Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup [Video]

Instant pot cabbage roll soup is 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 do not have all that extra time and patience to prepare, roll, and bake them, this recipe is for you! What makes it even more heartwarming is that you can dip some breadsticks or freshly baked bread in for extra deliciousness

Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup is the perfect comfort food. If you are a fan of stuffed cabbage rolls, you will love this recipe. It packs all the flavors and textures you usually find in a ground beef stuffed cabbage roll, except its 10 times easier to make, and not at all time-consuming.

Soups usually take hours to make on the stove and fill the house with steamy heat, which is no fun during the summer. Sure, it makes your home smell fantastic, but it is not great when you want a bowl of something hearty quickly without all that humidity in the house. With this easy recipe, it cooks in 10 minutes with absolutely no stirring or watching the pot. So, you can go out and sit by the pool with the kids for a few minutes and then come into a nice lunch or dinner all ready for you.

I learned about this dish when my team visited Krakow in Poland a while ago. Since we all loved cabbage rolls, we decided to try the soup, and it was really good. However, I felt like I could make it better. I added bacon, some diced onions, tomato paste, carrots, and Italian seasoning. The team and I all agreed that my recipe (after quite a few tries to get the amounts right) was so much better.

After getting the recipe right, I served it to my family, who also enjoyed it. I also enjoyed making it in less than 30 minutes and keeping the house cool in the process. It was perfect on top of my fast and easy instant pot basmati rice. No matter how you serve it, you will love it, I promise!

Why you will love this recipe

• You can make it fast: A hearty meal in minutes? You can do it with this recipe!
• Easy peasy: Just a few steps and a handful of ingredients.
• Versatile: You can change this recipe to make it your own in many ways.
• The kids love it, too. Even if they do not like cabbage rolls, they love this soup.

What you’ll need to make instant pot cabbage roll soup

Special items:

• Instant Pot – I use an Instant Pot Duo Plus.
• Wooden spoon – For stirring and scraping.

Ingredients:

• Bacon – I prefer maple bacon, sliced thick and chopped into one-inch pieces.
• Ground beef – Use lean beef, about 80/20 or 85/15, so you do not get so much grease.
• Onion – A yellow sweet onion is what I use for the best flavor.
• Garlic – Freshly mince your garlic for the best taste.
• Tomatoes – Diced or crushed tomatoes in the can. I use San Marzano canned tomatoes. 
• Tomato sauce – The same with sauce. San Marzano.
• Tomato paste – Once again, if I can find San Marzano, I use them. If not, I use Hunt’s or Del Monte.
• Carrots – Wash, peel, and grate one large carrot to get two cups.
• Cabbage – You will need three cups. I use Napa or Savoy cabbage.
• Thyme – Like cloves, thyme tastes woodsy, peppery, and sweet.
• Oregano – The scent reminds you of pizza or spaghetti, but the taste is sweet and spicy.
• Italian seasoning – For a fresh taste, try my easy homemade Italian seasoning recipe with sage, rosemary, parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, and marjoram. 
• Broth – I use low-sodium organic beef broth.
• Salt – I recommend kosher salt for a refreshing, clean taste with no additives.
• Pepper – Freshly grind your black pepper for an incredible tongue-tingling taste.
• Parsley – Chopped fresh parsley for a refreshing, peppery, grassy taste.
• Cooked rice – To serve the soup, I use basmati rice, but you can use cauliflower rice with a low-carb diet.

How to make instant pot cabbage roll soup?

1. Cook the bacon: Set the pot to the sauté setting. When it is hot, add the bacon, and do not move it for one minute. Then, stir it frequently for a few minutes until it is crispy. Remove the bacon and drain the grease. Wipe the edges of the pot and return it to the base. 
2. Cook the ground beef: Now, add beef to the other side of the pot and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook and stir frequently for a few minutes until it is no longer pink. Then, drain the grease and wipe the edge again before returning it to the base.
3. Saute the veggies: After, add the garlic and onion and cook for one minute, stirring occasionally. Then, 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 it.
4. Cook the soup: Last, close the lid and lock it. Set the vent to seal and cook for 10 minutes on high pressure. After the time is up, let it release steam naturally for 10 minutes before doing a fast release. Season with salt and pepper before serving with rice and parsley.

Expert tip

The BURN warning

If you have never seen the BURN notice on your Instant Pot, either you are new to using it or you are very lucky. Or maybe you already know all about deglazing. Deglazing your Instant Pot is one of the most important skills to know when you are using it, especially if you are using the sauté function. If you do not scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot after using it, your pot may just quit working in the middle of the cooking cycle.

This dreaded BURN warning is a failsafe designed to protect you in case your pot overheats. If something is burning in the pot, it will automatically shut off until you fix the problem. Even if there is nothing burning but the sensor detects a high amount of heat in one spot, it will shut off and say BURN on the front. This is when you need to check the liner, the valve, the ring, and the valve to ensure they are all okay.

If the pot is all in good working condition, you may not have deglazed it. It is easy to do. 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.

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 or side dish.

• Serve with a side of any bread or rolls to dip in this delicious soup.
• If you are on a low-carb diet, serve this with cauliflower rice instead of regular.
• This dish would also be perfect with a salad, such as crunchy cucumber salad, green leaf, or potato salad.
• For a nice adult beverage that would pair well with cabbage roll soup, try my beermosa cocktail recipe. It is perfect and easy with just two ingredients – beer and orange juice!
• Another great cabbage dish that would pair well with this soup is air-fried cabbage steaks. They are simple and quick, too.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the SOUP setting on the instant pot take?

Most instant pot soup functions have an automatic timer of 30 minutes with a high setting. If you press the button twice, you can change it to LESS mode for 20 minutes at high pressure 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 so that you can use it regularly.

What do I do if the pot says BURN on it?

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 the 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.

Why is my cabbage so chewy?

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 your cabbage is overcooked instead. The type of cabbage you use may also be the problem. Be sure to use a more tender cabbage like Napa, Savoy, or Bok Choy.

What happens if I overfill my instant pot?

That line on the instant pot to keep you from overfilling it is there for several reasons. First, it helps build up the right amount of pressure inside the pot. Too much liquid can impede the pressure, leading to undercooked meat and vegetables. Also, overfilling the pot can clog up the vent, making it difficult to release steam when it is done cooking. Lastly, too much liquid in the pot may cause it to overflow, making a mess.

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 fully heated. 

More delicious Instant Pot soup recipes:

Recipe tips:

• You do not need the SOUP setting for this soup recipe. But you may need it for other recipes.
• 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.
• Always deglaze your pot to prevent a BURN notice.
• If you get a BURN notice, check out your pot before starting over.