5:2 Very Veggie Soup (104 calories)

This big bowl of soup is so low in calories, it's been on regular rotation around here for diet days. I started with this popular recipe for "Magic" veggie soup, but ended up heavily adapting it. (The calories for that one ended up being quite a bit higher when I calculated it. And it made way too much, about 20 cups!) I was also having trouble with a few things not cooking well enough, so I chopped the veggies a little smaller last time and everything cooked and mixed together better.



(For those of you counting calories, I've added the amount for each ingredient so you can easily make tweaks without having to re-calculate everything. Anything marked with an asterisk* may vary a lot based on what you buy, so make sure to compare your label.)


Very Veggie Soup 

1 cup carrot, diced (65)
1 cup fresh (or frozen) trimmed green beans, cut into 1" pieces (20)
1/2 cup onion, diced (30)
1/2 Tbsp. (3 cloves) minced garlic (0)

5 cups water (0)
3 cups shredded cabbage (60)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped (50)
1 can diced tomatoes (don't drain, 88*)
1 cup zucchini, diced (20)
1/4 cup corn (38)

2 Tbsp. tomato paste (30*)
3 tsp./cubes chicken or vegetable bouillon (15*)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (0)


1) In a large pot (6 qt.) add the carrots, green beans, onions, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2) Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until vegetables are tender. Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each.

Calories - 104 for 1/4