Loosely inspired by Thai yellow curry, this Cabbage Detox Soup recipe is nourishing, delicious and rich in foods to naturally promote detoxification.
This time of year after the indulgence of the holiday season, so many of us are thinking about cleaning up our eating. Soup is a great vehicle to pack as much nutrition as possible into a single meal, right? Now, about Cabbage Detox Soup…
If you think cabbage makes a bland or boring soup, just wait until you try my recipe! With a wink and a nod to Thai yellow curry, this soup is flavored with onion, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos (which has a similar flavor profile to soy sauce or tamari sauce), and turmeric.
In addition to health benefits, it has a richness that comes from using bone broth (but of course if you’re vegetarian, you can use water or vegetable stock). No boring soup around here!
And this soup is chock full of ingredients that help promote detox.
What is AIP Paleo?
The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet is an elimination strategy that focuses on flooding the body with nutritious foods, while simultaneously removing foods that are gut irritants. AIP is similar to a paleo diet, but even more restrictive.
For example, during the elimination phase of the AIP Diet, coffee, eggs, and nuts are off-limits. The elimination phase lasts anywhere from three to four weeks to six to eight weeks, and then you can gradually start reintroducing foods one at a time back into your diet.
If you want to know more, I wrote a much more detailed post about AIP Paleo (and I included a recipe for Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough!).
Cabbage Soup Diet
A lot of people ask, what is the cabbage soup diet? I’m going to briefly explain what it is, with a full disclaimer that I don’t support or recommend following this diet, and of course you should check with your health care professional before you start this or any diet! With that being said, let’s talk about the Cabbage Soup Diet, also called the Wonder Soup Diet and the 7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet.
This diet is comprised mainly of cabbage soup (I definitely feel like "diet" in the title spoiled that surprise, lol).
The claim is that you’ll lose about 10 pounds in a week. For seven days, your food intake is highly regimented. Some days allow for fruit, other types of vegetables, or meat, but the point is to stick to it.
The bottom line is that because you’re cutting out sugar and processed carbs from your diet, as well as restricting your intake, you will lose weight if you follow this plan. However, many healthcare professionals agree that the weight you’ll lose is mostly water weight.
The Cabbage Soup Diet is basically a short-term diet to lose a few pounds for a special occasion. In the long run, it isn’t a sustainable lifestyle because you aren’t getting varied nutrients. And let’s face it, eating the same thing meal after meal, day after day gets boring!
You can read more about the Cabbage Soup Diet on WebMD and Dr. Axe.
How to Make Detox Soup
A soup (or any recipe) is only as detox-friendly as the ingredients that go in it! When you want to make a detox soup, select a combination of detoxifying foods that you enjoy that go well together.
Detox Foods
The following are good detox foods:
- Lemon juice
- Bone broth
- Bitter greens, such as kale, arugula, dandelion greens, etc.
- Cabbage
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Beets
- Turmeric
- Garlic
- Ginger
Read more about detox foods on Reader’s Digest, Mind Body Green, and Well and Good.
The Best Cabbage Detox Soup Recipe
The great thing about soup in general is that you can pack a whole lot of nutrition into just one dish. Cabbage soup is no exception; almost every ingredient in this recipe is good for detoxification!
Ingredients in This Cabbage Detox Soup
- Coconut oil
- Cabbage
- Yellow onion
- Carrot
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Chicken bone broth
- Coconut aminos
- Turmeric
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Chicken bone broth collagen
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cilantro or scallion
How to Make Cabbage Detox Soup
Cabbage soup is very easy to make!
A lot of recipes just call for adding all ingredients to the pot along with the liquid and boiling until everything is cooked. However, I like to sauté the vegetables in a little bit of coconut oil before boiling them, which adds another layer of flavor to the soup.
Here are the steps:
- Lightly caramelize the vegetables. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, onion, and carrot, and cook until the vegetables are starting to soften and slightly caramelize in places, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Sauté the garlic and ginger. Turn the heat down to medium, add the garlic and ginger, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the broth and seasonings and cook briefly. Add the broth, coconut aminos, turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Bring up to a boil, and then cover the pot and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Finishing touches. Turn off the heat. Stir in the chicken bone broth collagen until dissolved, and then stir in the vinegar and cilantro.
- Serve. This is a bowl of goodness that you'll be proud to serve your family.
Cabbage Detox Soup FAQs
What Herbs Go in Cabbage Soup? What Spices Go in Cabbage Soup?
Depending on the other ingredients I’m using, I like to use a combination of one or more of the following herbs in cabbage soup: parsley, cilantro, dill, tarragon, marjoram, and/or thyme.
For spices, I always season cabbage soup with salt and black pepper; here I also add turmeric.
If it pairs well with the other components in the soup, sometimes I’ll also add caraway seeds, mustard powder, and/or paprika.
Is Cabbage Good for Detox?
Cabbage is a great vegetable for detox!
Cabbage, which is made up of mostly water, is a natural diuretic that can help your body get rid of excess fluids from the body.
It’s loaded with glucosinolates, which are organic compounds containing nitrogen and sulfur that stimulate enzyme production in the liver and help flush out toxins.
Additionally, cabbage is a good source of dietary fiber and many essential vitamins, including C, K, E, and A.
Read more about the health benefits of cabbage as a detox food on HuffPost Life and Shape.
Is Cabbage Good for Weight Loss?
No matter what kind of diet you’re following, generally speaking, weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you eat.
Cabbage can be a useful tool to help you lose weight because it’s low in calories and high in fiber. Replacing other high-calorie foods in your diet with cabbage can help result in weight loss.
Read more about cabbage and weight loss on Livestrong.
What is the Nutrition Information for Cabbage?
According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, 1 cup (89g) of chopped raw cabbage has the following nutrition information:
- 22kcals
- 14g protein
- .09g fat
- 16g carbohydrates
- 2g fiber
- 36mg calcium
- 11mg magnesium
- 23mg phosphorous
- 151mg potassium
- 16mg sodium
- 6mg vitamin C
- 38µg folate
- 4µg vitamin A, RAE
- 87IU vitamin A, IU
- 6µg vitamin K
How Many Calories Are in Cabbage Soup?
This Cabbage Detox Soup has the following nutrition information per serving:
- 117kcals
- 7g fat
- 11g carbohydrates
- 3g fiber
- 2g protein
More Delicious and Nourishing Cabbage Recipes
- Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Sweet and Sour Green Cabbage and Apple Sauté
- Chicken Sausage Skillet with Cabbage, Apple, and Cranberries
- Creamed Cabbage
- Green Bean Slaw with Cabbage, Cherries, and Lemonade Dressing
Let's Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
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AIP Paleo Bone Broth Cabbage Detox Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 4 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage about ½ of a small head
- 1 medium yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot thinly sliced into circles
- 4 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh-grated ginger
- 3 cups chicken bone broth
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chicken bone broth collagen I use Vital Proteins
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or scallion
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, onion, and carrot, and cook until the vegetables are starting to soften and slightly caramelize in places, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Turn the heat down to medium, add the garlic and ginger, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the broth, coconut aminos, turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Bring up to a boil, and then cover the pot and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the chicken bone broth collagen until dissolved, and then stir in the vinegar and cilantro or scallion.
- Serve.
Faith's Tips
- Net Carbs: 8g per serving
- To Increase the Protein: If desired, you can add 4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken to bump up the protein and make this a full meal.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on December 31, 2018. It was updated with more information on January 5, 2022.
Linda says
Great Soup! I really enjoyed.
Thanks, Faith, for the recipe!!
Elissa Pederson says
I made this today after making my stock with chicken bones. It was and is delicious. I used green cabbage/garlic, celery/yellow squash/mushrooms/onions/fresh garden jalapenos, oregano, rosemary then added ground turmeric, nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, ginger, mustard powder, white vinegar, and coconut oil to saute.
Dana Rizzo says
Yum!!! Just had a bowl. Plan on eating this all week.
I added chicken breast, celery and thyme.
I also forgot to buy. One broth so I used the broth I boiled the chicken in and added a container of chicken stock.
It came out delicious!!!!
priyanka says
Wow this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks for the tip!
Have a great day.
Priyanka