Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup Recipe (Zero Points)

Today I'm sharing one of my longtime favorite Weight Watchers Recipes: Garden Vegetable Soup. I've been making it since first discovering it decades ago. Often you will find a container of it strategically placed front and center in my fridge, ready and waiting for when hunger pangs strike.

With zero points and packed with nutritious vegetables, this Weight Watchers vegetable soup recipe is a winner.  You can make it with a wide a variety of fresh veggies such as onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, and/or spinach, and flavor it with an array of herbs and spices to make it your own. The key to keeping this fresh vegetable soup zero points is the use of non-starchy vegetables. 

Some common alternate names for this easy vegetable soup include: zero-point vegetable soup, spring garden vegetable soup, skinny vegetable soup, and Weight Watchers cabbage soup, just to name a few. Regardless of what you call it, this soup is a great way to stay on track in a healthy, nutritious, delicious way. 

Why I Love Soup

Soup has a lot of wonderful qualities going for it. You can easily and economically feed a crowd from one big pot. It's simple to make in big batches so you can have easy ready-to-heat leftovers for quick lunches and suppers all week long. And it's naturally nourishing, especially when you make it yourself and control what goes into it.

Which is why I keep adding more easy healthy soup recipe posts here on the blog and even wrote an eCookbook filled with Skinny Soups for the Slow Cooker and Stovetop!

How Soup Helps You Slim Down and Lose Weight

1. Fill-up Factor: Soups are mostly water, which makes them super filling. When you eat soup, you feel fuller for longer because of all that liquid!
2. Big on Volume, Low on Calories: Soups are like magic because they let you eat a lot without packing in too many calories. So you get to enjoy a big bowl of soup without worrying about overdoing it on calories.
3. Packed with Good Stuff: Soups can be loaded with veggies, lean meats, and grains, giving you a healthy dose of important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It's like getting a nutrition boost with every spoonful!
4. Easy Portion Control: Serving soup in bowls naturally helps you keep your portions in check. It's easy to see how much you're eating, which can help prevent you from accidentally overeating.
5. Slow Down, Enjoy Every Bite: Soup is served hot, so you have to eat it slowly to avoid burning your mouth. Eating slowly gives your brain time to realize you're full, so you're less likely to eat too much.
6. Mix and Match Flavors: The best thing about soup is that you can make it your own! You can mix and match ingredients to create soups that fit your tastes and your health goals. So go ahead, get creative in the kitchen and enjoy your soup!

How Many Calories and WW Points in this Weight Watchers Vegetable Soup Recipe?

According to my calculations, each serving has just 41 calories and. To see your WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!

Why is WW Garden Vegetable Soup Good for WeightWatchers?

Is vegetable soup good for you if you are trying to lose weight? Yes! The WW Garden Vegetable Soup is favored by Weight Watchers members for several reasons:

1. Low in Points: The soup is typically made with a variety of non-starchy vegetables, which are low in calories and SmartPoints. This allows individuals to enjoy a satisfying portion of soup without consuming a large number of SmartPoints, making it a filling and guilt-free option for those following the WW program.
2. High in Fiber: The abundance of vegetables in the soup provides a good source of dietary fiber, which helps promote feelings of fullness and aids in digestion. Fiber-rich foods are also associated with weight management and can help regulate blood sugar levels.
3. Nutrient-Dense: The soup is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from the vegetables, providing essential nutrients to support overall health and well-being. It's a nutrient-dense option that contributes to a balanced and varied diet.
4. Versatile: The recipe for WW Garden Vegetable Soup is highly adaptable and can be customized to include a wide range of vegetables and flavorings based on personal preferences. This versatility allows individuals to use up whatever vegetables they have on hand and tailor the soup to suit their taste preferences.
5. Satisfying and Comforting: Soup, in general, is known for its comforting and satisfying qualities. The WW Garden Vegetable Soup is no exception—it's hearty, flavorful, and can be enjoyed as a satisfying meal on its own or as a nutritious side dish.

WW Garden Vegetable Soup Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped or shredded carrots
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 4 cups fat-free broth ( fat free chicken broth, vegetable broth (affiliate link) or beef broth - your choice)
• 1 can (14-½ ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped or shredded cabbage
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach or kale
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon dried basil (or more to taste)
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme (or more to taste)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• Chopped parsley or basil for garnish (optional)

How to Make this WW Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe Step by Step

Step 1: Gather and Prep your ingredients.

Step 2: Spray a large saucepan or soup pot with nonstick cooking spray. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook over low heat, stirring often until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and stir for another minute.

Step 3: Add the broth, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, tomato paste, basil, thyme and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.

Step 4: Add the zucchini (if using) and cook until softened, 3 - 5 minutes more. Stir in chopped fresh parsley or basil just before serving if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings. I like to add a little more salt and fresh ground black pepper. This will depend on your tastes and how salty your broth was.

Slow Cooker Instructions

Place everything in your slow cooker, cover and cook on LOW until tender, 6 to 8 hours.

WW Zero Point Soup Variations

Different vegetables: modify the vegetables to suit your likes, dislikes and what you have on hand or is in season. The last time I made it I substituted a combination of chopped broccoli and cauliflower for the cabbage. I also added chopped green beans and asparagus since I had them in the fridge and skipped the zucchini because I didn't. Other vegetables to consider: red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow squash, sugar snap peas, mushrooms or any other zero-point vegetables you happen to have on hand. And or course, vegetables with points are fine too as long as you adjust your WWPoints accordingly. 

No fresh vegetables? substitute your favorite combinations of frozen and/or canned vegetables instead. 

Different seasonings: modify the herbs and spices to suit your likes and dislikes.

• Italian: basil, oregano, Italian seasoning blend
• Mexican: cilantro, cumin, chili powder, oregano
• Asian: ginger, garlic, soy sauce (skip the tomatoes and tomato paste) add bok choy, pea pods, bean sprouts, etc.
• Spicy: red pepper flakes, chilies, hot sauce

Heartier: add your favorite canned beans (white beans, black beans, Chickpeas, Pinto Beans, etc), rinsed and drained or leftover cooked turkey or chicken

No cooking spray? I often use a couple teaspoons olive oil in place of the nonstick cooking spray.

Low Sodium: Opt for low sodium or no-salt added tomatoes and low sodium vegetable broth (affiliate link)

Larger quantity: Double the ingredients and make the soup in a big soup pot or dutch oven.

Slow cooker: Place all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 hours.

Smoother? I sometimes puree this vegetable soup for a thicker, smoother consistency. 

Garnishes and stir ins: Garnish with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese, chopped fresh herbs, squeeze of fresh lemon juice, splash of vinegar, or dollop of pesto. 

How Do You Thicken Garden Vegetable Soup?

My favorite way to thicken this soup is by pureeing part of it either with an immersion blender (affiliate link) or regular countertop one. You get a thicker consistency without adding additional ingredients or changing its flavor. 

If you like this recipe for garden vegetable soup, be sure to check out some of my other easy, healthy Weight Watchers friendly soup recipes including Easy Corn & Black Bean Soup, Skinny Potato Leek Soup, Spicy Vegetarian Red Lentil Soup, White Bean Soup with Sausage, Creamy Potato Mushroom Soup and Favorite WW Friendly Cabbage Soups

If you've made this 0 Point Garden Vegetable Soup, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

Here's a video of The Cookie Rookie making her version of this Zero Points WeightWatchers Vegetable Soup, which she calls Healthy Cabbage Soup...

*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.

More Easy Healthy Soup Recipes for WeightWatchers

• Slow Cooker Bean Barley Soup
• Slow cooker Bean and Cabbage Soup
• Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Soup
• Slow Cooker Toscana Soup Made Lighter
• Healthy Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup Recipes
• Weight Watchers Zero Points Cabbage Soup

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Published December 2016; Republished with new content & photos March 2024