Name: Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef; 1 medium onion, diced; 3 cloves crushed garlic; 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika; 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves; 5 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage, may substitute 5 cups bagged coleslaw; 6 cups strong beef broth; 28 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes; 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice (may substitute long grain brown rice); 2 Tbs. brown sugar; 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce; 1 bay leaf; sour cream sprinkled with a bit of dried dill weed, as a topping (if desired)

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Here’s a delicious and soul-satisfying soup for anybody who loves to eat cabbage rolls but just doesn’t have time to make them. Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup (sometimes called stuffed cabbage soup) is loaded with ground beef, tender cabbage, rice, tomatoes, and fragrant spices.

Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe

Instant Pot Cabbage Roll soup in a white bowl with a spoon.

Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’…. Shall We?? 🙂

I have to say that I wasn’t super keen on making cabbage roll soup. Maybe that’s because I really didn’t grow up eating a lot of cabbage (or soup for that matter) so it’s not exactly something I gravitate to where my taste buds are concerned.

But after the fifth person (yes, 5 people!) within just a few weeks of each other told me how much they loved cabbage roll soup, I decided to give it a try, however reluctantly.

Boy, did I get a surprise – cabbage roll soup IS fantastic!!

What to love about this easy Instant Pot soup recipe –

This soup is healthy and very flavorful. Make it low-carb by eliminating the rice, if you’d like.
It’s a great way to enjoy the flavors of cabbage rolls without all the work of rolling them one-by-one.
It’s ready in minutes, but tastes like it has simmered all day.

A big white bowl loaded with hot Cabbage Roll Soup.

What you’ll learn from this recipe –

How to make this a vegetarian soup, if preferred
Why this is a good soup for using ground deer meat (venison)
Adding the spices at the beginning of the recipe (along with the ground beef) makes them especially flavorful
Why this isn’t a great soup to freeze

Here are the ingredients you need to make stuffed cabbage soup –

Lean ground beef
Onions
Garlic
Cabbage
Beef broth
Crushed or diced tomatoes
Long grain rice
Brown sugar
Worcestershire sauce
Spices: smoked paprika, dried oregano leaves, bay leaf
Sour cream and dried dill weed, as toppings, if desired

How to make Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup in 5 fast steps –

**Full, printable recipe card below – just scroll on down within this post to find it!

Using the saute setting on the Instant Pot, preheat the pot. When the pot is nicely hot, add the ground beef, garlic, onions, paprika, and oregano, crumbling the beef as it cooks, cooking until the onions are translucent, approx. 6-8 minutes; turn off the Instant Pot. (FYI – the ground beef doesn’t have to be fully cooked at this point!)
Add the remaining soup ingredients (except the sour cream and dried dill that can be used as a topping when the soup is served), stirring to combine.
Lock the Instant Pot lid into place; choose the high pressure setting and set the timer for 15 minutes, bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure. (Make sure the valve is set to the sealing position.)
When the timer sounds, perform a quick release to immediately remove all the pressure from the Instant Pot. Carefully remove the Instant Pot lid to open; give the soup a gently stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve the soup topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dried dill, if desired.

Piping hot Cabbage Roll Soup ready for supper.

Answers to Common Questions Asked About This Recipe

Which tools are helpful for making cabbage roll soup?

6-Quart Instant Pot – I also really like using the Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker
Silicone spatula spoons – great for stirring
Chef’s knife – a good quality (sharp) knife makes it very easy to slice any and all vegetables
Wooden cutting board – you need one that’s good sized for all your chopping/slicing needs
Ladle – for serving, or use these long-handled measuring cups

Is cabbage roll soup a healthy soup?

Yes!! Using lean ground beef adds great protein to this hearty soup that also includes lots of great vegetables, broth, and rice to make it satisfying.

Definitely.

Is cabbage roll soup the same thing as stuffed cabbage soup and unstuffed cabbage soup?

It is. There are a variety of names for this cabbage soup, and they are all very similar in ingredients, consistency, and flavor.

Can this soup be made using ground chicken or ground turkey instead of ground beef?

Definitely. Nearly any type of ground meat is delicious in this soup, when replacing the ground beef. Try ground chicken, turkey, or bison.

Would this be a good soup for ground deer meat (venison)?

Yes. Sometimes ground deer meat can be a tad “gamey” in flavor which some folks may not especially prefer. If that’s the case for you, this is a good soup for venison since it’s very flavorful and incorporates smoked paprika and oregano, along with onions and garlic.

If I want to make this soup vegetarian by leaving out the ground beef, will it still be delicious?

Totally and completely. You will also need to substitute vegetable broth for the beef broth to make it vegetarian.

How do I slice the cabbage for this soup?

Cut the head of cabbage in half, slicing through the stem ends.
Lay one half cut-side down on your cutting board, turning it so that the stem-ends of the cabbage half are at the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions.
Using a sharp knife (I use my trusty 8-inch Chef’s knife), slice down through the cabbage, cutting off the stem end (at the 3 o’clock area); discard.
Now, proceed to slice across the cabbage (from right to left, if you are right handed), making 1/2-inch wide strips. Next, cut the strips in half lengthwise so they will more easily fit onto a spoon, making the soup a bit easier to eat.
To measure, lightly pack the cut cabbage pieces into the measuring spoon.

Is stuffed cabbage soup low carb?

If you leave out the rice, this would be considered a low carb soup, absolutely.

Can you freeze cabbage soups?

Technically, you can freeze this soup. However, I have to say that the consistency does change once it’s been frozen and it seems to be pretty “mushy” in texture. I find it best to eat this soup right when it’s prepared.

Can I cut this recipe in half?

Yep. And because you are making half as much, I’d reduce the cooking time in the Instant Pot by a couple of minutes.

Favorite bread recipes to enjoy with cabbage soup –

And here’s a couple more cabbage recipes you might like to try –

Cabbage Roll Soup with ground beef, tomatoes, and cabbage in a savory broth.

Hungry for more Instant Pot soups? Click here!

Printable Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe

Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup

Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup (sometimes called stuffed cabbage soup) is a filling and soul-satisfying soup that's loaded with ground beef, tender cabbage, rice, tomatoes, and fragrant spices.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Approx. Time Needed for Instant Pot to Pressurize: 20 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
5 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage, may substitute 5 cups bagged coleslaw
6 cups strong beef broth
28 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice may substitute long grain brown rice
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
sour cream sprinkled with a bit of dried dill weed, as a topping if desired

Instructions

Using the sauté setting, preheat the Instant Pot (or any brand of electric pressure cooker).
When the pot is nicely hot, add the ground beef, garlic, onions, paprika, and oregano, crumbling the beef as it cooks; cook for 6-8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Turn off the Instant Pot.
**FYI – the ground beef doesn't need to be fully cooked at this point.
Add the remaining soup ingredients (except the sour cream and dried dill that can be added as a topping to serve), stirring to combine.
Lock the Instant Pot lid into place; choose the high pressure setting and set the timer for 15 minutes, bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure. (Make sure the valve is set to the sealing position.)
When the timer sounds, perform a quick release to immediately remove all pressure from the Instant Pot.
Carefully unlock the lid and open the Instant Pot, giving the soup a gentle stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve the soup topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dried dill, if desired.

Notes

Be sure to check the blog post for tips and tricks, specific instructions, good tools, and FAQ’s on making this hearty soup.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cabbage, cabbage roll, easy, ground beef, hearty soup, instant pot, soups, stuffed cabbage

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Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli

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