Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup, also known as zero points cabbage soup, has been around for years. You may also remember the cabbage soup diet. I wonder if the name for this recipe comes from that diet? In any case, if you haven’t eaten this soup, I’m sure you’ve heard about it or maybe even made some jokes about it.
While I appreciate the whole mental thought on those recipe names, the only thing I feel those names tell me is that the soup is low calorie or that I’m eating it because I’m on a diet. I can’t lie, the soup’s main appeal is probably its low calories content. But do you know about the benefits it offers in regards how easily this recipe becomes your own cabbage soup? Let me share why you need this soup in your life.
Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup Calories
Let’s start with what draws most people to this cabbage soup recipe. The calories! Of course there are calories in the soup but they are minimal.
In the world of Weight Watchers the points in the soup are zero. Eat as much as you like on the Weight Watchers plan without it hitting your allowable daily points. The nutritional benefit from all the vegetables is much greater than the calories in each serving of soup.
The first reason you need this soup is because it’s healthy and not because of the weight watchers name or “zero points” title it gets.
Ingredient Variations for the Soup
The Ingredient variations is another reason you need this soup. The recipe at the bottom is how I most often make cabbage soup but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t get an ingredient added or removed from time to time. Here are some easy variations.
Zero Point Cabbage Soup Vegetable and Seasoning Swaps are Easy
If you don’t like bell peppers or have kale on hand, swapping out zero point ingredients for this soup is “souper” easy. See what I did there? Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Green Beans are great vegetable swaps.
Changing seasonings is easy as well. I use italian seasoning for my dried herbs, but fresh herbs would be great too. Use dried basil and oregano up from your pantry instead of italian seasoning.
The entire Weight Watchers List of Zero Point foods can be found HERE.
Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup with Ground Beef, Chicken or Beans
If you’re like my wife you want some kind of protein in a soup. While adding meat or beans adds some calories, it a great addition to the soup. Here are some ways for bulking up the meatiness.
- Lean Ground Beef – When using lean ground beef, brown the meat in the Instant Pot or Dutch Oven with a little oil before adding the remaining ingredients. For the slow cooker, brown the ground beef separately before adding it to the slow cooker with all the other ingredients.
- Rotisserie Chicken – Using rotisserie chicken is great because it’s already cooked! Stir in the shredded chicken at the end of the cooking time and heat through.
- Beans – Add a can of drained chickpeas, kidney beans, or black beans for added fiber and protein. You’ll want to add these along with all the veggies when you’re bring the soup to a simmer.
Cabbage Soup with V8 or Tomato Juice
I prefer broth but some recipes call for V8 or Tomato Juice. When substituting either juice for broth, remember that both options contain a lot of salt. That being said, the amount of salt used in the soup will need adjusting. Both V8 and Tomato Juice are both available in low sodium varieties for helping control the sodium content as well.
Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup Cooking Methods
Another great reason I like this soup so much is the cooking method, or should I say methods. While in the recipe below I use the Instant Pot, using the stove top or slow cooker for are just as easy. Use the option that works for you!
Stove Top Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup
The “old standard” soup method is stove top cooking of course. Here are the directions for cooking soup on the stove.
- Heat 2 Tbs Oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven.
- Sauté the onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper until they just start to soften. 5-8 minutes
- Add the garlic, bay leaf, italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Add canned tomatoes, broth and cabbage.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook fo 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Remove bay leaf and stir in parsley.
Slow Cooker Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup
The slow cooker method is super simple. It’s pretty much prep, dump and cook.
- Add all your ingredients (except for the the parsley) to the slow cooker.
- Cook for 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
- Remove bay leaf and stir in parsley
Instant Pot Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup
The Instant Pot is probably the newest cooking method for this cabbage soup. I think it’s also my new go-to method. It’s got the crock pot throw all the ingredients in part of the recipe mixed with the shorter cooking time of the stove top method. Simply see and/or print out the recipe card below for the Instant Pot directions.
Have You Figured Out Why You Need This Soup in Your Life?
In reading all the variations this soup offers, I’m sure you know exactly why I feel you need this soup in your life. Leave out or add the ingredients you choose. Cook it with the method that most suits your day or mood. SO MANY OPTIONS!
With whatever ingredients or cooking method you choose, I hope you try a version of this soup for yourself. It really is a good soup, not only for the low calories but also because it’s really easy to make it how YOU want it.
Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Cabbage, Chopped
- 1 Large Onion, Chopped
- 2 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2-3 Stalks Celery, Chopped
- 1 Bell Pepper, Chopped. Any Color
- 3 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped
- 1 15 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes, Undrained
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 6-8 Cups Chicken, Beef, or Vegetable Broth
- 3 Tbs Chopped Parsley
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for the chopped parsley to the Instant Pot and give it a stir.
- Put on the lid and set dial to sealing.
- Set the Instant Pot to the Soup function on low pressure
- Set time to 20 minutes
- After 20 minutes are up turn off Instant Pot and quick release the pressure.
- Once the pressure has been released, carefully open up the Instant Pot and remove the bay leaf.
- Stir in parsley.
- Check seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Video
Notes
- Heat 2 Tbs Oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven.
- Sauté the onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper until they just start to soften. 5-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, bay leaf, italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Add canned tomatoes, broth and cabbage.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook fo 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Remove bay leaf and stir in parsley.
- Add all your ingredients (except for the the parsley) to the slow cooker.
- Cook for 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
- Remove bay leaf and stir in parsley.
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