Vegan Instant Pot Lentil and Cabbage Soup

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An easy, budget-friendly lentil and cabbage soup made in the Instant Pot. Made with everyday, affordable ingredients you might already have in your pantry, this is a hearty and easy soup that’s perfect for meal prep and easy, quick dinners.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 50 minutes
Total 1 hour 5 minutes
4.9 from 74 votes

I recently shared three Budget-Friendly Easy Vegan Instant Pot recipes over on Youtube, and one of them is for a Vegan Instant Pot Lentil Cabbage Soup.

I love making lentil soups and stews. They are one of the easiest recipes to make in the Instant Pot and usually affordable. As with most of my dried ingredients, I usually purchase lentils in bulk to save money. And I use a ton of cabbage in this recipe because cabbage is one of the cheapest vegetables per pound you can find! Plus, it’s rich in nutrients and fiber, which helps you stay full.

I use standard green lentils in this recipe to save money, but if you have a bit more room in your budget, you can also you use French green lentils. They tend to hold their shape more under pressure cooking so you’ll have more distinct pieces of lentils, as in this recipe.

Another money-saving trick is to use a vegetable bouillon cube instead of buying vegetable broth. Of course, if you make homemade vegetable broth using veggie scraps and water, that’s your best option from a taste and affordability perspective! But for those of you who don’t have homemade broth on hand, using a vegetable bouillon cube with water instead of using vegetable broth can save you a couple dollars.

I love making this soup on Sunday and eat leftovers throughout the week. It’s especially delicious paired with some whole grain bread or a baguette!

Watch! How to make Instant Pot Lentil and Cabbage Soup

EASY VEGAN INSTANT POT RECIPES (Budget-Friendly)
EASY VEGAN INSTANT POT RECIPES (Budget-Friendly)

And if you want more than 90 incredible vegan Instant Pot recipes, be sure to order my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook!

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Vegan Instant Pot Lentil and Cabbage Soup

4.9 from 74 votes
An easy, budget-friendly lentil and cabbage soup made in the Instant Pot. Made with everyday, affordable ingredients you might already have in your pantry, this is a hearty and easy soup that’s perfect for meal prep and easy, quick dinners.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Diet Vegan
Serving size: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral cooking oil of choice
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 1 head green cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly sliced or chopped
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube (can use 2 for more flavor)
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • For serving: whole grain bread or baguette

Instructions

  • Crush the canned whole tomatoes by hand into a bowl.
  • Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and let the pot heat up for a few minutes before adding the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is browned and completely soft, about 6 minutes.
  • Add the carrots, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Cook until the carrots are just starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the lentils, cabbage, water, vegetable bouillon cube, remaining salt, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, pressing the cabbage down with a long spoon to ensure everything is below the Instant Pot’s maximum capacity line. Select the Cancel setting.
  • Pour the crushed tomatoes on top and stir to combine.
  • Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure and set the cook time to 10 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release.
  • Open the pot and stir in the vinegar and taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with bread.

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1706mg | Potassium: 1425mg | Fiber: 24g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 8122IU | Vitamin C: 109mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 7mg

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98 comments on Vegan Instant Pot Lentil and Cabbage Soup

  1. Kim

    5 stars
    So tasty and easy! I used carrot and celery since I didn’t have enough carrot. Added a bit of smoked paprika too-really delicious soup.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for sharing your experience, Kim!

  2. Kathryn Morden

    Think red cabbage would work here? I bought some to make the cabbage / tart cherry recipe in your book, but am going to have a lot
    Of it leftover as they only had really large heads

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Kathryn! I think red cabbage would work but it may make the soup a weird color. For future reference, usually at the grocery store you can ask the clerk to cut the head of cabbage in half or quarters for you!

  3. Fiona

    5 stars
    I made this soup and added some fresh rosemary and lemon-thyme while roasting the onions :)
    I also made it on the stovetop, soaked the lentils for around 30mins before cooking (for easier digestion) and let it simmer for about 45mins on very low heat. Absolutely delicious with some fresh homemade sourdough!

  4. Paul Y.

    5 stars
    Made this on the stove but was still amazing and super easy, it just took a bit longer.

  5. Lynn

    5 stars
    Oh this is delicious!! Now, of course I knew it would be, but when my husband says “I don’t want to wait for dinner, can I have it for lunch” :) you know its good!

  6. Bettina

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe, it reminds me of a Southern German lentil dish (normally without the cabbage, but the cabbage here was a great addition of course), which I haven’t had in a long time, so this was a wonderful surprise!

  7. Kelley

    5 stars
    Another successful vegan dish learned from you that was absolutely loved by me and the family. thank you!

  8. Marilyn Garneau

    Can the soup cycle on my instant pot be used? *

  9. Mack

    Easy to make, delicious, and so nutritious! I followed recipes quite closely with only using two or three of my favorite spices.

  10. Super K

    This was yum! I added about a cup of pureed pumpkin and fresh tomatoes instead of the can of tomatoes. I also added a teaspoon of smoked paprika.

  11. Christian

    I made this tonight as a meal prep for lunches next week. It is soooo good!! I added one large russet potato and used 2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes. I also cooked it for 30 minutes on the stove top because I’m lazy and didn’t feel like pulling out the instapot lol. I can’t say enough good things! Will definitely make again.

  12. Ellen

    I wanted to add some potatoes to this – would I need to change the liquid amounts or cooking time at all? I’m new to this whole instant pot thing, but so far your recipes have been a hit!

  13. Julianne

    I just had to write a review that this recipe is fantastic! And so simple to make with ingredients we always have at home! My husband, 4 year old, 1 year old and I devoured the whole batch in one sitting. Raw cabbage is too stiff for my one year old so this allowed her to get some cruciferous in a way that she loved :) we used a can a diced tomatoes and a red cabbage since that is what we had.

  14. Daphne

    This is so good! I just wanted to jump in and add that this is also delicious with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top. Yum!

  15. Mdaneesha

    AMAZING RECIPE! Thank you, Nisha! I made this last night and paired it with a homemade baguette – so delish!

  16. Amy

    Great dinner. I added a bit of Cajun seasoning to give it a little more zip. Thank you for sharing your talents!

  17. Kat

    Can I do red lentils instead?

    1. Nisha Vora

      Hi Kat, I think yes, but with a couple notes. First, red lentils break down and get really soft/disintegrate when cooked and don’t hold their shape – so it won’t be a traditional lentil soup with whole lentils in that sense. Second, red lentils cook quicker than green lentils, so you can probably reduce the cook time to 6 or 8 minutes. Hope that works out!

  18. Anita

    Can I use green split peas instead of green lentils?

    1. Nisha Vora

      Hi Anita,
      You can, though the taste and texture will be different. Green split peas tend to get really soft and mushy when cooked, whereas green lentils will stay whole. You might also want to reduce the cook time a bit, since green split peas take less time to cook.

  19. Dani B

    This vegan soup is ‘out of this world’!
    So delicious and hardy and RICH.

  20. Kay

    Just made this, it was lovely. I added frozen peas to the recipe, a cheap, hot and very tasty meal, full of goodness! Thank you x

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