Easy Detox Soup Recipe
This detox soup is a cozy, veggie-packed bowl made with sweet potato, kale, beans, and a little smoked paprika. It’s my favorite way to reset after the holidays, and it’s vegan, gluten-free, and freezer-friendly.
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Soups are both comforting and nourishing. Vegetables are the star of the show in this recipe for detox soup and also in this vegan curry lentil soup and this creamy vegan potato soup. Check out all of our warming soup recipes!
What does a detox soup actually do? Let’s be real: your liver and kidneys do the actual detoxing, and they’re very good at it. What a detox soup can do is pack a TON of vegetables, fiber and water into one cozy bowl, and make it easy to skip the heavy, processed stuff for a few days. That’s why I think of it as a reset, not a diet.
Is detox soup good for weight loss? At about 175 calories a serving, this vegetable soup is a lot lighter than cream-based soups, and the beans and veggies keep you full. The great thing is that it actually tastes delicious! The cabbage soup diet from the 80’s it’s not. A soup cleanse doesn’t have to feel punishing.
Why you will love this recipe
- Packed with veggies. Sweet potato, carrots, celery, tomatoes, kale and beans all in one pot.
- Cozy and filling. About 175 calories a bowl, with fiber and protein from the beans to keep you full.
- Vegan and gluten-free. Just check that your broth is gluten-free.
- Great for meal prep. It freezes well, and the leftovers taste even better the next day.
- Easy to customize. Use whatever veggies you have on hand.
Ingredient notes
Find the complete ingredient list, with measurements, in the recipe card below.
- Olive oil – For sautéing the veggies. Avocado oil works too.
- Carrots – Sweet, cheap, and full of fiber and beta-carotene.
- Celery – Part of the classic savory soup base.
- Onion – A yellow onion gives the best sweet, mellow flavor.
- Tomatoes – Fresh, or use a can of diced tomatoes (fire-roasted is amazing here!).
- Garlic – Fresh minced is best, but jarred works in a pinch.
- Sweet potato – Adds natural sweetness and makes the soup hearty.
- Sea salt and pepper – Season early, then taste again at the end.
- Smoked paprika – The secret ingredient! It adds a warm, smoky flavor.
- Canned beans – Kidney beans add protein. Rinse and drain them first.
- Broth – Use low-sodium store bought or homemade vegetable broth.
- Kale – High in fiber and vitamins. Spinach or cabbage work too.
- Fresh parsley – Stirred in at the end for a fresh pop of color. Cilantro or basil work too.
Equipment
- Large soup pot or Dutch oven – A heavy-bottomed pot holds heat evenly so the veggies soften without scorching.
- Cutting board and a sharp knife – Chopping is the most work in this recipe, so a sharp knife makes it go much faster.
- Colander – For rinsing and draining the canned beans, which cuts down on extra sodium.
- Ladle – For serving, and for portioning leftovers into containers for the fridge or freezer.
- Designed to handle kitchen tasks both big and small, this durable knife is an essential for every kitchen.
- Expertly crafted in Switzerland in 1884, Victorinox provides a lifetime warranty against defects in material and workmanship.
Instructions
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the FULL recipe details.
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the cubed sweet potato, carrots, celery, and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they start to soften.
The bonus vegetable in this soup is sweet potato! Sweet potatoes are an abundant source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin A. They also add natural sweetness and make the soup extra hearty.
Step 2
Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, and smoked paprika and cook for another minute, stirring often. The secret ingredient that ties this soup together is smoked paprika. It goes so well with the sweet potato and is so warm and comforting.
Step 3
Stir in the rinsed beans and broth, then simmer on medium-low for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. I love the taste of the beans with the smoky paprika, and they add some protein too.
EXPERT TIP! Keep a couple of cups of water on hand while the soup simmers. Add it a little at a time (about 1/4 cup) so the soup doesn’t reduce too much.
Step 4
Stir in the kale and parsley, remove the pot from the heat, and let it sit covered for about 5 minutes to wilt the kale. Serve warm.
Substitutions and recipe variations
- Sweet potato: Swap in broccoli, butternut squash, or regular potatoes.
- Beans: Use lentils, chickpeas, black beans, quinoa, or barley instead.
- Tomatoes: Use a can of diced tomatoes (fire-roasted is amazing!), or leave them out and add broccoli or mushrooms.
- Kale: Any leafy green works. Spinach and cabbage are both great.
- Parsley: Try fresh cilantro, basil, or a few sprigs of dill.
- Smoked paprika: Chipotle chili powder adds a similar smoky kick.
- Extra spices: Add a teaspoon of warming spices like ginger, turmeric, oregano, or rosemary.
- Reader favorites: Readers have added an extra can of black beans, a chopped rutabaga, a pinch of cayenne, or fresh basil and cilantro. Use what you have!
Serving suggestions
Ladle into bowls and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice. For extra protein, top it with shredded chicken, or try my healthy chicken vegetable soup. It also pairs nicely with this crunchy detox salad.
FAQs
The recipe makes 4 servings, about a heaping cup or a bit more per bowl. The nutrition info in the recipe card is based on 4 servings.
Yes! Add everything except the kale and parsley and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in the greens at the end and let them wilt for a few minutes. One reader makes it in her crockpot all the time and says it hits the spot!
Yes! A few readers can’t have tomatoes, so they leave them out or add broccoli or mushrooms instead. The smoked paprika still gives the broth plenty of flavor.
Yes, as long as you use vegetable broth. It’s naturally gluten-free too, but check your broth label to be sure.
You sure can! Lots of readers ask me this, and plenty of them have it for lunch all week. It’s a filling, veggie-packed meal with protein from the beans. If you’re planning a longer detox soup cleanse, mix it up with other whole foods to get enough protein and variety, and check with your doctor first.
Eating only soup for a week might move the number on the scale, but a lot of that is water, and it usually comes back once you’re eating normally again. Soup alone also makes it hard to get enough protein and variety. I think of this soup as a way to add more veggies to your week, not as a crash diet.
Broth-based soups packed with vegetables and beans, like this one, are a lot lighter than creamy soups and still keep you full. Soups made with heavy cream, lots of cheese or creamy bases tend to be much higher in calories.
Here’s the honest answer: no single ingredient detoxes your liver. Your liver does that job all on its own! What you can do is eat plenty of vegetables, beans and fiber and skip the heavily processed stuff for a while, which is exactly what this soup is all about.
Storage tips
- Fridge: Store leftovers in a sealed container for about 4 days.
- Freezer: Let the soup cool completely, then freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Here’s my full guide on how to freeze soup.
- Reheat: Warm it on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or broth if it has thickened.
What a day of my detox looks like
After all the holiday treats (no regrets!), January is when I start craving veggies and simple homemade meals again. That’s where my twelve days of detox comes in, and this soup was the star of day one.
I like to think of it as more of a reset than a new year’s diet. A 12-day detox is meant to reintroduce a ton of vegetables and homemade meals and snacks back into your routine. To remind you of how good it feels to fuel your body with the food it loves. For more, check out my top five tips for a successful detox.
FULL DISCLOSURE! I’m not a doctor. Shocking, I know. If you have any medical conditions or have never done any kind of cleanse, please run things past your GP. I am not giving medical advice and don’t know your individual situation. Again, speak to YOUR doctor.
Secondly, this is a recounting of my experience. Some may think it’s too little food, others may think too much, etc. We are all unique, and what works for me might not work for you. Use my detox routine as a guideline and modify it to suit your own needs/goals.
Here are the rules I follow for my cleanse:
- No dairy
- No caffeine
- Eliminate processed sugar
- No alcohol
- Lots of veggies, fruit, and healthy fats are the staples
This is a typical day:
I start every day with hot water and lemon. I sprinkle in some cayenne pepper for a little extra warmth, but it’s totally optional.
Stock up on those lemons!
Next, comes a piece or two of fruit.
‘Tis the season for clementines! Yum yum.
About half an hour after the fruit, it’s smoothie time.
I like hydrating green smoothies like this detox green smoothie.
Maybe an hour or two after my breakfast, I’ll have a handful of almonds and another clementine.
This keeps me going while I get the preparations underway for this cozy detox vegetable soup.
I will have a generous bowl of this detox soup for lunch. It is so satisfying!
The broth is rich and warm, and I love the smokiness from the paprika.
Another bowl of veggie soup for dinner, and I was good until my evening snack.
For my snack, I thoroughly enjoyed my cinnamon apple snacks smothered in almond butter and practically licked my plate. I adore this snack.
Throughout the day I drink lots of water and herbal tea. I like peppermint tea, and this lemon, mint and cucumber detox water makes all that water a lot more fun.
More detox recipes
- Welcome to my “twelve days of detox”
- On to day two <— read the recap!
- Check out day three
- This is the day four and five recap
- Recap of day six to eight
- Days nine and ten
- The Grand Finale days eleven and twelve
If you’ve tried this detox soup, please give me a rating and let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!
*Originally posted December 29, 2014, updated January 1, 2021 and December 23, 2021, and updated again October 24, 2026.*
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Easy Detox Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato *peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 cup carrots *sliced
- 2 stalks celery *diced
- 1 small yellow onion *diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic *minced
- 1 ½ cups freshly chopped tomatoes *about 2 tomatoes
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 can kidney beans *rinsed and drained
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth *plus 2 cups of water as needed
- 1 large kale leaf *chopped
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper *to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Stir in cubed sweet potato, carrots, celery, and onion. Season with sea salt and fresh pepper and stir well. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes, garlic, and smoked paprika and cook for another minute or so, stirring frequently.
- Stir in beans and broth and simmer on medium-low for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if it reduces too much. I add up to 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup at a time, as needed.
- Stir in kale and parsley, remove from heat and let sit for five minutes, covered, to wilt the kale.
- Serve warm.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.
Can you freeze soup ?
Yes, you can freeze this. I actually just posted an article about how to freeze soup if you were interested. Thanks Ronald!
This recipe was so good and loved by the hubby. I added an extra can of black beans for color/protein and put in a few sprigs of fresh dill. I skipped the tomato as I don’t always like the acidic flavor. Can’t wait for the leftovers!
Thanks for the great feedback, Megan! I love the idea of adding dill. And yes, the leftovers taste even better 🙂
I absolutely love this soup! How much is the serving size? 1 cup or more?
Hey Beth! So glad you enjoyed it. The nutrition info is for the soup portioned for 4. I would guesstimate portion sizes as a heaping cup at the least. Happy new year to you. 🙂
Great testy soup
What can you substitute for the beans?
Lots of great substitutes: lentils, chickpeas, peas, barley, quinoa, rice, or more veggies.
This recipe is really great! We will make it again!
Awesome Donna! Thanks so much. I hope you enjoy it over and over.
Can we change the kale put for spinach or cabbage and keep the same cleansing benefits?
Yes, both are excellent substitutions.
My sister made this soup. I love it. That was last week. I am making my own pot of this soup this week. Thank you for the recipe.
My pleasure Della!! Thanks so much.
I absolutely loved this soup and so did my sisters..I made this twice in a week bc my sisters loved it so much!
Thank you for sharing yummy!
I love it!! You are a sweetie to make this for your sisters. xo
I just made/tried this today and it is staying a monthly staple! It is super versatile and allows you to have some flexibility to use what u may already have. I did end up adding basil and cilantro, 1/4 tsp cayenne and ginger, mixed beans and a little lemon juice. Cooked it all in my crockpot, throwing the leafy greens in at the end. It hit the spot and tasted amazing! Thanks for sharing!
He Crystal! Thanks for the great ideas for substitutions/additions. I love the idea of fresh basil and cilantro. Yum!
Hi,
Your soup looks delicious! I have acid reflux and cannot eat tomatoes. Is there an alternative without tomatoes?
Hi Lynn! You can either omit the tomatoes or add another type of veggie like broccoli or mushrooms.
This soup is amazing! I was worried my boyfriend would be disappointed because there was no meat but he absolutely loved it. He ate 2 bowls! I did a substitute of basil for the parsley because I love basil. I think we might have to try black beans. I will be making a second pot today for our work lunches. Also I diced 3 vine tomatoes….so good! Thank you for the recipe and ideas of different things to add next time.
Ommgggssshhh I love basil too! Yummmm. And it is always so satisfying when the boyfriend approves!! Thanks so much, Vanessa 🙂
I love soup! I love soup!🤗
I use this for a bass and go with what I have in the kitchen! 😋
Thanks for great ideas!
Soup season is my favorite time of year. 🙂 Thanks Kay!
WOW – I am a soupaholic…… This just topped my list as the most deliscious, easy and fun to make since my garden gave me enough fresh parsley and kale to do the greens, it is even more thrilling! I make soups about 3 times a week and am always looking for new recipes to try. The only thing I tweaked in your recipe is I added some drops of Doterra essential oils to kick it up a notch for the detox affect. One drop each of oregano, lemon and lime. Thanks for sharing your deliscious recipes.
Thanks so much for the great comment!! I make this soup on the regular also. 🙂 Loving the addition of the essential oils! I use the doTerra peppermint in my homemade dark chocolate bars. 😉 Yum. Thanks again!
I have to say the 4 small tomatoes part was confusing… how small? Bc romas are small in comparison to normal vine tomatoes. It wouldve been helpful if that was more specific
You can use a can of diced tomatoes
I made this soup for my weekly meal prep and OMG it is delicious!!! The flavor and heartiness is simply amazing!!!
Woot woot!! Thanks so much 🙂 It IS such a delicious soup.
Hard to believe it’s healthy as delicious as it is! We enjoyed it immensely! 🙂
I agree! Lots of flavor 🙂 Thanks, Kristen.
Oh yum too!! I am so glad we have a flavourful recipe for detox instead of some boring ideas. With this o really don’t mind doing a good detox.
I appreciate that Seema! Thanks 🙂
Such a wonderful, comforting soup! Love the addition of all those vegetables. Definitely the perfect reset.
One hundred percent! Thanks Tara 🙂
This soup is a meal by itself. Love the combination of all the healthy veggies gone to making this Detox Soup. Best for Dinner.
So healthy and comforting! My family enjoyed it for dinner last night!
Thank you for posting a great recipe!! This will be a favorite for sure. I made this last week and all of my family loved it!!! My grandchildren (and adults) were quick to have seconds. I did not have fresh tomatoes so I used a can of diced fire roasted potatoes and because I made a larger soup I used kidney beans and black beans.
I love the idea of the fire roasted tomatoes!!! Yum!! Sometimes I use salsa in a pinch. 🙂 Thanks for the lovely comment. I’m so happy you and the family enjoyed the soup.
This came out really good and filling. I used what I had so my ingredients were tomato sauce, Idaho potatoes, spinach, cilantro, navy beans, celery, carrots, green onions, & chicken stock. Can’t wait to reheat and eat as left overs! Thank you!
I love using up whatever I have on hand also. 🙂 Makes the soup extra satisfying knowing that nothing has gone to waste.
Hi! I am making this now and it smells so good! I can’t wait to try it. Am I suppose to slice the 4 small yellow tomatoes or just throw them in?
I slice them into quarters usually. Thanks for pointing that out! I’ll edit the recipe. 🙂
Love this recipe. My husband and I are detoxing and this is perfect. Thanks
Thanks Carmen!! I’m so glad you love it.
I can’t seem to find any yellow cocktail tomatoes me. What would be a good substitute?
Any tomato should work! 🙂
Hi there! I will be implementing this soup as a part of my 2MAD/OMAD intermittent fasting lifestyle, to detox gently. I will tweak it for my own meal plan by leaving out the beans, and adding in lentils(gentler on my stomach!). I don’t snack at all as this is now known to raise insulin levels(fat storage=insulin hormone!). I don’t do sugars/refined carbs nor glutens because I have Celiac Disease, Basically I eat healthy fats/proteins and complex carbs like (some) fruits and greens/veggies(no starches like potatoes: sweet potato occasionally like in this soup are okay). I drink only water/green teas and NO smoothies/fruit juices(sugar bombs in disguise). Once in a while bulletproof organic coffee(no creamers/milks or sugars), with melted grass-fed butter or virgin coconut oil(2 Tablespoons) whirred up in a blender until foamy or served hot as is. No desserts, no snacking as this only benefits the snack foods industry and kills all the effort one has put into trying to detoxify/lose weight. Thanks for the recipe, though!
Do you repeat this for everyday? Looks great!!
Thanks DeWanda! I have the breakdown of what I ate in each post. 🙂 But you could totally have this everyday too!
I made this soup and it was incredible. Take this from a great cook as I have a passion for cooking.
Thank you for the recipe. It was amazing.
Wow! Thanks so much Mitra. 🙂 What a lovely comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup. It’s a winner for sure. Have a great weekend!
I actually made this (SURPRISE) but no surprise it’s really good! Filling and satisfying. Would make it it again.
Yay! Thanks Saida. SO glad you liked it. 🙂
Looks sooo good
So do you do this for 7 days?
This was a recap of my first day, but repeating for seven days is good too! Check out the rest of the posts for variety in recipes.
I don’t have fresh/dry parsely 🙁
Bummer. Should be fine without, but stocking your spice cabinet is never a bad idea. 🙂
hla se hace solo 2 dias??y por cuanto tiempo?? gracias
y si son 12 dias ,k tomamos esos dias,repetimos 1 y 2 hasta 12”???
I’m sorry, I don’t speak or write Spanish.
Highlight comment and you get the option to translate!
Thanks for this awesome recipe! I’m going to try it out today. I know kale is great but I only have spinach right now… will that be an alright substitute?
Any leafy green will work. Thanks Maryam!
Just made this for the girls at the office. Everyone loves it. I hope I have some left to take home for the weekend. I added a rutabaga, how that didn’t hurt the detox effects! ??????
That’s awesome, Kathy. Thanks for the nice comment. I love sharing with people at work too! 🙂 Have a fabulous weekend.
I just made this and it is fantastic. I didn’t have smoked paprika, but I did have some chipotle chili powder that I threw in instead. I know what will be for lunch all week! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Ruth! Thanks so much. I had this multiple time over the last week and am happy to report that the leftovers taste incredible too. 🙂 Chipotle chili powder sounds perfect, by the way. Anything chipotle works, in my opinion. 😉
When you say small tomatoes are you referring to cherry tomatoes? If not, the next size up on tomatoes are you cutting them in half?
Yes, one size up from cherry tomatoes – I chop into quarters. You could also use cherry tomatoes too though! Slice those in half. About 1 1/2 cups of chopped tomatoes. Thanks for pointing that out! I will update the recipe.
You always have a way of making things I wouldn’t usually consider yummy (like a simple veggie soup), look incredibly scrumptious!!! And you end up inspiring me – which I suppose is what this blog is all about! 🙂
Wow, Karen. Thanks so much. 🙂 What a wonderful thing to say. This soup is pretty darn scrumptious I must say.