This vegan lentil cabbage soup is a breeze to prepare in a pressure cooker or on the stovetop. It's lightly smoky and spicy and includes nutritious lentils, tomatoes, onion, carrot, and perfectly tender (but not too soft) cabbage. This is a healthy and flavorful cabbage soup you'll crave year-round! Gluten-free.
Why We Love This Recipe
The pressure cooker has a way of bringing out the best in vegetable soups. The veggies magically maintain more of their color and are cooked perfectly, without becoming too soft or muddled. This peanut curry lentil soup and classic Instant Pot vegetable soup are great examples.
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If you have an Instant Pot, it's definitely my preferred way to cook this soup. I've also included stovetop instructions for you, just in case.
This cabbage soup recipe makes a large batch, almost 3 quarts, but because it's so light we always go back for seconds... or thirds! In other words, it is a lot of soup but it disappears quickly.
And the flavor only gets better as it sits. You'll love having leftover cabbage soup to look forward to on chilly (and tired) weeknights. Lentils give the soup body and make it more satisfying than plain cabbage soup.
Pair lentil cabbage soup with a slice of buttery Southern-style vegan cornbread or this easy oil-free cornbread. And if you have family members who appreciate meatier vegan dishes (like my hubby), see the Variations section below for ideas to add more protein.
Ingredient Notes
- Cabbage - I used 1 small/medium head of green cabbage; this variety is easy to find in most grocery stores. Incorporate red cabbage, if you like.
- Lentils - Choose green or brown lentils for this soup. Their cook time aligns well with the cabbage and other vegetables.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes - I prefer fire-roasted tomatoes and usually have a can or two in the pantry for recipes like this or our favorite lentil chili. If you don't have fire-roasted, regular is fine, too.
- Spices - We like a bit of smoke and spice in our cabbage soup so I included smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne. Feel free to omit or experiment with the amounts. Regular sweet paprika is also good if you don't have smoked. If you're not sure how spicy you want the soup to be, you can always add sriracha, hot sauce, or cayenne after cooking.
- Bouillon - I always keep a batch of this homemade vegan "chicken" broth powder in the fridge because it's SO GOOD, not to mention healthier and cheaper than most products. Give that recipe a try, or use an equal amount of your favorite vegan bouillon. If it's in a cube form, dissolve it in 1 cup of the water before adding to the pot.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot sauté function, and add the oil. Cook the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently (if not using oil, add a splash of water as needed).
- Add the carrots and garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne, and stir. Press cancel to turn off the sauté function.
- Add the bouillon powder, tomatoes (with the juice), water, lentils, cabbage, salt and pepper. Using a large slotted spoon stir very well, making sure all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Also, make sure everything is below the IP's max fill line.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid and set to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will take almost 20 minutes to come to pressure, then the 10 minute timer will begin. When the Instant Pot beeps and the cook time is complete, carefully press the release valve. It will take 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to release.
- Carefully remove the Instant Pot lid, and stir in the soy sauce or tamari, liquid smoke, vinegar, and vegan butter, if using.
- Let the soup cool for a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
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Stovetop Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
- Add carrot and garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the spices, then add the tomatoes, water, bouillon powder, salt, pepper, lentils, and cabbage. Stir well.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- Add the tamari, vinegar, liquid smoke, and vegan butter, if using.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings.
Related: if you're a fan of healthy-yet-hearty soups and stews, don't miss these favorites: potato stew, creamy mushroom stew, and autumn wild rice soup!
Variations
- Extra Spicy - as written, the spice level of this soup is mild to moderate and easily adjusted with more cayenne and red pepper flakes. Or stir in a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce before serving, and garnish with diced, fresh jalapeno.
- Meaty - Beef and cabbage are a classic combination, so you may enjoy store-bought vegan beefy crumbles, Beyond Meat, or Impossible burger in the soup. I recommend sautéing them separately while the soup is cooking. Stir it into the pot at the end of cooking, or add to individual servings. This is also a great way to accommodate different family members' preferences.
- Soy Curls or Tofu - If you like the idea of more meatiness but don't consume processed vegan meats, add sautéed soy curls, tofu or tempeh to your bowl. And this Vegan Taco Meat (made with ground soy curls) is a must!
- Oil-Free - you may omit the oil and sauté the veggies in water or broth, or simply skip the sautéing altogether. I've also tested this recipe without the initial sauté (just dump everything in, and pressure cook as directed), and it's still great.
Cabbage Soup FAQs
Sautéing the onion, garlic, and spices in oil for a few minutes slightly enhances the flavor, but I've also made this soup using the "dump-and-start" method, and it's still great. So it's up to you!
Kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, cabbage soup is good for up to 5 days.
Absolutely. First, cool the soup completely. Place in a freezer-safe container, leaving at least an inch of space at the top for the liquid to expand. Freeze up to 2 months (maybe longer). Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Two tablespoons of vegan butter added after cooking creates a slightly richer and creamier broth, but this ingredient is optional. You can always give the soup a taste first, then decide whether to add the butter.
I hope you enjoy this comforting lentil cabbage soup. I love hearing from you. If you try the recipe leave a comment below to let us know!
More Vegan Instant Pot Recipes
Recipe
Instant Pot Lentil Cabbage Soup (Vegan)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil, like grapeseed or avocado, optional
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon homemade "chicken" bouillon powder (tap for recipe) - Or 1 serving other vegan bouillon.
- 1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups water
- ¾ cup dry green lentils, rinsed
- 1 small head green cabbage, cored and chopped - I like to cut the cabbage into large bite-size pieces, about 2x2 inches.
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ to 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
To add after cooking:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan butter, optional - I prefer Miyoko's brand.
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Turn on the Instant Pot sauté function, and add the oil. Cook the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently (if not using oil, add a splash of water as needed).
- Add the carrots and garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne, and stir. Press cancel to turn off the sauté function.
- Add the bouillon powder, tomatoes (with the juice), water, lentils, cabbage, salt and pepper. Stir very well, making sure all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Use the spoon to lightly press the cabbage into the liquids, making sure everything is below the Instant Pot's max fill line.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid and set to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. The Instant Pot will take almost 20 minutes to come to pressure, then the 10 minute timer will begin. When the Instant Pot beeps and the cook time is complete, carefully flip the valve to manually release the pressure (this is sometimes called "quick release"). Because of the large volume of liquid this may take about 10 minutes.
- Once the pressure button has dropped, carefully remove the Instant Pot lid. Stir in the soy sauce, liquid smoke, vinegar, and vegan butter, if using.
- Let the soup cool for a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant and translucent. Add carrot and garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne. Immediately add the bouillon powder, tomatoes (with the juice), water, lentils, cabbage, salt and pepper.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- Add the tamari, vinegar, liquid smoke, and vegan butter, if using. Let cool for a few minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings.
Notes
- Oil-Free - you may omit the oil and sauté the veggies in water or broth, or simply skip the sautéing altogether. I've tested this recipe without the initial sauté (just dump everything in, and pressure cook as directed), and it's still great.
- Extra Spicy - the spice level of this soup is mild to moderate but easily adjusted with more cayenne and red pepper flakes. Or stir in a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce before serving, and garnish with fresh jalapeno.
- Meaty - try vegan beefy crumbles, Beyond Meat, or Impossible burger in the soup. I recommend sautéing them separately while the soup is cooking. Stir it into the pot at the end of cooking, or add to individual servings. This is also a great way to accommodate different family members' preferences.
- Soy Curls or Tofu - If you like the idea of more meatiness but don't consume processed vegan meats, add sautéed soy curls, tofu, or tempeh to your bowl.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Marilyn
The soup is really good as written, but I kept wishing I had added a couple potatoes.
Cathy Riordan
Really tasty! I used the amount of water stated, but found it a bit more like a stew, so next time I’ll add another cup of water.
Joe
delicious!! I used a sprinkle of panch phoron, smoky paprika, added a few green beans. Wonderful lentil cabbage stew! Thanks!
Carol Bradstreet
I made this yesterday as I had some cabbage that needed to be used. It was delicious! I'm not one to like dishes that are overly spicy, but this was just right-- a little bit of kick without being overwhelming. I will definitely be making this again.
MaryB
This looks delicious. I am going to try...just want to clarify - you do manual pressure release after the time is up? Just asking because I thought naturally releasing the pressure would take 10-15 min (which is mentioned in the recipe), but I thought manually releasing the pressure is much faster. Just wanted to double check. I am still getting used to Instant Pot cooking. Thank you.
Lori
Hi Mary, yes, manually release the pressure. In my experience it takes a surprisingly long time for the pressure to come down with soups and recipes with a lot of liquid volume. Hope you enjoy it!
Janell
Made this for dinner tonight. Husband is going back for his second helping. It is marvelous just as written. Hubby did heat up leftover rice and put it on the bottom of his bowl which he normally does with soups. The flavors are wonderful and I’ll be making it often this winter.
Lianne
I made a variation of this soup tonight. It was very delicious! I had some precooked lentils left over from making casseroles and soup last week. It was just the right amount. I omitted the cayenne and crushed red pepper flakes as I didn't feel like spicy tonight. I did use the smoked paprika. I omitted the oil and the vegan butter. I only had 1/3 of a very dense small cabbage, but I decided that was enough. Otherwise I made it just like the recipe, stovetop version. I added the lentils about halfway through the cooking of the vegetables, since they were precooked. It was very tasty! I'll be making this again and again. I loved the smoky taste created by the roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, white wine vinegar, and liquid smoke.
Shaundi
Wonderful soup!!! I made it tonight for the second time this month! Comes together very easily.
Berneda
Is there a stove version? Thanks!
Lori
Yes, the stovetop instructions are underneath the IP instructions in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Cary
I've made this soup almost every week for the last 2 months!! I decided to eat plant based starting 5 months ago. My gram was Ukranian - she used to make cabbage, bacon, onion, vinegar, brown sugar, polish sausage soup that we would eat with raw onion sandwiches - I loved dunking my sandwich into that broth when I was younger. This soup reminds me of her soup so much with the vinegar and carrots as a sweetener, and the liquid smoke/lentils replacing the bacon. I add more vinegar to my own bowl and think of my Gram with every bite! Comfort food! My fam may be getting tired of this soup-I will tell them to make themselves a peanut butter sandwich, LOL!! Thank you so much!!!!
Lori
Cary, this is the best review ever. I'm SO glad you love it. Thank you for taking a moment to share with us! 😀
Annie Wu
Would 10 minutes on high pressure too long? I thought lentils usually cook in 5 minutes under high pressure on the instant pot.
Lori
Hi Annie,
I typically cook red lentils for 5 minutes, but standard cook time for green or brown lentils in the Instant Pot is 8 to 10 minutes. I found 10 minutes to be just right for getting both the lentils and cabbage done.
Flora Mukavec
I made this tonight. I left out the cayenne (don’t like spicy) and carrots (was out). It was pretty tasty. This one is going in the rotation. Thank you.
Kelly
Just made this tonight and it was a perfect pot of soup for cool autumn day!!! I kicked up the cayenne to 3/4 tsp because I like things spicy and it really hit the spot! I was a bit unsure about the pressure release - is it a completely natural release, or do you vent it as soon as the 9 minutes of pressure cooking are up? (I ended up letting it naturally release for 8-9 minutes and then I vented the remainder and it turned out delicious, but next time I just want to make sure I do it exactly as you intended). Thank you so much - this will go into my recipe rotation for sure!
Lori
So glad you loved it, Kelly!
Also, thanks for reminding me to update my wording about the pressure release. I normally use the actual words "quick release" and realized after I published the recipe that I didn't describe it that way. That is what I meant, though (just updated the recipe). Feels strange calling it "quick" release since this one is anything but quick. haha
Thanks so much for the feedback!
David
You say "When the Instant Pot beeps and the cook time is complete, carefully press the valve to "quick release" the pressure, which will take 10 to 15 minutes." Sorry, but still confused. If I "quick release" there is no way this would take 10-15 minutes to release its pressure, would it? Am I missing something here. I have everything loaded in my pot atm. Sorry if I'm being dense here.
Lori
Hi David,
Yes, it really does take that long because of the large volume. "Quick release" in Instant Pot lingo basically just means manually initiate the pressure release instead of allowing it to happen naturally.