Gazpacho Cabbage Soup
You eat healthy, you exercise, but you have a few pounds that you just can’t seem to get rid of. No matter how hard you work (or don’t work) those last few pounds (or those first few pounds to kick-start a healthier you) just won’t let themselves get evicted! …Enter the Cabbage Soup Diet!
I remember my parents going on this when I was in Middle School and thinking it was totally gross (I also thought cooked vegetables were totally gross at that point in my life though too). I now really enjoy the taste of the Cabbage Soup – often even going as far as making it when I am NOT following the diet plan! So, while this soup can help you in your dieting & eating healthy plan – you should also make it just as a yummy & healthy soup to enjoy!
The one problem with the Cabbage Soup Diet, is who really wants to eat SOUP in the middle of the SUMMER!? The last time I made the Cabbage Soup (this past winter), I took about 1/2 of it and put it through my 
Making a summer soup comes together in minutes – throw it all in the 
- 1/2 head cabbage, quartered
- 1/2 bag baby carrots (or 2 regular carrots peeled & chunked)
- 2 stalks celery, chunked
- 1/2 small onion (chunked) – more or less per your taste, remember this is staying raw
- 1 teaspoon powdered chicken bullion (or 1 cube) OR 1 cup chicken/vegetable stock
- 1 (14 oz) Can of Tomatoes (drained – you need the liquid 1st)
- 1 Cup Water/Stock/Tomato Juice
- 1 green pepper, seeds removed & chunked
- dash of two of hot sauce, based on taste
- Place your cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, and liquid into the Blender. Mix really well (about a minute) to get everything smooth and break down the fibers in the celery.
- TASTE at this point to make sure you are on the right track – do NOT add salt, as that takes away from the benefits of the cabbage soup.
- Add in your pepper and process. Finally add in your canned tomatoes and just pulse until slightly chopped – I like a little bit of chunk still left to my tomatoes, but this is personal preference.
As adapted from The Cabbage Soup Diet, check out the “official page” for more details
Follow the Cabbage Soup Diet for 7 Days…
DAY 1…Fruit: Eat all of the fruit you want (except bananas). Eat only your soup and the fruit for the first day. For drinks- unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and [lemon] water.
DAY 2… Vegetables: Eat until you are stuffed will all fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. Try to eat leafy green vegetables and stay away from dry beans, peas and corn. Eat all the vegetables you want along with your soup. At dinner, reward yourself with a big baked potato. Do not eat fruit today.
DAY 3… Mix Days One and Two: Eat all the soup, fruits and vegetables you want. No Baked Potato.
DAY 4… Bananas and Skim Milk: Eat as many as eight bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you would like on this day, along with your soup. This day is supposed to lessen your desire for sweets.
DAY 5… Beef And Tomatoes: Ten to twenty ounces of beef and up to six fresh tomatoes. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water this day to wash the uric acid from your body. Eat your soup at least once this day. You may eat broiled or baked skinless chicken instead of beef. If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for beef on one of the beef days (but not both).
DAY 6… Beef and Vegetables: Eat to your heart’s content of beef and vegetables this day. You can even have 2 or 3 steaks if you like, with leafy green vegetables. No Baked Potato. Eat your soup at least once.
DAY 7… Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices and vegetables: Again stuff, stuff, stuff yourself. Be sure to eat your soup at least once this day.
One Year Ago – Summer Appetizer/Snack which is so delicious you could even make it into a delicious lunch… Tomato & Mushroom Blue Cheese Crostini
Three Years Ago – A classic summer dessert – Strawberry Cake 🙂
And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… What is your favorite food to eat when watching what you eat?