This low calorie and low carb vegetable soup 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 article here.
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.Â
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.Â
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
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: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 70Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Regina Hines
I don’t do mushrooms
Denise
Hi Regina, that is no problem, just eliminate them. There is enough flavor from the spices other ingredients for it to work. Hope you like it!
sage
I havent tried it because im missing a few ingredients. Im missing Mushrooms, pepper flakes, Fennel seed celery and tomato paste :/ would i be able to substitute these items, or cook the recipe without them?
Denise
Mushrooms you can leave out as well as the celery. The tomato paste would be hard to substitute but maybe some tomato sauce?
The fennel and hot pepper flakes give a bit of Italian sausage taste.
I would a add a bit more salt because celery adds a bit of natural salt.
I found this online:
• tomato paste – use tomato puree or tomato sauce. If a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste use 3 of the sauce or puree (https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=substitute+for+tomato+paste&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8)
• fennel seed – you can substitute anise seed, caraway or dill seeds (https://thekitchencommunity.org/fennel-seed-substitutes/)
• hot pepper flakes – use cayenne powder but use less of it
Hope that helps a bit and good luck.
Kelly
Super yummy. What amount are you considering a serving?
Denise
Hi Kelly, a serving is roughly 1 1/2 cups. Enjoy!
Linda
This soup was awful. I was intrigued by the idea of the paprika & fennel seed, After I tasted the soup, I looked up the recipe to see what I did wrong. But alas, I had exactly followed the recipe. I don’t understand why all of the glowing reviews.
Denise
Hi Linda, sorry you didn’t like it. Not sure what you didn’t like about it so I can’t really offer any suggestions. Let me know if there is something specific you didn’t like and maybe I can help you to change it up to your liking.
Ted
Linda RUDE!
Carla
Wow! Great tasting soup. Thanks for sharing. It’s one of my new staples for the week.
Denise
Hi Carla,
So glad you liked it! This is one of my favorites too. Thanks for commenting!
Liz
Hi Amy. Do you happen to have the sodium count on a serving of this soup? Looks amazing!
Denise
Hi Liz,
According to my calculations it came to 346.6mg per serving. Hope that helps.
Julie McCarty
Which broth flavor do you prefer to use?
Denise
Hi Julie, if you are referring to the Better than Bouillon than I really like the chicken and beef. I use the chicken for most things. If you just mean broth you buy in a carton, I try to find stock instead of broth because it tends to have a little more flavor. And again I usually stick with chicken stock. Hope that helps!
But again I really Better than Bouillon for soup. It gives it so much more flavor. I’m sure there are other bases out there, I’ve just never used them. Good luck!
Tami Price
I made this Sunday for a meal prep for the week. Absolutely delicious! The flavor is over the top! Thanks so much for sharing!
Denise
So glad you liked it Tami!
Alisha Rodrigues
I love soup and we try making it for dinners pretty often. Surely trying this one out. Looks delicious and will surely be loved by all
Jacque Hastert
Love that is is freezer friendly and loaded with the tastiest veggies around. I will definitely be making this before it starts warming up.
Mike Clemens
I havn’t made it yet but what is a serving in the finished soup.serving size is important because if i like it I’ll eat way too much
Denise
Hi Mike, a serving is roughly 1.5 cups. I hope you like this!
Susan
Okay so I didn’t believe it until I tasted it but this is delicious soup! Like whoa! I made a few changes but, her use of spices were fantastic! Love love love! No need for canned soup with a ton of preservatives when you can make it fresh!
Instead of 8 cups of water, I did 1/2 veggie broth & 1/2 water. I also opted for more red bell peppers and no celery. I was missing the fennel seed spice, but still – this turned out fantastic!!! Adding this to my recipe go to 🙂
Denise
Hi Susan, so glad you liked it! Thanks for coming back and sharing your tips. I really appreciate it. I just bought a vegetable flavored Better than Bouillon that I want to try with this recipe. I made a huge batch last time and frozen servings of it and it really came in handy.
Sarah Brattain
What type of pepper is used in this recipe?
Also, can this soup be made in a crock pot by sautéing mushrooms, oil, and herbs first and then adding the rest to the crock pot?
Denise
Hi Sarah, I’m guessing that you mean the pepper flakes? They are those hot red pepper flakes that you sometimes see in pizza places. They are not necessary but give it a little kick. And for the crockpot sure you can do it that way. I might still be ok to just through everything in together though I have not done that. Good luck!
Claire
Best soup EVER. Thank you!
Denise
Thank you! You made my day and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
EllaRayeHart
Oh!! One more thing!! (I hope u got the first comment, I dont see it on here) the recipe calls for zucchini but the photo shows yellow squash…I used zucc… tastes fabulous…
Denise
Hi Ella, I did use yellow squash for color but the zucchini would be just as good. I’ve fixed the recipe to reflect that. Thanks for pointing that out.
EllaRayeHart
Found this while looking for low carb and low fat recipes…I just made a second big ol pot tonight lol that’s twice in a week and honey lemme tell ya, I dont cook like that…anyway, I shared with a friend at church and one at work, both carni… I’m veggie…they loved it…I freeze it all right after making and Tuesday I’ll take a bowl to my pastors wife…real good stuff…first and this time, after I cooked and put the soup in bowls, I literally had a coffee cup full of the broth, which I promptly drank…it’s THAT yummy lol…thank u for my new favorite soup recipe!! P.s. I added veggie meatballs twice…omg…
Denise
Hi Ella, thanks so much for the kind comment! I’m so glad you like it. I really love it too. I make a batch of this and freeze for lunch. I even eat it for breakfast sometimes when I’m cold. Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment!
Melissa
This was a great vegetable soup! We had shredded chicken in the fridge; added that. Definitely will make this recipe again. Liked the sausage seasoning.
Denise
Hi Melissa, so glad you liked it! Thanks for coming back to comment. I really appreciate it!
Jasha Anderson
Pow!! The flavors just pop! Absolutely delicious. My husband has been talking about it all day. Making more tomorrow.
Denise
Hi Jasha, so glad you liked this! I froze a bunch and I’m happy to tell you it tastes just as good. I’m going to make more tomorrow. This time I might add a little Italian sausage. Or maybe not. Regardless it’s nice to have in the freezer for a quick lunch or even snack. Thanks for coming back to comment!
Amy
About how much would you say is one serving?
Denise
Hi Amy, I would say it’s about 1 1/2 cups of soup. Hope that helps!