Easy Vegetable Detox Soup

Vegetable Detox Soup is here for you when you are craving something healthy and comforting! This delicious and simple soup is loaded with cabbage and plenty of liver healthy vegetables. A low calorie meal that only requires a large pot, 30 minutes, and healthy ingredients.

I couldn’t wait to share this recipe with you all; especially since you all love my veggie loaded soups: Creamy Carrot and Ginger Soup, Loaded Potato and Broccoli Soup, and Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup. Truth be told, as much as I love salads, a hearty bowl of soup is my favorite way to load up on veggies. Soup is often overlooked for it’s detoxing abilities and hearty flavor. But I am here to tell you, it’s one of the absolute best foods to feed your body!

What is a Detox?

As a nutritionist, I hear this so often. “How do I detox?” or “I need a detox”. This term is thrown around so loosely, and can range from a variety of things. For some, this may mean cutting out all the sugar. For others, it could be an aggressive all liquid, juice cleanse for several days.

Here is the thing. I am not anti-cleanse. But I am anti hard core cleanse that deprives your body from eating real foods and creates a yo-yo dieting cycle. There is an easier way!

What most people don’t realize, is your body is already set up to detoxify and “cleanse” on a daily basis. It’s really good at doing that! But sometimes our liver or gut gets an “overload” of toxins causing excess inflammation. The good news? It’s pretty simple to reset and feed your body with cleansing foods that can help heal it and reduce inflammation. All without having to starve your body with a liquid diet!

That is where this Vegetable Detox Soup comes in…..

What’s in this Vegetable Soup?

As you can imagine, this soup is loaded mostly with vegetables and herbs. Here are the vegetables I chose, and why they are important for a healthy reset or detox!

• Cabbage: number one on the list is cabbage. I used green cabbage in this recipe because of it’s sweetness. It’s also tender and crispy! Most of all, cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that is loaded with fiber and vitamin C. A gut friendly food that adds great texture and flavor to this soup!
• Mushrooms: mushrooms are a powerful anti-oxidant, but also are great at boosting immune function! They are also great at lowering inflammation in the body.
• Mirepoix: a mirepoix mix includes white onion, celery, and carrots. This helps to provide the soup with a nurturing base, but also is loaded with vitamins and minerals as well!
• Zucchini: This anti-inflammatory summer vegetable is recommended for anyone with digestion issues! It’s loaded with electrolytes, nutrients, and has been show to lower cholesterol.
• Garlic: I love garlic for flavor, but you may know that it’s a natural probiotic that contains antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties!
• Fire Roasted Tomatoes: Fire roasted tomatoes are here for a boost of flavor! You can also use regular diced tomatoes, but the fire roasted add a fun little kick.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: is known to detoxify the liver, but I love the way it gives this soup the right amount of tang!
• Fresh Parsley: This nutrient powerhouse is a free radical scavenger! That means it promotes getting rid of toxins in the body and provides anti-oxidant protection.
• Chicken broth or vegetable broth: You can also use water in it’s place if you want to make this soup even lower in sodium. However, I love my soups to be plenty flavorful so I am actually excited about eating it!

How to make this healthy Vegetable Detox soup

You can have this soup ready in 30 minutes! It’s so easy using a big soup pot:

• Saute the veggies: heat a large stockpot and coat with oil. Saute the garlic, mirepoix, and mushrooms to start. After about 5 minutes, toss in the cabbage. Then throw in the rest!
• Add in the liquid ingredients: this includes the fire roasted tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and broth. Bring to a boil.
• Simmer! You’ll want it to simmer for about 10 minutes until the veggies soften.
• Add the final touches: Top with fresh parsley, and salt and pepper if needed.

Can I make this in the Instant Pot?

Absolutely! All you need to do is start by selecting the saute function on the Instant Pot. Saute the Mirepoix and mushrooms. After 3-4 minutes, select cancel. Toss in the rest of your vegetables, then the liquid ingredients. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, and use a quick release before removing the lid.

How to store and re-heat this soup

• Storing leftovers: Let the soup come to room temperature. Store in the fridge for up to one week.
• Freezing: You can freeze in an air tight container, or silicone soup containers (these are the best!). The soup will freeze well for up to 3 months!
• Re-heating: to re-heat the soup, simply pour a single size serving in a microwave safe bowl for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. For a large batch, re-heat on the stovetop over medium heat.

Pair with a yummy salad!

Here are my favorites:

• Easy House Salad
• Apple Slaw with Pecan Vinaigrette
• Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette