Instant Pot Cabbage Soup

Instant Pot Cabbage Soup is the perfect low cost one pot dish, made with fresh cabbage, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, and spices, ready in under 30 minutes!

For more hearty soup ideas for the fall and winter, check out this Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Instant Pot Chicken Stew. 

This Instant Pot Cabbage Soup Recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner when the weather is getting colder, but you don’t want anything really heavy. It’s also really cost effective, because cabbage is around 50 cents per pound (give or take), along with some other simple ingredients. 

You can make this spicy with some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, or a few dashes of hot sauce. Or add some protein with ground beef or turkey, or even add other fresh vegetables. I like to top this with green onions for some fresh flavor, too!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Cabbage. I use a regular green cabbage for this recipe because it has a good texture and flavor when cooked. You could also use a savoy cabbage. 

I use either a whole small cabbage, or half of a medium to large cabbage, based on what will fit in the pot.

If you want to cook the rest of the cabbage for later, check out my Instant Pot Cabbage recipe. Or make a double batch and freeze half of it. 

Onion. I’m using a regular yellow onion. You can also use white or a sweet onion like Vidalia for this dish. 

Celery and Carrots. Celery and carrots add some extra veggies and flavor to the soup.

You can also add other fresh vegetables, like green beans or bell peppers. 

Vegetable Broth. I like to use a gluten free vegetable broth. You can also use chicken or beef broth. 

Tomatoes. Use one can of diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes. If you’re making a spicy version, try fire roasted tomatoes. 

Olive Oil. A few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to help cook the onions and add a small amount of fat to the soup. 

You can also substitute butter or avocado oil. 

Spices. The spices here are pretty simple, just a few cloves garlic, thyme, bay leaves, kosher salt, and black pepper. You can also use Italian seasoning. 

How to Make Instant Pot Cabbage Soup

1. Using the saute function of the instant pot, add olive oil, diced medium onion, and celery. Stir for 4-5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Move the onions and celery to one side, and add the minced garlic, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Stir everything together and press the cancel button to turn off the saute function. 
2.  Add all other ingredients to the instant pot, stirring everything together. Lock the lid into place and close the pressure valve. Set the instant pot on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. 
3. The instant pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure, then the 5 minute timer will start the pressure cook. Once completed, let the instant pot do a 10 minute natural release (don’t do anything for this step, it will automatically happen). 
4. Once 10 minutes are up, finish with a quick release of the steam valve and let the rest of the pressure release. Remove the lid and serve, adding any additional salt & pepper to taste. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage

Store this pressure cooker cabbage soup refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Freeze in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a saucepan over medium heat. 

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
• Instant Pot BBQ Ribs

Recipe Variations

• You can also add extra ingredients like white beans, kidney beans, bell pepper, green beans, or any leftover veggies from the night before. Basically, anything that you’d add to a vegetable soup, you can add here.
• For a meat option, cook ground sausage using the saute function with the onions.
• Make an instant pot cabbage soup with potatoes by adding 1/2-inch pieces of gold or red potatoes to the soup.
• Make this recipe in the slow cooker by adding everything to the slow cooker (after softening the onions), and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
• You can also add brown rice or white rice for more carbohydrates.
• For additional spice, use hot green peppers like poblano or jalapeno. Or try using a taco seasoning packet for the main flavor. 
• Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice for a bright flavor.

Cooking Tips

• This is a naturally vegetarian soup, just check the stock you’re using if you want it to be vegan cabbage soup. 
• You can make this recipe with purple cabbage, but everything will turn out purple in color. 
• If you want some additional tomato for more of a rich tomato broth, add some canned tomato sauce (check that it’s gluten free). 
• Make this recipe in a dutch oven by following the same instructions, but let the soup simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

We are a participant in both the RewardStyle and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and through RewardStyle.