This low calorie and low carb vegetablesoup is my super tasty version of that cabbage soup everyone makes. It’s full of flavor, healthy vegetables and easy to freeze. Each serving has only 70 calories and 5.1g net carbs.
You might also like this low carb taco soup!
Since it’s the new year, I wanted to do some meal prep and one of the dishes to have on hand is a really good vegetable soup.
I was thinking of the cabbage soup diet many years ago or what some people call weight loss soup. I got to thinking of ways to maximize the flavors and I’ll show you how I did that in this low carb vegetable soup.
Soup is good for dieting.
I like soup when dieting because it makes me feel fuller quicker. It’s something to do with the hot liquids in your belly. And while smoothies are great on a diet, they tend to be sucked down quickly, while soup takes much longer to eat. And the slow eating helps me to realize I’m full so I don’t over do it.
Also soups like this vegetable soup are full of low calorie vegetables which are high in antioxidants and nutrients like vitamin A and vitamin C, not to mention fiber. My family just loves soup on a cold or wet winter day so dieting or not, it’s something we eat often.
What low carb vegetables to use.
Most of the vegetable soup calories depend on what veggies you choose to use. I tried to pick the most tasty yet low carb vegetables for this soup: cabbage, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, carrots, zucchini and mushrooms. You can also use cauliflower florets but I didn’t have any today.
I know alot of people don’t think carrots are low carb but in a soup it lends, color and nutrition. One carrot only has 4.3g net carbs and for a whole pot of soup that’s not much. For more about low carb vegetables, the diet doctor has a good articlehere.
Low calorie vegetable soup flavor tips.
Flavor tip 1. I used a spice blend that I made for my Italian sausage recipe. The spices along with the mushrooms give it a bit of a meaty flavor and lots of taste!
Flavor tip 2. Secondly I’ve mentioned this many, many times in my posts, I love Better than Bouillon for adding tons of taste to soup recipes. I have about 34 soup recipes and I use these bases in most of them.
For this recipe you can use the vegetable base if you want to keep this vegetarian or you can use the chicken or beef base. They all work well.
Flavor tip 3.I use Parmesan cheese at the end of the recipe. This adds virtually no carbs and again adds another layer of flavor.
Flavor tip 4. At the end of the cooking, I also add in my crushed garlic. This really keeps that garlic flavor in the forefront and it goes so well with the veggies and cheese.
All of these tips will take your vegetable soup to the next level!
How to make this low carb vegetable soup recipe.
Step 1: First you start with the mushrooms and the spices. Saute them in a large soup pot.
Step 2: Once the mushrooms are almost cooked, add in the vegetables, tomato paste, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer and let those cook for about 20 minutes. Test to see if the vegetables are tender.
Step 3: Now you want to add in the Parmesan cheese and crushed garlic. Mix well and let that simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes and you are done.(Please scroll down for the printable recipe card.)
Note you could also use vegetable broth or chicken broth instead of the Better than Bouillon but I think it tons of flavor as I’ve mentioned above.
This is a great healthy soup to freeze!
This recipe makes 8 servings so what I like to do is keep a few servings in the refrigerator for lunches and then freeze the rest.
Just add them to freezer containers and place in your freezer for those days or times when you want something warm and tasty or even if you are trying to eat something without too many carbs or calories.Just reheat in the microwave or stove top.
With the new year here and many of you looking for ways to watch what you are eating, I hope this low calorie vegetable soup recipe will be of some help to you. I really upped the flavor and I now have a bunch ready to go in my freezer!
The vegetable soup calories and nutrition for 1 serving are
70 calories / 2.7g fat / 8g carbs / 2.9g fiber / 3.8g protein = 5.1g net carbs
Note: To make this in an Instant Pot or slow cooker.
This is easy to make in the Instant Pot as well. Just add the oil mushrooms and seasonings and saute them in the Instant Pot for a few minutes. Turn off the saute function and place the rest of the ingredients in. Mix well and then secure the lid. Manually cook for 8 minutes and when done, immediately release the pressure. That’s it!
To make it in the slow cooker you can add everything and cook on low for about 3-4 hours. It just doesn’t take long in a regular pot so I think it would be easier on the stove personally. But it can be done in a slow cooker.
If you are interested in going low carb, check out my friend Lisa’s article “why do low carb diets work“. It’s very informative!
Low Calorie Keto Vegetable Soup
Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
This low carb & low calorie vegetable soup is my super tasty version of that cabbage soup everyone makes. It's full of flavor and healthy vegetables and easy to freeze. Each serving has only 70 calories and 5.1g net carbs.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz mushrooms, diced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- ½ teaspoon pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon**
- ½ cup green beans, chopped
- ½ cup celery, diced leaves and all
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup carrots, sliced
- ½ cup sweet bell peppers, diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup zucchini or yellow squash, sliced
- 1 cup cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 8 cups water
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, add the oil and heat to medium high.
- Add in the mushrooms and all the spices except the garlic. Mix well and let the mushrooms cook for a few minutes until they are almost cooked.
- Add in the rest of the vegetables, tomato paste, Better than Boullion and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat to let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Now you want to add in the Parmesan cheese and crushed garlic. Mix well and let it simmer for 5 minutes more and you are done. You can always season with salt and black pepper if you wish but I didn't think it needed it.
- You can freeze this soup and just reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
- **You can use vegetable Better than Bouillon if you want to keep this vegetarian or you can use chicken or beef. All will work well in this recipe. If you don't have better than bouillon, use regular bouillon but I highly recommend the Better than Bouillon products because they add so much flavor.
Notes
The nutrition information for 1 serving of vegetable soup is: 70 calories
2.7g fat / 8g carbs / 2.9g fiber / 3.8g protein = 5.1g net carbs
To make this in the Instant Pot - Just add the oil mushrooms and spices and saute them in the Instant Pot for a few minutes. Turn off the saute function and place the rest of the ingredients in. Mix well and then secure the lid. Manually cook for 8 minutes and when done, immediately release the pressure. That's it!
To make it in the slow cooker you can add everything and cook on low for about 3-4 hours. It just doesn’t take long in a regular pot so I think it would be easier on the stove personally. But it can be done in a slow cooker.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 70Unsaturated Fat: 0g
