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Cabbage soup diet recipe

Traditional cabbage soup diet recipe for weight loss

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Difficulty: Easy
Serves 4
Vegan
Vegetarian
Freezable
Dairy Free

Preparation

Total time: 30 Mins
Preparation time: 10 Mins
Cooking time: 20 Mins

1 large onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely sliced
Olive oil spray
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
1/2 head of white or green cabbage, shredded
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can chopped tomatoes
800ml water
3 tsp vegetable bouillon powder

To serve

Small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Add a few spritzes of the olive oil spray to a large casserole or saucepan over a low-medium heat.
Add the diced onions, celery and carrots to the pan and fry gently for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Add the crushed garlic and fry for a further minute.
Add the green pepper, shredded cabbage and cayenne pepper, and fry for a couple more minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes. Fill the empty tomato can with 400ml of the water and add that, then repeat with the remaining 400ml (this method gets all the last bits of tomato out of the can).
Add the vegetable bouillon powder, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.
Check the seasoning, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve.

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You will need

Large flameproof casserole or lidded saucepan

Tips

If you have any spare portions, cool them in the fridge, then freeze in labelled containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, or using the microwave, before reaheating until piping on the hob or in the microwave.

What is the cabbage soup diet?

The cabbage soup diet is a traditional short-term weight loss program. It's usually done for just one week, with the aim being rapid weight loss over the seven days.

The idea is that you can eat as much of this tasty cabbage soup as you want, but you should seriously limit other foods for seven days.

What else can I eat on the cabbage soup diet?

The origins of the diet have been lost to the mists of time, and different people have different ideas about how much else you can eat on the cabbage soup diet. Most people say it's fine to eat as much fruit and veg as you want, but many suggest limiting protein, carbs and dairy to just one small meal a day.

High-cal foods and drinks, like sweets, cakes, crisps, fizzy drinks and booze, are completely off the menu.

Is the cabbage soup diet safe?

Most health experts aren't big fans of the cabbage soup diet. For one thing, it doesn't give you all the nutrients you need. For another, any weight loss is likely to be very short-term, and the pounds are likely to pile on again quickly.

If you do want to try the cabbage soup diet, it's best to check with your GP first, to be on the safe side.