7 Day cabbage soup diet plan is one of those quick-fix weight loss plans that never completely disappears. Before you commit to seven days of wonder soup, it’s worth understanding what this diet really does to your body.

If you’ve ever googled quick weight loss or scrolled through New Year diet trends, you’ve probably seen the cabbage soup diet pop up. It promises fast results from a simple wonder soup also known as original cabbage soup that you can eat as much as you like for 7 days.

As a nutrition focused recipe developer who also loves a good big bowl of veggie soup, I totally understand the appeal. A cheap, delicious and easy soup you can batch cook, that might also help with weight loss? Of course it goes viral every few years. But the reality is more complicated.

In this post, I’ll walk you through:

• What the cabbage soup diet actually is?
• The typical 7 day cabbage soup diet plan (day by day)
• What results can you get from 7 day cabbage diet results vs what really happens
• Pros and cons, side effects, and who should avoid cabbage soup diet
• And, a healthier way to enjoy cabbage soup for weight loss without crash dieting

Quick note: This post is for general information. It’s not medical advice. Always check with your doctor or dietitian before starting any restrictive diet, especially if you have health conditions or take medications.

What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet?

The cabbage soup diet is a short-term, very low-calorie eating plan that usually lasts 7 days. The star of this 7 day cabbage soup diet plan is a simple vegetable soup made mainly with cabbage, onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes.

You’ll see it online under a lot of different names:

• Cabbage soup diet soup
• Wonder soup or miracle soup
• Fat-burning cabbage soup
• Original Cabbage Soup Recipe
• Detox cabbage soup
• Sometimes even linked with military diet or old hospital diet stories

The promise is dramatic: eat unlimited amounts of this low calorie cabbage soup plus a few allowed foods each day, and you can lose several pounds in a week.

What makes it different from just eating a healthy cabbage soup?

• It’s not just a recipe it’s a strict 7 day schedule
• The overall calories are usually extremely low
• Food choices are very limited and repetitive
• It’s meant as a quick fix, not a long term way of eating

The Classic 7 Day Cabbage Soup Diet Plan (Day by Day)

There are many versions, but most 7 day cabbage soup diet plans look something like this:

• Day 1 : Fruit Day
  Unlimited cabbage soup + any fruit you like, except bananas.
• Day 2: Vegetables Day
  Cabbage soup + non-starchy vegetables (often a baked potato with a little butter is allowed at dinner).
• Day 3: Fruits + Veggies
  Cabbage soup + a mix of fruits and vegetables (still no bananas or potatoes).
• Day 4: Bananas and Milk Day
  Cabbage soup + bananas + skim milk or unsweetened yogurt.
• Day 5: Protein + Tomatoes
  Cabbage soup + lean protein (usually beef or chicken) + tomatoes. Vegetarians can include Tofu
• Day 6: Protein + Veggies
  Cabbage soup + more lean protein + non-starchy vegetables.
• Day 7: Brown Rice Day
  Cabbage soup + brown rice + vegetables + sometimes unsweetened fruit juice.

Different websites and TikTok videos tweak the details, but the structure is similar:
a lot of soup, a little fruit, veg and some protein on certain days, and overall very few calories.

If you’re looking for the original low-calorie cabbage soup diet soup (wonder soup), I’ve shared the full recipe here.

How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Work ?

Short answer: most of the weight you lose is from water and glycogen, not all body fat.

Here’s what’s usually happening behind the scenes:

• The diet is very low in calories, often well under what most adults need just to maintain weight. Healthline
• You’re eating mostly high fibre, high water vegetables, which fill your stomach for very few calories.
• When you suddenly drop calories like this, your body uses up stored glycogen (carbohydrate stored in muscles and liver) and the water attached to it so the scale moves quickly at first. Medical News Today

That’s why people often report:

• “I lost 5–10 pounds in a week!”
• But then regain a lot of it once they return to normal eating.

There’s no special fat burning magic in cabbage itself. Cabbage is a nutritious vegetable, but the fat-burning reputation comes from the extreme calorie deficit, not from a special ingredient in the soup.

Cabbage Soup Diet Results: What Can You Really Expect?

If you follow a 7 day cabbage soup diet strictly, you’ll very likely see the scale go down simply because you’re eating so much less.

But it’s important to understand what those results mean:

• A large part of the loss is water weight and stored glycogen, especially in the first few days.
• You may also lose some lean muscle, especially if the diet is low in protein.
• Once you go back to your usual pattern of eating, a lot of that weight tends to come back.

Some people use the cabbage soup diet as a short reset before moving into a more balanced plan. Others end up in a frustrating cycle of:

Strict 7 days → weight drops → normal eating → weight jumps back → try another extreme diet.

Long term, that all or nothing pattern can make weight management feel harder, not easier.

Pros of the Cabbage Soup Diet (Yes, There Are a Few)

Let’s be fair and talk about what actually works here, even if I don’t love the overall diet:

• You eat more vegetables.
  The soup is loaded with cabbage, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes all nutrient-dense, low calorie foods.
• You get a short term calorie reset.
  For some people, a structured 7-day plan can feel easier than eat a bit less overall , especially after a holiday or period of overeating.
• It’s simple to follow.
  No calorie tracking apps, no macro calculations just a pot of soup and a basic daily food list. 

If you struggle with snacking on ultra processed foods, a week of big, simple, home cooked soup can feel mentally refreshing.

Cons and Risks: Why Most Experts Call It a Fad Diet

Now, the bigger picture. Most health professionals and nutrition writers consider the cabbage soup diet a fad and not something to repeat often or follow long-term.

Here’s why.

1. Very low in calories

For many people, the total daily intake on this diet ends up well under 1,200 calories, sometimes closer to 800–1,000. That’s lower than what most adults need for basic metabolic functions, let alone exercise or an active lifestyle.

2. Not nutritionally balanced

On several days of the classic 7 days cabbage soup diet plan:

• Protein is very low
• Healthy fats are almost non existent
• The overall diet is skewed towards soup, fruit and some veg, with very little variety

Followed beyond a short timeframe, that can lead to nutrient gaps, fatigue, weakness and cravings.

3. Mostly short-term, water-based weight loss

Crash diets like this tend to:

• Drop weight quickly in the first week (mostly water)
• Slow down your metabolic rate if repeated often
• Make it easier to regain weight once normal eating resumes 

4. Possible side effects

People often report:

• Headaches, dizziness, low energy
• Digestive issues like gas, bloating or cramps (cabbage is high in fibre and can trigger symptoms for some) 
• Moodiness and strong cravings
• Difficulty concentrating

Who Should Avoid the Cabbage Soup Diet?

Always talk to your healthcare provider, but in general, the cabbage soup diet is not appropriate for:

• People with a history of disordered eating or yo-yo dieting
• Those with diabetes or blood sugar regulation issues
• Anyone with digestive conditions worsened by high-fibre, cruciferous vegetables
• Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals
• People on certain medications that interact with very low-calorie or very low-carb diets

If you recognise yourself in any of those categories, treat cabbage soup as a food  not a structured 7 day crash diet for weightloss .

A Healthier Way to Use Cabbage Soup for Weight Loss

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to throw away the idea of cabbage soup altogether.

A hearty, vegetable rich soup can be a fantastic tool in a balanced weight loss approach, if you use it differently:

• As a starter before a meal: research on low calorie soups shows they can help reduce how much you eat at the main course. 
• As a light lunch or dinner, pair the cabbage soup with enough protein (beans, lentils, tofu, paneer, eggs, or meat if you eat it).
• As part of a routine that also includes movement, strength training, sleep and realistic calorie intake not as the only thing you eat all day.

If you like the idea of a cabbage based “weight loss soup” but want it to be more balanced, you might enjoy this Weight Loss Cabbage Soup recipe also known as Original wonder soup recipe.

 weight loss cabbage soup recipe

In the above recipe, you can:

• Add beans, chickpeas, lentils or tofu to boost protein
• Adjust the spice and herbs to your taste
• Batch cook and freeze portions so you always have a healthy option ready

Example: 1-Day Balanced Menu Using Cabbage Soup

Instead of a full 7 day cabbage soup diet, here’s what a more balanced day might look like, where cabbage soup plays a supporting role:

• Breakfast
  Greek yogurt or plant-based yogurt + berries + a sprinkle of oats or granola
• Lunch
  1–2 bowls of cabbage soup + whole grain toast + hummus or cottage cheese
• Snack
  Fruit + a handful of nuts or seeds
• Dinner
  A protein rich main (tofu stir-fry, lentil curry, baked fish or chicken) + vegetables + a small portion of rice, quinoa or potatoes

You still get the light, full feeling from soup, but your body also gets enough protein, carbs and healthy fats to function well and preserve muscle.

Cabbage Soup Diet FAQs

Bottom Line: Is the Cabbage Soup Diet Worth It?

The cabbage soup diet keeps coming back because it offers exactly what many of us secretly want: fast results with simple rules.

But underneath the wonder soup and lose 10 pounds in 7 days headlines, it’s still a very low-calorie, short term fad diet:

• It can lead to quick, mostly temporary weight loss
• It’s not nutritionally balanced or sustainable
• It doesn’t teach you how to eat for long-term health and weight management

My suggestion as a recipe developer and nutritionist:

• Enjoy cabbage soup as a healthy, budget friendly, veggie packed meal,
• Use it as one tool among many in a balanced, realistic weight-loss plan,
• And skip the strict, repeat 7-day cabbage soup diet cycles.

If you’d like a cabbage soup you can actually keep in your routine, my Weight Loss Cabbage Soup is designed exactly for that flavourful, veggie heavy, and much more friendly to real life.

More Vegetable Soup Recipes

• Weight Watchers Zero Point Soup
• Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe
• Lemon Coriander Detox Soup
• Tuscan White Beans Pasta Soup {Instant Pot}
• Homemade Tomato Soup
• Spinach Soup

If You like this recipe and made it Please rate the recipe. It helps us to reach more people. For the Latest updates Subscribe to Rekha’s Whatsapp. You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest for more food inspirations.

Super delicious gochujang tacos with creamy, crunchy yum sauce slaw are incredibly easy to make without a ton of ingredients. Crispy gochujang tofu, creamy gochujang slaw dressing, sweet spicy maple gochujang drizzle! Triple gochujang!

These tacos! They celebrate gochujang in a way you’ve never experienced! Crispy gochujang tofu! Creamy gochujang sauce for the slaw and for dressing! And a sweet spicy gochujang glaze to finish! Triple gochujang.

These tacos are super delicious and amazing! They come together fairly quickly and use many same ingredients in the different components of the taco. Despite that, there’s so much overall texture and flavor that they’re fabulous to whip up and enjoy on any weekday or on the weekend.

I love to make this tofu. It’s just super flavorful. You’ll want to double or triple the tofu recipe, so you’ll have leftover tofu handy to use in salads, wraps, sandwiches, bowls, etc. throughout the week.

Gochujang tacos are very simple to make. We take some tofu and marinate it in a gochujang, ginger-garlic, soy, and maple mixture, and then bake it.

Meanwhile, make the crunchy, creamy slaw. We make a quick, creamy dressing using gochujang again along with some lime juice, maple syrup, and non-dairy yogurt or vegan mayo. You use that dressing to make the slaw and to dress the tacos later on, so you don’t have to make multiple dressings.

I usually like to finish it off with a gochujang-maple drizzle. You don’t have to do this, but it adds some extra heat and a flavor punch—so definitely try to make that one as well.

These tacos are fantastic when the slaw is fresh and crunchy, the tofu is spicy and chewy and crisp! The creamy dressing adds richness, and the gochujang drizzle adds sweet heat. The pickled jalapeños bring a tangy heat that ties it all together.

Why You’ll Love Gochujang Tacos

• crispy gochujang tofu with creamy, spicy, crunchy slaw in warm tortillas
• simple ingredients – slaw and tacos use the same sauce!
• versatile! Use the tofu to make tacos or to top salads or bowl meals or in sandwiches or wraps!
• naturally nut-free with gluten-free and soy-free options

Continue reading: Gochujang Tacos with Yum Sauce Slaw

The post Gochujang Tacos with Yum Sauce Slaw appeared first on Vegan Richa.

 If you are a Chinese food lover, then Khimchi is not a new item.  I was introduced to khimchi when I first dined at Mainland China years ago. Mainland China is one of the most popular Asian Fine Dine restaurant in India that serves many authentic Asian dishes .

For the uninformed, Khimchi is a way of preserving veggies like a pickle and is served alongside the main course meal . Mostly when fresh veggies aren't available either due to weather or any other factor, then this Khimchi comes to the rescue. 

 I had Googled many recipes on how-to make Khimchi at home and had been wanting to try from a long time.  Finally I narrowed down on a recipe from a popular food channel and prepared using that recipe . I was quite happy with the outcome as it was just like the one I have tasted. I made it using cabbage but there are many variants where you can add carrots, daikons etc as well.

This month in our food bloggers' group Shhh cooking secretly Preethi Tandon suggested we explore jams,chutneys ,jellies or preserves from non Indian Cuisine and viola it was the best time to make and enjoy this yummy Khimchi which was a long over due to present itself on the blog.

My partner for this month is the enthusiastic blogger Seema who gave me the versatile ingredients soy sauce and sugar while I gave her  Cumin and lemon as the secret ingredients. with Seema has made a lipsmacking Quince Chutney.. If only I could lay my hands on that chutney now,I would be in the 7th heaven relishing it :-) 

Ingredients 

Method

• In a wide mixing bowl , take the cabbage and mix it with salt and some chilli flakes . Let this rest for 3 to 4 hrs 
• After 3 to 4 hrs the cabbage will appear wilted and soggy.Squeeze out  as much juice you can from the cabbage and transfer it to another bowl.
• In this bowl,now add in all the ingredients except the oil and mix it well.
• Store it in sterilized glass jar,cover it properly and let it ferment for 24hrs .this step is very important to get the perfect taste and texture. 
• Refrigerate after 24hrs and always use a dry spoon while scooping out from the jar.
• Drizzle some sesame  oil over the khimchi just before you serve.

Pin it up

Enjoy a delightful yellow tomato salad bursting with summer flavour. Make it a celebration of your homegrown produce with this salad with the best citrus dressing. Make some, share some and enjoy the sun.
It certainly feels so special when your garden provides you with a few good summer produce. Since it is a rainy summer this year, we have planted a few tomatoes. One of the varieties we have is the yellow pear tomato instead of the cherry tomato. These are smaller and sweeter and sunshine yellow in colour. To our surprise, this started fruiting as most as soon as the first rains started. So here are showcasing this beautiful produce with summer fresh cabbages and cucumbers.

Ingredients for the easy summer salad

Yellow tomatoes: these are a variety of cherry tomatoes. They are sweet with a burst of that tomato flavour. You really don’t have to go looking for these, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes will also do the job. If you have extra squishy ones, try our cherry tomato soup recipe.
Cabbage:  sweet and crunch cabbage forms the leafy base for this salad. It doesn’t matter if it is the red cabbage or the sweet white one. You can swap this for lettuce, arugula or mesclun.
Cucumber: Lebanese cucumbers are the plain complement to yellow tomatoes. Since they are water laden, there are lovely to have during summer, especially in a salad.
Seeds: mix the crunch part is the one that makes the salads more appetising. My go-to mix is flax, chia, sesame seeds and hemp. Depending on what you have at hand, just go with the flow. Popped quinoa tastes brilliant in this salad.

Herbs: Herbs add a good freshness to any salad. Since we are picking up some from the garden we have spring onions, gotugola ( Brahmi) and mint from the garden. So today’s batch pick-up goes right into the salad. You can add what you have at hand to brighten up the flavours. 

For the citrus vinaigrette.

Summer certainly is for those strong citrus flavours. This basic citrus vinaigrette has lemon zest, lemon juice, whole grain mustard, grated garlic and grated ginger along with salt. It has no oil added, you can add a teaspoon of olive oil if you like. Do you really need a dressing for this salad, maybe just lemon and salt will do, but it is far nicer with this basic lemon vinaigrette. Since we are using sweet tomatoes,  I have not added sugar or date syrup to them. If you are using this dressing for, say, coleslaw or basic garden salad mix, add a tsp of date syrup.

Putting together a meal

Option 1: The salad is actually a fantastic idea to serve at a BBQ or lunch. Make some crusty toast, and creamy cheese to add to a platter. Don’t forget to keep some chocolate crackles for desserts
Option 2: Pop some vegetable sheek kebabs on the barbecue. Toast up some flatbreads. Whip up some cacik sauce and roll up a kind of Greek gyros.
Option 3: Keep light to follow up with a cold drink, like berry kombucha and then serve some chocolate dessert brownies to make it up.

The recipe card below carries step-by-step guidance to make this easy summer salad. You can directly pin this onto your board to make during the tomato season. Share with us how you feel making this recipe in the comments below with a rating of upto 5 stars

Stay connected

As a home gardener, I get very excited when I see produce come up and the garden active with bees and butterflies. These have an emotional connection to the fruits kind of a sense of joy in their own way. Try your green thumb, you didn’t always have to get it right, but don’t give up.
When you make this yellow tomato salad, whatever type of tomato hope you enjoy the experience. Let us know in the comments how you feel about it and rate the recipe. Don’t forget the citrus dressing is perfect for kidney bean salad or edamame salad.
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