This healthy vegetable detox soup recipe is a delicious and nutritious way to eat a healthy bowl of vegetables and chicken. It includes a variety of vegetables (plus plenty of ideas on ways to add in more vegetables or swap some below), and unlike some recipes that include only veggies, this one is a chicken detox soup for a protein boost. Make a big batch and you’ve got an easy, healthy meal prep soup. If you prefer a detox cabbage soup, you can add cabbage to this soup (see instructions below under the Ingredients section) OR try my beef cabbage soup recipe, which is also great for detox. For other healthy meals you can prep ahead, try Greek chicken meal prep bowls, mason jar Greek salad, keto egg muffins, or keto breakfast sandwiches.
What Is Detox Soup?
Detox soup is a healthy vegetable and protein-packed soup that is packed with nutritious ingredients. It’s often eaten as a cleansing meal to remove toxins, or kickstart a diet or healthier eating lifestyle. Some people even do a detox soup diet, where you eat only this soup either for all meals, or for 1-2 meals per day, for a few days.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for detox vegetable soup , what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Olive Oil – For sauteing. Avocado oil also works great.Onion – I used a white onion, but yellow onion will also work. Garlic – Use fresh cloves of garlic for the best flavor, or jarred garlic for convenience. Ginger – This is a great detox soup ingredient because it stimulates digestion and circulation. Fresh ginger has the best benefits and flavor, but you could also substitute frozen ginger cubes or tubed ginger for convenience.Chicken Breasts – I prefer to use organic chicken (get them shipped directly to you here) for best flavor and nutrition, but any boneless skinless chicken breasts will work. You can also use boneless chicken thighs instead. The chicken gets cooked in the soup, but if you have pre-made rotisserie chicken or homemade shredded chicken, you can just add that to the soup instead and skip the 20-minute simmering at step 4.Broth – I used chicken broth, but you can also use vegetable broth. For richer flavor and extra nutrients in your healthy soup, use bone broth instead. Hard Vegetables – We saute these. I used red and orange for a pop of color, but you can use any color bell peppers. Other firmer veggies, like carrots or celery, would be added at the same time.Soft Vegetables – My detox soup recipe has broccoli and cauliflower, with smaller florets so that they can fit on a spoon. These get added toward the end so that they don’t get too mushy. Other soft veggies, such as zucchini or green beans, get added toward the end as well.Spices – Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, simply dried oregano works nicely. Turmeric is also a great addition for its benefits.Lemon – Adds a bright flavor, though you can skip it if you don’t like a lemony soup. Use fresh lemon for best flavor, or bottled lemon juice for convenience.
It’s easy to customize this detox soup recipe to your liking with your favorite vegetables. Here are some other ideas for what you can include…
Hard Veggie Variations
These harder veggies are best to saute, so add them at step 2 with the onions or step 3 with the bell peppers:
Cabbage – Detox cabbage soup is a popular soup addition. Shred the cabbage before sauteing with the peppers.Carrots – Note that carrots are not keto on their own, but I’m fine including them in small amounts in soup recipes. You can dice it finely to cook more quickly, or simply slice into rounds.Celery – Thinly slice or dice one stalk celery (or a few), and saute with carrots and onions.Mushrooms – Slice thinly and brown them with the onions.
Soft Veggie Variations
These softer vegetables cook quickly, so we add them toward the end (at step 6) so that they don’t get mushy:
Green BeansKaleSpinachZucchini
You can find more ideas for veggies to add in the low carb vegetable list, but if you are not low carb, it’s fine to also add higher carb veggies, like sweet potatoes.
How To Make Detox Soup
This section shows how to make healthy detox soup, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Saute aromatics. Heat oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high to medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and ginger until fragrant.Saute peppers and seasonings. Add bell peppers, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper and saute for a few minutes.
Simmer. Add chicken breasts and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer.Shred chicken. Remove chicken breasts from pot and shred, then add back to the pot. Stir in broccoli and cauliflower.
Cook soft veggies. Add broccoli and cauliflower. Cook until tender.Finish. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. I like to garnish my healthy soup with fresh parsley or basil to serve.
Storage Instructions
Store: Keep healthy detox soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.Meal prep: This is a great light meal to make ahead. Portion in individual containers for a ready-to-heat lunch.Reheat: Reheat soup in the microwave or a saucepan on the stove.Freeze: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to freezer bags. Freeze flat until solid, then you an keep anywhere in the freezer for 2-3 months.
More Healthy Soup Recipes
If you like this detox vegetable soup recipe, you might also like these healthy soup recipes:
Beef Cabbage SoupLow Carb Vegetable SoupSpaghetti Squash Chicken SoupStuffed Pepper Soup
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