Have you ever done a cleanse? I do them semi-regularly and this Detox Vegetable Soup is always the star of the show. No cabbage here though! This cleansing detox soup features sweet potatoes and kale as well as a smoky blend of warming spices.
What does a detox soup do? Mostly, it adds a TON of nutrient-packed vegetables to your meal. It does it in a way that is gentle and nourishing to your body.
If you want to know what soups help you lose weight it is recipes like this one over cream-based, white flour laden, heavier soups.
DETOX VEGETABLE SOUP
Well, hello! Welcome to my “Twelve Days of Detox” journal. In this post, I am outlining my first on my twelve-day cleanse.
Before I get down to business I should quickly mention a couple of things:
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.
OK! Now that that’s out of the way, here we go.
MY DETOX ROUTINE
It’s fitting that I used the word routine to describe my detox. For the last five years or so I have been doing regular, seasonal detoxes. I enjoy the challenge and I always come away with better eating habits because of them. They truly have become a part of my routines like spring cleaning and vacations. I can’t recommend it enough.
This time of year is especially indulgent. I heard a statistic the other day that the average person gains three to five pounds over the holidays.
It doesn’t sound like that much, but if you don’t lose it those pounds can add up. Three pounds times ten years is THIRTY extra pounds. Yikes. Sneaky sneaky. It can creep up so slowly.
Now, you can see why a detox is such a timely idea after Christmas/New Years’. I would estimate that the extra three to five will disappear in about twelve days. 😉
THE RULES OF THIS CLEANSE
Here are the rules I follow:
- no dairy
- no caffeine
- eliminate processed sugar
- no alcohol
- eliminate grains (just for the first seven days)
- lots of veggies, fruit, and healthy fats are the staples.
I start ev-er-y day with hot water and lemon. I sprinkle in some cayenne pepper for good measure (it helps to naturally heat your body which is said to aid in detoxification ) but it’s totally optional.
Stock up on those lemons!
Next, comes a piece or two of fruit. For my day one, it was a couple of clementines.
Yummy!
About half an hour after your fruit it’s smoothie time.
For day one I enjoyed this –> Detox Green Smoothie.
Maybe an hour or two after my breakfast I had a handful of almonds and another clementine.
This kept me going while I got the preparations underway for this amazing fat flushing detoxifying vegetable soup.
HOW TO MAKE DETOX SOUP
For this spicy detox soup you will need:
- olive oil
- carrots
- celery
- onions
- tomaotes
- garlic
- sweet potato
- sea salt and pepper
- smoked paprika
- canned beans
- broth
- kale
- parsley
Other than the chopping of the veggies, this soup is uber easy. There are the usual suspects of onions, celery, carrots but the featured vegetable is chopped sweet potato.
It . makes . this . soup .
The secret ingredient that ties this soup together is smoked paprika.
It goes well with the flavours of the sweet potato and is so warming.
I had a generous bowl of this for lunch followed by another handful of almonds for ‘dessert’.
It’s funny how absolutely luxurious almonds become during a cleanse. 😉
Another bowl of veggie soup for dinner and I was good until my evening snack.
For my snack I thoroughly enjoyed an enormous apple sliced into wedges and sprinkled with cinnamon. I smothered it all in almond butter and practically licked my plate. I adore this snack. It will be happening every night without fail. Love it.
Throughout the day I drank lots of water and herbal tea. I like peppermint tea and green tea with a squeeze of lemon.
DAY ONE
So this was how day one looked:
- Hot water with lemon
- Fruit (2 small clementine oranges)
- Green Smoothie
- Fruit/Almonds
- Detox Soup
- Almonds
- Detox Soup
- Apple with Cinnamon & Almond Butter
*I would guess -timate this to be around 1500 calories or so.
Other than a bit of a headache (due to lack of coffee, I’m sure) for about an hour or so, I felt pretty much normal. I had lots of energy though. Possibly due to veggie overload. 😉
- 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
This sugar free banana bread awaits you!
Originally posted December 29, 2014. Updated January 1, 2021.
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Have you ever done a cleanse? I do them semi-regularly and this Detox Vegetable Soup is always the star of the show. No cabbage here though! This cleansing detox soup features sweet potatoes and kale as well as a smoky blend of warming spices.
- 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
- 4 small yellow cocktail tomatoes
- 1/2 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
- 1/ 2 cup chopped parsley
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
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In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium.
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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.
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Stir in tomatoes, garlic, and smoked paprika and cook for another minute or so, stirring frequently.
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Stir in beans and broth and simmer on medium-low for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water (I add up to 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup at a time) as needed.
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Stir in kale and parsley, remove from heat and let sit for five minutes, covered, to wilt the kale.
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Serve warm.
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Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.
Toronto Girl West
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! 🙂
Sharon
Wow, Karen. Thanks so much. 🙂 What a wonderful thing to say. This soup is pretty darn scrumptious I must say.
Ruth
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!
Sharon
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. 😉
Kathy
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! ??????
Sharon
That’s awesome, Kathy. Thanks for the nice comment. I love sharing with people at work too! 🙂 Have a fabulous weekend.
Maryam
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?
Sharon
Any leafy green will work. Thanks Maryam!
pilar
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”???
Sharon
I’m sorry, I don’t speak or write Spanish.
Rachel
I don’t have fresh/dry parsely 🙁
Sharon
Bummer. Should be fine without, but stocking your spice cabinet is never a bad idea. 🙂
Danielle
So do you do this for 7 days?
Sharon
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.
Misheila
Looks sooo good
Saida
I actually made this (SURPRISE) but no surprise it’s really good! Filling and satisfying. Would make it it again.
Sharon
Yay! Thanks Saida. SO glad you liked it. 🙂
Mitra Racine
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.
Sharon
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!
DeWanda
Do you repeat this for everyday? Looks great!!
Sharon
Thanks DeWanda! I have the breakdown of what I ate in each post. 🙂 But you could totally have this everyday too!
Dawn Marie
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!
Branden
I can’t seem to find any yellow cocktail tomatoes me. What would be a good substitute?
Sharon
Any tomato should work! 🙂