So this soup? Talk about one that you can eat the whole humongous pot and not have to worry about calories! This big pot of soup was just about me seeing cans and containers and an open package of lentils and wanting to use them up, but in a way that would fit my new mindset. The mindset? A better one than the last few months that’s for sure! A healthy mindset of eating better and loving being back in the kitchen and creating. So a vegan and gluten-free low-calorie Lentil Cabbage Tomato Soup was just what this ready to eat healthier eater wanted.

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A better mindset or outlook means better eating. Wanting to eat healthy because you are starting to see progress again. Progress not just in your outlook but also in the scale, so keeping up the healthy eating is a must, because once the scale starts to make even the smallest movement in the right direction means the motivation to eat right comes out hardcore. And a big ole pot of low-calorie soup is just the ticket to keep your eating in check over the weekend and have a ton left over for lunches during the week. A tomato and broth-based soup packed with filling cabbage and healthy lentils? It was hard to keep enough left for weekday lunches because this was so good. I love making soups, which you probably know from the blog, because they are so easy, filling, and freezer-friendly and they are the easiest thing to make as healthy as possible. Even if you are making a “creamy” soup, just pureeing cauliflower for the “cream” and you get all the decadence without the unhealthy calories from the cream. So get your soup on!

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Start by dumping one container of broth into your pot and turning to high. Chop and drop the onion and celery into the pot and the boiling broth. Keep boiling and add the pepper, garlic powder, and Herb de Provence. Let that cook a minute or two to waken up those spices then add the diced tomato and puree and the balsamic. I have started using balsamic whenever I use canned tomatoes because OMG does it add such a depth of flavor that it really tastes like you left a pot of tomato sauce on the stove to cook for hours. It is so good – this is a big pot and just two tablespoons adds so much flavor! Let boil as you slice the cabbage and drop into the pot. Add the lentils and last container of broth. Lower to a simmer and let cook one hour, stirring occasionally. Then just portion out and enjoy!

Lentil Kale Tomato Soup, 8 servings

1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped small
6 Stalks Celery, chopped small
1 Large Head Cabbage, sliced thin
1 C Red Lentils
1 14.5oz Can Muir Glen No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
1 28oz Can Muir Glen Tomato Puree
2 Tbsp Star Foods Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Herb de Provence
2 32oz Cntrs Imagine Foods No-Chicken Vegetarian Broth

1. In a large pot pour one container of broth and turn on high.
2. Chop and add to boiling broth the onion and celery.
3. Add in pepper, garlic powder, Herb, diced and tomato sauce, and balsamic and let boil while chopping cabbage.
4. Quarter the cabbage and slice out the core then slice in half each quarter and slice thin. Add to the pot as it gets sliced.
5. Pour in the lentils and the last container of broth.
6. Turn pot down to low and let simmer one hour.
7. Portion out and enjoy.