Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup
Instant pot cabbage roll soup is my first choice when I need a quick and easy way to make comfort food in just 30 minutes. It tastes delicious and is full of vegetables, beef, and bacon. If you love cabbage rolls but lack the time and patience to prepare them, this recipe is for you!
If you are a fan of stuffed cabbage rolls, you will love this recipe. It packs all the cozy and familiar flavors and textures you usually find in a ground beef stuffed cabbage roll, except it’s 10 times easier to make, and not at all time-consuming. I like to serve mine with a spoonful of rice, a dollop of sour cream, and chopped fresh parsley.
Table of contents
Soups usually take hours to make on the stove and fill the house with steamy heat, which is no fun during the summer. This easy recipe cooks in just 10 minutes with no stirring or watching the pot. So, I usually go out and sit by the pool with the kids for a few minutes and then come in for a nice lunch or dinner, all ready! Either it’s hot or cold, our site, this meal is always a favorite here, with its nostalgic and comforting flavors. I also use this recipe for meal prep, since making the soup is so easy, I usually cook a double batch and freeze the leftovers for later.
Why you will love this recipe
- Effortless: A hearty meal in minutes? You can do it with this recipe! I love how all the flavors meld together during pressure cooking, and the soup tastes like it has been slowly cooked for hours.
- Meal-plan: This is the ideal recipe to make ahead. The soup is even better the next day, and it’s also a great freezer meal.
- Versatile: You can change this recipe to make it your own in many ways, add the veggies that you like, skip the bacon if you have to, or use lean ground chicken to cut on fat.
- Crowd-pleaser: Everyone who loves cabbage rolls loves this soup; it’s always a dinner favorite when I serve it.
What you will need
- Meat – I prefer maple bacon, sliced thick and chopped into one-inch pieces, and I use lean beef, about 80/20 or 85/15, to minimize grease.
- Aromatics – Yellow sweet onion and freshly minced garlic are classics that I never skip.
- Veggies, herbs, and seasonings – I use a soft cabbage like Napa or Savoy, and one large carrot. For a fresh taste, I add my easy homemade Italian seasoning blend, dried thyme for a woodsy flavor, dried oregano, plus salt and pepper.
- Broth – I use low-sodium organic beef broth that I elevate by adding diced San Marzano canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and paste.
- For serving – I sprinkle chopped fresh parsley for a refreshing, peppery, grassy taste and a scoop of cooked rice.
How to make
Cook the bacon: I set the pot to the sauté setting. When it is hot, I add the bacon and let it sit for a minute without moving. Then, I stir it frequently for a few minutes until it is crispy, transfer it to a plate, and drain the grease. After wiping the edges of the pot, I return it to the base.
Cook the ground beef: Next, I add the meat to the pot and break it up with a wooden spoon, stirring frequently for a few minutes until it is no longer pink. Then, I drain the grease and wipe the edge again before returning it to the base.
Aromatics: After, I add the garlic and onion and cook for one minute, stirring occasionally.
Deglaze: Then, I add the rest of the ingredients and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any brown bits. Ensure you do not go over your fill line as you add the ingredients and stir them.
Cook the soup: Last, I close the lid and lock it. Set the vent to seal and cook for 10 minutes on high pressure. After the time is up, I let it release steam naturally for 10 minutes before doing a fast release—season with salt and pepper. I enjoy serving the soup with rice and parsley.
Expert tip
Avoiding the BURN warning
If you have never seen the BURN notice on your Instant Pot, you are fortunate. Deglazing the Instant Pot is one of the most essential skills to know when using it, especially if you are using the sauté function. If you don’t scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot after use, it may stop working in the middle of the cooking cycle. After you use the sauté feature, add some liquid, such as broth or water, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula. Then, add the remaining ingredients to the pot and continue cooking as usual.
More tips to consider
- Do not overfill the pot, or it could have trouble pressurizing or venting. Or it may overflow.
- Use a soft cabbage like Napa, Savoy, or Bok Choy.
- Continuously scrape the pot to prevent a BURN notice.
- Sauté the beef; it locks in moisture and adds more flavor.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Low-carb soup: Instead of regular rice, use cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option.
- Vegetarian soup: You could also make vegetarian soup by using vegetable stock or broth and no ground beef or bacon.
- Add beans: To make your vegetarian soup more filling, add two cans of your favorite beans, such as black, pinto, or kidney beans.
- Other veggies: In fact, add more veggies that you like, such as corn, peas, celery, bell peppers, chili peppers, and mushrooms.
- More herbs and spices: In addition, use your favorite herbs and spices, such as basil, rosemary, parsley, and sage.
- Spicy soup: Give your cabbage soup a spicy kick with chopped poblano peppers or red pepper flakes.
Serving suggestions:
Instant pot cabbage roll soup is hearty enough to be a main entrée, but it can also be a first course. Anytime I serve soup, I also have some bread on the side, and this Amish fluffy white bread is the ideal choice. Also, I like to add perfectly cooked white rice to this soup and freshly chopped parsley. If you are on a low-carb diet, serve this with cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.
If serving the soup as an appetizer, I usually make a lighter dinner such as shrimp rolls, crispy air-fried fish, or honey garlic shrimp. For dessert, I enjoy something no-bake and effortless, but still very delicious, like these Dubai chocolate cups or Magonolia Bakery banana pudding.
How to store leftovers:
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
- Freezing: If you have a lot of leftovers, store them in individual freezer-safe containers so you can take out as much as you need when you need it.
- Defrost: Thaw overnight in your refrigerator for the best flavor.
- Reheating: You can reheat it in a saucepan for one to two minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Frequently asked questions
Most Instant Pot soup functions have an automatic timer of 30 minutes with a high setting. If you press the button twice, you can switch to LESS mode for 20 minutes at high pressure, ideal for soups without meat. Press it three times for soups that need a long time to cook, and you will get the MORE mode. With this setting, you get four hours at high pressure. Interestingly, this recipe only takes 10 minutes to cook, making it a convenient option for regular use.
If you see BURN on the front of your Instant Pot, first, make sure nothing is stuck between the pot and the base. If there is something in between, wait for the base to cool, remove the errant piece of food, clean the base and pot, and start over. Then, check if the silicone ring is clean and in place.
After that, check to ensure the floating valve is clean and moving freely. If not, clean it until it is. Finally, check your steam release switch. It should be in a closed setting. If all that is correct, it must be that your food is scorched. Pour that into a bowl and scrape the bottom of the pot. Then, try again.
It should not be undercooked since you cooked it in the Instant Pot. However, it is possible. Check the rest of the ingredients. If they are cooked properly, that is probably not the issue. It is more likely that the cabbage is overcooked instead. The type of cabbage you use may also be an issue. Be sure to use a more tender cabbage like Napa, Savoy, or Bok Choy.
More delicious Instant Pot soup recipes:
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Easy Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup
Ingredients
- 12 bacon slices chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pound ground beef chicken or turkey
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 can 15oz crushed or diced tomatoes
- 1 can 8oz tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups grated carrots about 1 large carrot
- 3 cups chopped cabbage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper or to taste
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth or chicken broth
Garnish:
- 1 cup cooked rice
- Fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Cook Beef & Bacon:
- Select Sauté, and once the Instant Pot reads Hot, add the chopped bacon. DO NOT move for about 1 minute.
- Using a wooden spoon, start stirring frequently for a few minutes until the bacon is nice and crispy.
- Carefully remove the pot and drain the grease. Wipe the edges and return the pot to the Instant Pot, pushing the bacon to one side of the pot. You can also remove it and set it aside to stir into the soup when done.
- Add the ground beef to the other side of the pot. Using a wooden spoon, break the meat and cook, stirring frequently, for a few minutes until no longer pink.
- Carefully remove the pot from the IP and discard excess grease. Wipe the edges and return the pot with beef to the Instant Pot.
Adding the rest of the ingredients:
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Once you add the broth, make sure you don't go over the max line of your pot.
Cook:
- Close the IP with the lid and lock it. Turn the steam release vent to 'sealing' and set it to cook for 10 minutes on High Pressure.
- Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure decrease naturally without opening the steam release vent for 10 minutes. This process is known as Natural Pressure Release. After 10 minutes, carefully release any remaining pressure by opening the vent.
- Open the lid and stir the soup. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Once you add the soup to individual bowls, top with cooked rice and sprinkle chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Video
Notes
Avoiding the BURN warning
If you have never seen the BURN notice on your Instant Pot, you are fortunate. Deglazing the Instant Pot is one of the most essential skills to know when using it, especially if you are using the sauté function. If you don’t scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot after use, it may stop working in the middle of the cooking cycle. After you use the sauté feature, add some liquid, such as broth or water, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula. Then, add the remaining ingredients to the pot and continue cooking as usual.More tips to consider
- Do not overfill the pot, or it could have trouble pressurizing or venting. Or it may overflow.
- Use a soft cabbage like Napa, Savoy, or Bok Choy.
- Continuously scrape the pot to prevent a BURN notice.
- Sauté the beef; it locks in moisture and adds more flavor.