Instant Pot white bean, cabbage and tomato soup is a simple but richly flavorful Instant Pot soup made from a few simple ingredients.
This simple and flavorful soup was borne out of necessity when I was stuck at home with a sick kid and couldn’t get to the grocery store. I looked in the refrigerator and saw half a head of green cabbage, onion, garlic and carrots. I checked the pantry and found a can of white beans and a can of diced tomatoes. These meager ingredients really can make a pot of flavorful soup, especially when thrown into an Instant Pot.
Before I launch into a brief ode to pressure cooking, let me first say this: Contrary to what half the internet will tell you, the Instant Pot isn't going to change your life. It can, however, be a helpful piece of the what's-for-dinner puzzle we're all trying to solve.
If you haven't regularly started using your Instant Pot yet, don't be too hard on yourself. I develop recipes for a living and still, it took me an embarrassingly long time to even take the Instant Pot out of its box.
I get it. When you're a busy parent, it's hard to set aside time and muster the mental energy that's needed to learn something new. Even if you know it might make your life easier in the long run. An Instant Pot has a learning curve and - correct me if I'm wrong here - you don't have time for a learning curve. You need to get dinner on the table now.
This simple Instant Pot recipe for white bean, cabbage and tomato soup will get dinner on the table tonight, guaranteed. It's an easy recipe for Instant Pot beginners. If you already use your Instant Pot regularly, this is a good recipe to add to your rotation of easy, healthy dinners.
Over the course of this year, as I've started cooking regularly with an Instant Pot, a pattern of use has emerged in my kitchen. I use the Instant Pot a lot to cook individual ingredients (like rice, potatoes, beans and beets). I also use it a lot for soup, because soup is one of the things that an Instant Pot does best.
I grew up with a mom who used a pressure cooker regularly. Mostly, to cook soup. My mom has a big stove-top pressure cooker that makes a loud chug-chug-chug sound as it cooks, as if a steam train is running through the kitchen. The sound of that pressure cooker chugging along in my mom's kitchen always means that there will be soup for dinner.
After years of simmering soup on my stove-top that was never quite as good as my mom's, I realized that the pressure cooker was her secret weapon. In a short amount of time a pressure cooker concentrates the flavor of whatever you throw in the pot. That's why you can combine simple ingredients and end up with really flavorful soup in less than an hour.
Like most soups, this one improves after a day so leftovers are something to look forward to. I always serve a simple soup like this with crackers for dipping and a chunk of good Cheddar cheese.
Easy Meal Prep
- This soup can be eaten immediately, but if often tastes better and has a richer texture over the next two days.
- The cooled soup can be frozen in a Ziploc freezer bag. You can freeze a large quantity in a gallon bag or smaller individual portions in sandwich-sized bags (perfect for lunch).
- To defrost frozen soup, put it in the refrigerator overnight then heat gently in a saucepan. To quickly defrost the soup, briefly run cool water over the Ziploc bag until the frozen soup can be dumped into a saucepan.
More Simple Soup Recipes - Stove-top Vegetable Soup
- Red Lentil Soup with Crispy Parmesan Chickpeas
Instant Pot White Bean, Cabbage & Tomato Soup
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5 minutes, plus 15 minutes to come up to pressure
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
I like to serve this simple but delicious Instant Pot White Bean, Cabbage & Tomato Soup with a hunk of good Cheddar cheese and crackers to dip in the soup.
This soup can be eaten immediately, but often tastes better and has a richer texture over the next two days.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with your palm
3 carrots, cut into ½-inch rounds or half moons
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (I prefer petite cut if you can find it)
6 cups water
A small hunk of green cabbage, thinly sliced, or 2 heaping cups pre-shredded cabbage
1 or 2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained (if you really like beans, add two cans)
2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
4 sprigs parsley, plus more for garnish
Instructions
Put the oil, onion, carrot and garlic in the Instant Pot. Press the saute function on the Instant Pot, then adjust the heat by pressing the “adjust” button until the red light is under “normal.” Saute until onions are soft and lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add tomatoes, water, cabbage, white beans, salt and parsley. Stir well then lock the lid on the Instant Pot.
Make sure the release valve is set on “sealing.” Press “cancel” to stop the saute function then press the Manual button to program the Instant Pot to cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come up to full pressure before it starts cooking for 5 minutes.
When the cooking time is done the Instant Pot screen will read L0:00, then start counting up. Just let the Instant Pot release steam naturally if you have the time - this will take about 20 minutes. Otherwise, move the release valve to “venting” and wait until all of the steam has released before removing the lid.
Stir the soup. Add more salt if needed. I usually end up adding another ½ teaspoon. Add chopped fresh parsley to the soup before eating.
Notes
The cooled soup can be frozen in a ziploc freezer bag. You can freeze a large quantity in a gallon bag or smaller individual portions in sandwich-sized bags (perfect for lunch).
To defrost frozen soup, put it in the refrigerator overnight then heat gently in a saucepan. To quickly defrost the soup, briefly run cool water over the Ziploc bag until the frozen soup can be dumped into a saucepan.
- Category: soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: soup, Instant Pot soup, Instant Pot, vegan soup, vegetarian soup
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