We all know or have heard about the cabbage soup diet. We know that it is simple to follow, that it does not contain any weird type of foods that might be hard to find or expensive to buy. We know that it works on a short term basis.

If used correctly the cabbage soup diet recipe will help not only help you lose weight it is excellent for your health.

To encourage you to eat cabbage soup even when you are not dieting, (because it is good for you) I am going to give you some variations that will bring a world of flavors in your life, and a ton of benefits to your general well being.

• cabbage
• onions
• celery
• tomatoes (diced or stewed one can)
• 1 or 2 quarts of water (liter)
• vegetable broth or tomato juice
• green peppers
• carottes

You can add other vegetables to satisfy your own taste and depending on the season

• mushrooms
• green beans
• spinach
• leeks
• cauliflower
• broccoli
• red peppers
• yellow peppers
• zucchini

The basic spices and seasonings for the cabbage soup recipe are

• garlic
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• cayenne pepper

Some recipes suggest to add a packet of lipton onion soup, but I think it contains too much salt and I prefer to replace it with a little onion powder.

So by now you are wondering how much of each you should use and why I am not giving you quantities. Well ladies you have made soup before, you don't need me to hold your hand to do that.

Go ahead and be creative, use the ingredients that you have underhand, in your fridge or pantry. So what if you don't have any green peppers, you can make the soup without those for this time. You don't need to follow a strict cabbage soup recipe to make a delicious cabbage soup.

Add what you like, omit what you do not like, season it to your taste, there are more than 20 000 recipes for cabbage soup on the net, they all tell you the same thing mine tells you what is basic to it and that you can make it your own.

Is my way compatible with the cabbage soup diet? You bet!

• It is low in calories
• it is low in fat
• it is low in carbs
• it is calories negative
• it is vegetarian

So it meets all the cabbage soup diet recipe requirements and as such after a few days it gets

Get ready to make it dance the flamenco, and tango: let's add coriander, cayenne pepper, oregano, clove, hot peppers, Olé!

For an Indian touch you can add curry, cumin, coriander (my favorite), cardamon, clove, mint, mustard seeds, fennel. Mix or just use one. Be sure to taste once in a while, before adding more.

Mama mia, we can make Italian too: add some basil, coriander, black pepper, vanilla, saffron, laurel, oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme.

Ho la la, we are not finished we can have a cabbage soup recipe as they do in gay Paris, or further south make à la Provencale: add thyme and laurel, rosemary and basil, a touch of lavender, chives, tarragon or chervil.

And if this is not exotic enough, they eat cabbage soup in Morocco: add ginger, saffron, paprika, anise seeds, cumin or marjoram, basil and savory.

We will finish our tour of the world in Thailand where cabbage soup recipes are numerous: they add coconut, coriander, citronella, tamarin, anise seeds, parsley, black pepper and cinnamon.

I hope that now you will consider cabbage soup not only for the great diet that it can be to lose quickly a few pounds but also for the great culinary delight that it can give you and your family.