How To Make Mixed Vegetable Skinny Soup

This soup is very similar to the one in the Cabbage Soup Diet, except that it contains considerably more flavour than the original, you’re allowed to fry the vegetables first, instead of just boiling them, and apparently it still helps you lose weight even though you don’t have to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner to the exclusion of everything else. Even so, on its own this soup is still about as basic and boring as it gets and although it keeps in the fridge for a day or two it doesn’t freeze well. (It’s also greatly improved if you top the finished soup with broken up cream crackers covered in Marmite.) Use any kind of stock you like, but fresh chicken stock or a mixture of ready-made and fresh stock is best.

1. Step 1:

   Wash, peel and finely chop the spring onions, celery, peppers, carrots and mushrooms, and finely shred the cabbage.

2. Step 2:

   Warm some sesame oil in a very large pan; fry the onions, celery and peppers with the spices until the onion softens then add the crushed garlic and the rest of the vegetables including the chopped tomatoes and give it a good stir.

3. Step 3:

   Pour in the stock and a generous amount of soy sauce then stir again, turn the heat down, cover with a lid and allow the soup to simmer gently for about half an hour.

4. Step 4:

   Don’t blend the finished soup. Season with salt and pepper and serve with crackers and Marmite (see above).