A Healthy Vegetable Soup made extra tasty……this is my version of the famous Zero Weight Watchers Points cabbage soup. It has 0.4 points (let’s round it down to zero!) but it tastes way, way, way better!
A healthy vegetable soup made extra tasty.
Do you know about the zero Weight Watchers Points cabbage soup? Essentially, all you do is put all the vegetables, broth/stock and a dollop of tomato paste into a pot, bring it to a boil then that’s it.
I don’t even need to try it to know that it would be rather bland. I just couldn’t bring myself to make it. So I made up my own version. of a healthy vegetable soup:-)
Yes, mine involves a tiny bit of oil so a soffrito of onion, celery and carrots can be slowly sautéed until sweet which creates a beautiful flavour base for this soup. There is a reason that this is the way that many of the greatest classics in this world start – like Beef Ragu!
In addition to the soffrito, I also sauté oregano and fennel. Much like hot water makes the flavour of cocoa powder “bloom”, sautéing dried herbs and spices really opens up their flavour. If you haven’t tried it before, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
I know fennel may sound like an interesting choice, but the reason I chose it is because I wanted to give this soup a Spanish kick and what better way to give a soup a big flavour kick than to use Chorizo seasonings? 🙂
So that’s why I use fennel. It’s very subtle and not a key ingredient, so skip it if you don’t like or have it.
But if you do buy it especially to use in this recipe (and it costs no more than the usual dried herbs), use the leftovers to make my brother’s epic Sausage Rolls. They are da bomb! – Nagi x
Soup Dippers
Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread • Better-Than-Dominos Garlic Bread • Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Healthy Vegetable Soup (0.4 WW Points) recipe video!
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Spanish Healthy Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
- 2 medium carrots , finely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk/rib , finely chopped
- 2 red capsicums / bell peppers , cut into 2 cm / 4/5” pieces
- 5 cups cabbage , cut into 3 cm / 1.2” pieces (about 400g/14oz)
- 800g / 28 oz crushed tomato
- 3 cups (750 ml) vegetable or chicken broth (low fat!)
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika (or any paprika)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust spiciness to taste)
Finishes (not optional!):
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon – zest + juice to taste
- Finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 30 seconds or so.
- Add oregano and fennel seeds, cook for 2 minutes (lets flavour “bloom”).
- Turn heat down to medium low. Add carrots and celery, cook, stirring regularly, for 8 minutes until onion is sweet (not browned). This step is key to the flavour base of this soup.
- Add capsicum, turn heat up to high and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add remaining Soup ingredients, bring to simmer then place lid on. Turn heat down to medium low, simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove lid, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Grate over lemon zest, squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle with parsley. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
When Dozer sings…
Made this today and it’s so delicious 🙂 I blended mine at the end because Im not a fan of chunky soups. Served it with a generous spoonful of Greek yoghurt (didn’t have sour cream). So good!!
Sounds perfect Hannah!! N x
Hi Nagi. I’m in iso in Melbourne and use your recipes most nights of the week! Tonight I was going to make your delicious broccoli soup that I have made many times but realised no potatoes or cheese in the house so I searched your website for soup and came across this. Well it was delicious and I will now have it for lunch for the rest of the week. Thanks again for your fantastic recipes and your easy to use website! X
Hi Nagi I love all your recipes ! During lockdown in the UK I’ve enjoyed cooking again thanks to you . Quick question will the soup keep the same flavours if I blended ? Thank you for all your amazing work
This has become an embedded part of my Sunday routine!
Cook a big pot of this and happily enjoy everyday for lunch! I’m a bit heavy handed with the cayenne pepper so It always ends with me working up a big sweat!
The odd teaspoon of sour cream added to a hot bowl of the soup also adds a nice luxe touch to it – without adding too many extra calories!
Perfect for being quarantined at home in winter!
Made this last night and it was fantastic. Even the meat eaters enjoyed it!
Wahoo! That’s great Mel! N X
Forgot the star rating!
Thanks Fiona! N x
Loved this. Accidentally added 2 tbsp fennel instead of 2 tsp and it was great! Will repeat my mistake in future 😁
This soup was totally awesome!!! I didn’t have any fennel seeds, so I used celery seed instead. Added in some baby spinach and some chopped up sun dried tomatoes at the end then added lemon juice, zest and parsley to the bowl. Yum, yum, yum! Thank you for the recipe. I also made your Healthy Creamy Broccoli Soup, Hubby and I loved it and gobbled it up in 2 days! 🙂
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Ev! N x
Super delicious soup! So hearty! I’m not a big cooker but I had the craving for this as soon as I saw it. Thank you!
You’re so welcome Viv, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Nagi,, I love your recipes and this soup is amazing, my family rated the best soup they’ve had!
Woah what a compliment, that’s awesome Karen! N x
Spectacular soup. Nourishing, comforting – full of flavour!
I’m so glad you loved it Kerry! N x