The vegan cabbage soup diet is a popular, quick weight loss plan that involves eating primarily cabbage soup for seven days. This diet is designed to be a jump-start, cleanse, or boost of confidence on the scale. Many people lose between 5-10 pounds on the cabbage soup diet. This article provides a comprehensive guide to the vegan cabbage soup diet, including a delicious recipe, a detailed 7-day eating plan, and tips for success.
Benefits of Cabbage Soup
Cabbage is a super healthy vegetable. It is a natural diuretic rich in sulfur meaning it removes excess salt and fluid and breaks down toxins. Cabbage soup is often used as a detox to help reset your body.
Why Choose Vegan Cabbage Soup?
This vegan cabbage soup recipe is so hearty and delicious! The texture of the vegan meat lends a flavor to this vegetarian cabbage soup that is unique and adds depth to the recipe. This meatless cabbage soup can easily be made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker. It is filling and will warm you up. It’s basically just chopping veggies and letting them cook.
Delicious Vegan Cabbage Soup Recipe
This recipe is versatile. You can add additional spices and herbs, or omit ingredients you don’t like. This soup is easy to make and doesn’t take long to cook.
Ingredients:
- Green cabbage
- Vegetable broth
- Spices
- Cayenne pepper
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Onion
- Carrots
- Vegan beef crumbles
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
Instructions:
- Heat a little bit of oil in the bottom of a large stock pot on medium-high heat.
- Saute garlic, onion, and carrots over medium heat until carrots are soft.
- Add in the vegan beef crumbles. Stir until combined and use your spatula to separate the beef crumbles. Stir until well combined and cook until vegan beef is slightly browned.
- Add in pre-cooked potatoes and the chopped cabbage as well as all of the spices/seasonings.
- Stir until well combined. The cabbage will be quite large and will take up a lot of space.
- Add in broth, tomatoes, and chopped cabbage and bring to a light boil.
- Simmer for at least 30 minutes. You can also cook the soup down if you like it thicker.
7-Day Vegan Cabbage Soup Diet Plan
On the 7-day cabbage soup diet, you follow a specific eating plan every day. Along with eating these foods, you can have cabbage soup as often as you’d like. Don’t forget you MUST drink eight glasses of water each day.
Read also: Vegan Diet for Diabetes Management
- Day 1: Eat nothing but fruit today (except for bananas) and as much of the diet cabbage soup as you’d like. You should try to stick with fruits that have lower sugar content, such as apples and blueberries.
- Day 2: Eat nothing but vegetables (except corn or other starchy veggies). However, you get to start the day with a baked potato (russet or sweet).
- Day 3: Today, you eat fruits AND veggies (except bananas, corn, and other starchy vegetables). You also don’t get a potato today, which sucks!
- Day 4: Today, you eat only bananas and milk/yogurt. You can just have bananas and milk or unsweetened yogurt.
- Day 5: Today, eat only tomatoes (6-8) and protein like fish, turkey, and chicken.
- Day 6: Today, it’s protein and veggies- Unlike yesterday, you can have other vegetables besides tomatoes.
- Day 7: Today, it’s just fruits, vegetables, and juices.
Tips for Success
- Stay Hydrated: Don’t forget you MUST drink eight glasses of water each day.
- Season Generously: Throughout the diet, use salt (very lightly), pepper, lots of herbs and seasonings, olive oil, and a small amount of butter on potato days.
- Listen to Your Body: This diet may not be for you, especially if your days are high-energy. The cabbage soup diet has low calories. Eat as much cabbage soup as you would like to keep your stamina up, and drink plenty of water.
- Pace Yourself: Pace yourself after the diet and eat small, frequent portions of fruits, veggies, and proteins: no refined sugars and bad carbs. Don’t stuff yourself either. Start with a balanced eating plan or lifestyle that will support average weight loss along with exercise.
Modifications and Variations
- Broth: I’ve always used chicken or vegetable broth with seasoned canned tomatoes, which has never hindered my weight loss. There is NO WAY I would be eating this soup every day if I made it with plain water.
- Versatile Recipe: This recipe is so incredibly versatile that I have made multiple variations over the years. I have tried it with all sorts of different ingredients and spices. Use this recipe as your base and make it unique to your preferences.
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper to give it some heat.
- Rice: Add rice to make a hearty vegetarian cabbage and rice soup. Or add pasta.
- Creamy: If you want a creamy cabbage soup, use an immersion blender or a standard blender.
- High Protein: Add white beans or garbanzo beans to give the soup protein.
Potential Downsides and Considerations
- Not a Long-Term Solution: 7-day diets work to eliminate mainly water weight, which is why the results are so quick.
- Consult a Doctor: As always, consult a doctor before drastically reducing your calorie intake.
- Exercise: Not recommended. Your calories are minimal on the cabbage soup diet. Do not work out for the seven days while on this plan or a few days afterward.
- Sustainability: Your body will start to hold on to weight if you cut it’s calories too much for an extended period.
Storing and Freezing
This vegan cabbage soup recipe stores incredibly well! This is also a wonderful vegan soup recipe for freezing! Leftover vegan cabbage soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can store this vegan cabbage soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Read also: Vegan Diet for Bodybuilding
Read also: Lose Weight with Veganism