who eat soup tend to weigh less

A review of seven population studies found that people who ate soup were less likely to have obesity; in the pooled data from more than 45,000 people, their odds were about 15 % lower. In a large US survey, soup eaters also had a lower body weight, a lower waist size and a better-quality diet overall.

These studies cannot prove that soup caused the difference; people who eat soup may have other healthy habits too. The same US survey also found one clear downside: soup eaters took in more sodium, which we come back to below.

The cabbage soup diet: an honest myth-check

The cabbage soup diet is a 7-day crash diet in which you eat large amounts of a fat-free cabbage and vegetable soup, plus a short, changing list of other foods each day. It promises a loss of 10 pounds (about 4.5 kg) or more in one week, but most of that is water, and the weight usually returns.

Online searches for the diet have fallen steadily over the years, but it remains a well-known quick fix, often tried in the hope of a fast result before a holiday or an event.

What the diet involves

The soup itself is usually cabbage, onions, peppers, tomatoes, celery or mushrooms boiled in water with stock cubes. You eat it two or three times a day, as much as you like.

Each day adds a few set foods. Versions differ, but the extras are typically fruit, vegetables, bananas with skimmed milk, beef or chicken with tomatoes, or brown rice. After seven days you stop.

We do not print the day-by-day plan, because we do not recommend following it.

Why the scale drops so fast

Because the menu is so limited, the diet is very low in calories on most days, far below what most adults need, and on several days it is also low in carbohydrate.

When you suddenly eat that little, especially that little carbohydrate, your body first uses its store of glycogen, the carbohydrate kept in your liver and muscles. Each gram of glycogen is stored with about three to four grams of water, so when the store empties, the water leaves too.

That is why the scale can drop several kilos in a week while only a small part of the loss is fat. As soon as you eat normally again, glycogen and its water return. Our page on safe weight loss explains this water effect and a realistic weekly pace.

Why the cabbage soup diet does not work in the long run

• No scientific trials. We could find no published study that tested the cabbage soup diet itself. Every claim comes from personal stories.
• Too little protein on most days. Enough protein helps you keep muscle while you lose weight, and you need that muscle for strength and daily activity.
• Not balanced. Health professionals list it alongside other diets that cut out whole food groups and leave nutritional gaps.
• Hunger and boredom. Eating the same soup for a week is hard, and many people quit early or overeat afterwards.
• A lot of salt if the soup is made with ordinary stock cubes, which matters for blood pressure, heart and kidney health.
• It teaches nothing about meals you can keep eating after the seven days, so regain is likely.

If you use insulin or tablets that can lower blood sugar, or medicines for blood pressure, a sudden very-low-calorie week can cause hypos or dizziness. Do not try a crash diet without your doctor. For other popular quick fixes, see our weight loss myths page.

The good part of the idea is real: vegetable soup is cheap, filling and low in calories. Keep the soup, add protein and fibre, and eat it as part of normal meals, as in our first recipe below.

What makes a weight loss soup filling?

A filling weight loss soup has a broth base, plenty of vegetables, a real portion of protein and some fibre-rich starch. Vegetables in water alone are light, but they rarely keep you going until the next meal.

1. Start with broth, tomatoes or water, not cream, coconut milk or cheese. For creaminess, blend in beans, a potato, or stir in plain yogurt at the end.
2. Fill it with vegetables: cabbage, carrots, leeks, celery, peppers, courgette, spinach, kale or frozen mixed vegetables.
3. Add 15 to 30 grams of protein per bowl from chicken, lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu, beans, lentils or Greek yogurt. Protein is the part that turns soup into a meal.
4. Include fibre-rich starch: pulses, pearl barley, brown rice, potatoes with their skin, or a slice of wholemeal bread on the side.
5. Measure the oil. One or two teaspoons per person is enough to soften the onions.

Toppings change the picture fast. A handful of croutons, a spoon of grated cheese or a swirl of cream can add 100 calories or more. Fresh herbs, black pepper, lemon juice, chilli or a spoon of yogurt add flavour for very little.

A clear broth is almost calorie-free but also almost protein-free, so it works as a warm starter rather than a meal. The creamy soup has more than twice the calories of the tomato soup made with water, for little extra fullness.

Is tomato soup good for weight loss?

Yes, tomato soup is a good choice for weight loss when it is made without cream and served with a protein food. Tomatoes are mostly water, so a smooth bowl feels rich while staying at about 80 to 140 calories, depending on whether it is made with water or milk.

The weak point of plain tomato soup is protein: a bowl made with water has only about 2 grams. On its own it will not keep you full for long, so pair it with something more substantial.

• Blend in a tin of chickpeas or white beans, as in our recipe 2.
• Stir a spoon of plain Greek yogurt into the bowl.
• Have a piece of wholemeal toast on the side, topped with cottage cheese, an egg or some tuna.

Canned and carton tomato soups are convenient, but check the label for sugar and salt. Some brands add sugar, and a single bowl can provide around a quarter of a day’s sodium. Homemade tomato soup from tinned tomatoes costs little and lets you control both.

8 weight loss soup recipes that keep you full

These eight weight loss soup recipes are our own and use cheap, everyday ingredients. Each is a full meal with protein and fibre, and most freeze well. Our healthy recipes for weight loss page has a minestrone-style vegetable and bean soup and a red lentil dal, so we have not repeated those here.

The nutrition figures are approximate. We weighed each ingredient against USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy data), totalled the pot and divided it by the number of servings. Water, herbs and spices count as zero. Chickpeas were counted as tinned, drained and rinsed, and kidney beans as beans with no added salt.

Sodium was calculated with reduced-salt stock. With ordinary stock cubes, expect roughly 150 to 250 mg more per bowl. Spoon measures are level (tbsp = 15 ml, tsp = 5 ml) and US cup measures are rounded.

1. Cabbage soup with lean beef and paprika

Serves 4 · 45 minutes · freezes well

Our sensible version of cabbage soup, inspired by the flavours of stuffed cabbage rolls. The lean mince and a little rice make it a meal instead of a crash diet.

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 300 g (10½ oz) lean beef mince (5 % fat), or turkey mince
• 1 large onion, chopped (150 g)
• 2 carrots, diced (150 g)
• 1 red pepper (120 g), diced
• 2 tsp paprika, sweet or smoked
• ½ small white cabbage (500 g / about 7 cups shredded)
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes (14 oz / 400 g) plus 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 litre (4 cups) reduced-salt stock
• 150 g (¾ cup) cooked brown rice
• Black pepper, fresh dill or parsley, a squeeze of lemon

1. Warm the oil in a big pan and brown the mince for 5 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon.
2. Add the onion, carrot and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until they start to soften. Stir in the paprika and tomato paste for 1 minute.
3. Add the cabbage, tomatoes and stock. Put the lid on and cook gently for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cabbage is soft.
4. Stir in the rice and heat for 3 minutes until everything is steaming hot. Season with pepper, lemon and herbs.

Per serving (approx.): 280 kcal · 24 g protein · 9 g fibre · 32 g carbohydrate · 800 mg sodium.

2. Creamy tomato soup with chickpeas

Serves 4 · 30 minutes · vegetarian, freezes well

Smooth and creamy without any cream: blended chickpeas give body and protein. Add a slice of wholemeal toast for a bigger lunch.

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• 1 large onion, 1 carrot and 2 celery sticks, chopped (150 g, 100 g and 80 g)
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (28 oz / 800 g) plus 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 240 g / 1½ cups)
• 600 ml (2½ cups) reduced-salt vegetable stock
• 100 g (scant ½ cup) nonfat plain Greek yogurt, fresh basil, black pepper

1. Gently fry the onion, carrot and celery for about 8 minutes until soft, then stir in the garlic for a minute.
2. Tip in the tomatoes, tomato paste, chickpeas and stock and let it bubble gently for a quarter of an hour.
3. Let it cool for a few minutes, then blend until smooth. Fill the blender only halfway and hold the lid with a towel, because hot soup can splash.
4. Serve each bowl with a spoon of yogurt, basil and pepper.

Per serving (approx.): 210 kcal · 12 g protein · 10 g fibre · 31 g carbohydrate · 750 mg sodium.

3. Chicken, vegetable and barley soup

Serves 4 · 50 minutes · freezes well

A classic comforting chicken soup with more than 30 grams of protein per bowl. Pearl barley makes it thick and chewy and adds fibre.

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 large leek (200 g), 2 carrots (150 g) and 2 to 3 celery sticks (100 g), sliced
• 400 g (14 oz) skinless chicken breast, left whole
• 80 g (scant ½ cup) pearl barley, rinsed
• 1 litre (4 cups) reduced-salt chicken stock plus 500 ml (2 cups) water
• 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
• 1 bay leaf, dried thyme, black pepper, chopped parsley

1. Cook the leek, carrot and celery gently for 5 minutes.
2. Add the barley, stock, water, bay leaf and thyme, then lay the chicken in the pan. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked: no pink meat in the centre, or 74 °C (165 °F) on a food thermometer.
3. Lift out the chicken and shred it with two forks. Keep simmering the soup for another 15 minutes, until the barley is tender.
4. Return the chicken, add the peas and heat for 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and finish with parsley and pepper.

Per serving (approx.): 305 kcal · 31 g protein · 7 g fibre · 33 g carbohydrate · 720 mg sodium.

4. Lemony lentil and spinach soup

Serves 4 · 45 minutes · vegan with vegetable stock, freezes well

Brown or green lentils hold their shape better than red ones, so this soup stays hearty. Cumin and plenty of lemon give it a fresh, Middle Eastern-style flavour.

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• 1 large onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery sticks, diced (150 g, 150 g and 80 g)
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed, and 1 tsp ground cumin
• 200 g (1 cup) dried green or brown lentils, rinsed well
• 1 litre (4 cups) reduced-salt vegetable stock plus 500 ml (2 cups) water
• 150 g (5 cups) baby spinach
• Juice of 1 lemon, black pepper, a pinch of chilli flakes

1. Fry the onion, carrot and celery gently for about 8 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cumin until fragrant.
2. Pour in the lentils, stock and water, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the lentils are tender.
3. Blend or mash about a third of the soup to thicken it, leaving the rest chunky.
4. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then add the lemon juice, pepper and chilli.

Per serving (approx.): 275 kcal · 18 g protein · 8 g fibre · 44 g carbohydrate · 660 mg sodium.

5. Kidney bean, kale and sweet potato soup

Serves 4 · 35 minutes · vegan with vegetable stock, freezes well

Smoky, slightly sweet and very filling, with about 16 grams of fibre per bowl. If you are new to beans, eat a smaller portion at first and increase slowly.

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (150 g), plus 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 sweet potato (300 g), peeled and diced
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes (14 oz / 400 g)
• 2 cans of red kidney beans with no added salt, drained and rinsed (about 480 g / 3 cups)
• 1 litre (4 cups) reduced-salt vegetable stock
• 150 g (about 7 cups) kale, tough stems removed, chopped

1. Fry the onion gently for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and paprika for a minute.
2. Add the sweet potato, tomatoes and stock and cook at a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the beans and kale and cook for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the kale is soft.
4. Press some of the beans against the side of the pan with a spoon to thicken the soup.

Per serving (approx.): 305 kcal · 18 g protein · 16 g fibre · 53 g carbohydrate · 760 mg sodium (about 1,000 mg with ordinary salted tinned beans).

6. Miso soup with tofu, mushrooms and noodles

Serves 2 · 15 minutes · vegan

A quick noodle bowl with a deep savoury taste. Miso is salty, so we keep it to one tablespoon per bowl and let ginger and mushrooms add flavour too.

• 800 ml (3⅓ cups) water
• A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger (5 g), thinly sliced
• 100 g (1½ cups) shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced
• 80 g (3 oz) dried soba or wholewheat noodles
• 200 g (7 oz) firm tofu, cubed
• 80 g (2½ cups) spinach or sliced pak choi
• 2 tbsp (36 g) miso paste
• 2 scallions or spring onions, sliced (30 g)

1. Simmer the water with the ginger and mushrooms for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a separate pan following the pack, then drain and rinse them.
3. Add the tofu and spinach to the broth and heat for 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat.
4. Mix the miso with a ladle of the hot broth until smooth, then stir it back in. Miso keeps its flavour best when it is not boiled.
5. Divide the noodles between two bowls, pour over the soup and top with spring onions.

Per serving (approx.): 345 kcal · 28 g protein · 6 g fibre · 44 g carbohydrate · 1,040 mg sodium, about two-thirds from the miso and most of the rest from the dried noodles.

7. Gazpacho-style cold soup with egg

Serves 4 · 20 minutes plus 1 hour chilling · vegetarian

A chilled, no-cook tomato soup in the style of Spanish gazpacho, perfect for hot days. A chopped egg on top adds protein; use very ripe tomatoes for the best taste.

• 1 kg (2¼ lb) ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• ⅔ cucumber (200 g), 1 red pepper (150 g) and ¼ red onion (40 g), roughly chopped
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
• 1 slice of wholemeal bread, torn (40 g)
• 4 eggs
• Black pepper and cold water to thin

1. Boil the eggs for 9 to 10 minutes until the yolks are firm, then cool them in cold water.
2. Set aside a little cucumber and pepper for the topping. Blend everything else, except the eggs, until smooth.
3. Add cold water until it is as thick as you like, season with pepper and chill for at least an hour.
4. Serve topped with a chopped egg per bowl and the diced cucumber and pepper.

Per serving (approx.): 195 kcal · 11 g protein · 5 g fibre · 20 g carbohydrate · 130 mg sodium.

8. Pea, spinach and mint soup

Serves 4 · 25 minutes · vegetarian, freezes well

Bright green, sweet and ready in under half an hour from frozen peas. Greek yogurt makes it creamy and lifts the protein.

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (150 g)
• 1 medium potato (200 g), skin on, diced
• 1 litre (4 cups) reduced-salt vegetable stock
• 500 g (about 3¾ cups) frozen peas
• 100 g (3 cups) baby spinach and a small bunch of fresh mint
• 150 g (⅔ cup) nonfat plain Greek yogurt, black pepper

1. Cook the onion gently for about 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add the potato and stock and simmer for 10 minutes, until the potato is tender.
3. Add the peas for 4 minutes, then the spinach and mint for 1 minute.
4. Blend until smooth. Off the heat, stir in most of the yogurt and keep a spoon for the top of each bowl.

Per serving (approx.): 215 kcal · 16 g protein · 8 g fibre · 33 g carbohydrate · 750 mg sodium.

Stock cubes, miso and salt: how to keep soup lower in sodium

Most of the salt in soup comes from stock cubes, ready-made broth, miso, soy sauce and processed meat, not from the vegetables. A single bowl of ordinary broth can hold around 800 to 900 mg of sodium before you add anything else.

The European Food Safety Authority considers 2 grams of sodium a day, about 5 grams of salt, a safe and adequate intake for adults. One bowl of salty soup can therefore use up nearly half of a whole day’s amount.

• Use half stock, half water. In our recipes, that saves roughly 150 to 300 mg of sodium per bowl, and you will hardly taste the difference once the vegetables have cooked.
• Choose reduced-salt stock cubes or broth, and compare labels: the amount of sodium differs a lot between brands.
• Make your own stock from chicken bones or vegetable trimmings without salt, and freeze it in portions.
• Build flavour another way: onions, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, mushrooms, paprika, cumin, bay leaves, black pepper, lemon juice or a splash of vinegar.
• Rinse tinned beans and chickpeas, choose tins with no added salt, and always taste the soup before reaching for the salt.
• Read the label on ready-made soup. Choose versions marked low or reduced salt, and count one carton or tin as one or two portions, not a snack.

Lower-sodium salt substitutes replace part of the salt with potassium chloride. For most people they are a reasonable way to cut sodium, but they are not suitable for people with advanced kidney disease or those taking potassium-sparing medicines or potassium supplements.

If you have kidney disease or take medicines that can raise potassium, which includes some blood pressure and heart medicines, ask your doctor before you use them.

How do you cool, freeze and reheat soup safely?

Soup is ideal for batch cooking, but a large, warm pot cools slowly, and bacteria can grow and make toxins that reheating does not destroy. The safest approach is to divide it into small containers as soon as it stops steaming and put them straight in the fridge or freezer.

The cooling, storing and reheating tips below follow advice from Australia’s Food Safety Information Council on bulk-cooked soups and stews.

• Portion it quickly. Split the soup into containers about the size of a takeaway tub, so each portion cools fast. Do not leave the big pot standing on the stove for hours.
• Keep the fridge at 5 °C (41 °F) or below, and eat refrigerated soup within 2 to 3 days. If someone in your home is pregnant, elderly or has a weakened immune system, use it within one day.
• Use the freezer for later portions. Frozen soup keeps for several months. Leave a little space at the top of each container, because liquid expands as it freezes, and label each one with the date.
• Defrost in the fridge or in the microwave, not on the kitchen counter.
• Heat it until it steams in every part of the bowl, and stir halfway when you use the microwave.
• Taking soup to work in a flask? Warm the flask first with boiling water, heat the soup to at least 75 °C, and fill the flask just before you leave.

Most soups on this page freeze well. Soups with noodles, pasta or a lot of potato can turn soft after freezing, so freeze the miso broth without noodles and add fresh ones when you reheat. Gazpacho is best eaten fresh within a day or two.

Soup with diabetes, kidney disease or high blood pressure

For most adults these soups need no changes. With certain long-term conditions, ask your doctor, specialist nurse or a registered dietitian to look over the recipes with you before you start.

Diabetes

Carbohydrate is the nutrient that moves blood sugar most, so the recipe table shows it for every bowl: from roughly 20 grams in the gazpacho up to about 53 grams in the bean and sweet potato soup. Bread or crackers on the side come on top of that.

Broth-based soups with vegetables and protein are usually a good fit; just watch bread, crackers and noodles on the side.

On insulin or tablets with a risk of hypos? Ask your diabetes team before swapping meals for soup, because a lighter lunch may mean your dose needs adjusting.

Kidney disease

Soups can be high in sodium and potassium. Beans, lentils, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach and kale all contain potassium, and salt substitutes can add much more.

Some people with chronic kidney disease also need to watch phosphorus, protein or fluid. A bowl of soup counts as fluid, so if you have a fluid limit, ask your kidney team how soup fits into it.

High blood pressure and heart disease

Salt is the main thing to watch. Follow the low-sodium tips above, choose the soups with the least stock, and treat ready-made soup as an occasional option rather than a daily one.

If you have heart failure and have been given a fluid limit, count soup as fluid too and ask your heart team how much fits.

Other situations

• After weight-loss surgery, smooth soups are often part of the early stages, but follow your surgical team’s plan for texture, protein and portion size.
• Pregnancy is not a time for a crash diet or a soup-only week. Ask your midwife or doctor for advice.
• Living with an eating disorder now or in the past? Rigid diets like the cabbage soup diet can be harmful. Please talk to your care team.

Write your questions down before the appointment; our doctor visit checklist makes that easy.

How to fit soup into your week

The easiest way to use soup for weight loss is to have it regularly as a full meal or as a small bowl before your main course, not to live on it. Here are five ways to build it into normal eating.

1. Soup as a starter. A small bowl of clear vegetable soup before dinner takes the edge off hunger, so the main course is easier to keep moderate. Our guide to portion control has more tricks for the plate itself.
2. Soup as lunch. One of the eight recipes above, with a piece of fruit afterwards, is a complete lunch for about 250 to 400 calories.
3. Soup with bread, sensibly. A slice of wholemeal bread adds fibre and makes the meal last. Our page on bread, rice and potatoes explains how starchy foods fit into weight loss.
4. Soup as a snack. A mug of leftover vegetable soup is a warm, filling choice between meals. For more ideas, see our list of healthy snacks.
5. Soup on a plan. Our free 7-day eating plan includes a soup lunch and shows how to balance the rest of the day.

Food is only half of the picture. A short walk after your soup lunch, even 10 minutes, is a good habit to add, and our gentle workout videos help you build strength at your own pace.

Free help from Obesity Foundation to lose weight with good food

Our mission is to help people lose weight and get healthier through good food, suitable exercise and walking. We sell no diets, soups or products; all our help is free.

• Your own free eating plan, with soups and other meals that fit your taste, budget and routine: ask for your free eating plan.
• 150 workout videos at no cost, at three levels from chair-based moves upwards: get the free videos.
• A free video meeting (in English) about meals, appetite and the obstacles in your week, with a team member who will not judge you: plan your free video meeting.
• The free Obesity Foundation Club, a personal account where you track progress and ask questions: open your Club account.

Start with one pot this week. Pick the recipe that sounds best, cook it at the weekend, and see how a soup lunch changes your afternoon hunger.