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. Katie

    5 stars
    This recipe works on the stove too. Sautee the veggies per steps 1-3, deglaze the pan with the vinegar instead of adding it last, then continue with steps 4 and 5. Just simmer it until the lentils are thoroughly cooked.

  2. Santiago

    3 stars
    Very average to me. I had some leftover cabbage and wanted to use it so I made this recipe. It was okay, but I expected more. I guess I am used to very flavourful recipes from Nisha but this one was very plane and a bit boring.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Sorry to hear the recipe didn’t turn out as well as you’d hoped, Santiago. We appreciate the feedback nonetheless.

  3. Liz

    4 stars
    I like how healthy this is– while still satisfying and hearty. Great weeknight meal. Needed more spices for my taste– I added cayenne, turmeric, pepper, and old bay seasoning to give it a little extra something. Used cans of diced tomatoes instead of the whole peeled and only 3 cups water. I would make this again.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us, Liz. Your review is much appreciated.

  4. Suzanne

    Soup came out delicious. Easy to make and perfect for a good day.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Suzanne, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!

  5. K

    Can this soup be frozen and reheated? :)

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi K, we haven’t tested this out at RPL but it seems like a soup that would freeze well. You might want to zhuzh it up with a squeeze of lemon or vinegar and a little salt plus chopped fresh herbs to revive it after thawing.

  6. Elizabeth

    5 stars
    I did not have carrots so I used potatoes. Absolutely delicious and very easy to make. Everyone had seconds. I will be making this again.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth! That makes us very happy to hear!

  7. Caitlin

    5 stars
    Pretty sure this is the yummiest soup I’ve ever had. The fact that the ingredients are so cheap is the cherry on top!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Caitlin, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!

  8. Sunitha

    5 stars
    Soup was yummy, easy to make.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Sunitha, thank you so much for your kind review!

  9. Marlee

    5 stars
    Delicious and so easy to prepare! Can I freeze this?

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Marlee, we’re so glad you enjoy it! We haven’t tested this out at RPL but it seems like a soup that would freeze well. You might want to zhuzh it up with a squeeze of lemon or vinegar and a little salt plus chopped fresh herbs to revive it after thawing.

  10. LynD

    5 stars
    Made this yesterday and can’t wait for lunch today 😋

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi LynD, thank you so much for your kind review!

  11. Maria

    5 stars
    I needed comfort food today. So instead of resorting to my “go-to” dal from your Instapot cookbook, I tried something new and so happy I did. I only had 1/2 of a cabbage and used that but I can see using an entire head since I love cabbage. I was so smitten by the aroma coming out during the natural release that I totally forgot about cutting the crusty bread and just stood there in anticipation of the goodness about to come out of the pot. Thank you for sharing such a delicious, comforting soup!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      So great to hear the soup went well for you, Maria! :) Thanks for giving it a shot!

  12. Andrew

    Hi there! I’m looking to use this recipe but I’m wondering if you have any advice on how to make this if you don’t have an instapot?

  13. Looch

    5 stars
    Loved it!! i also used half of a cabbage. it was too much for my taste but overall DELICIOUS

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Good to hear you enjoyed the soup, Looch!

  14. Mindy Richmond

    5 stars
    Hi,

    I made this tonight, but I just noticed your cooking time for 50 minutes. I don’t see how that’s correct.

    Mindy Richmond

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Mindy, thanks for letting us know! We’ll take a closer look :)

    2. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Mindy, Because there’s a large volume of liquid, it often takes the instant pot quite a bit of time to come to pressure. then there’s the natural pressure release time, which can be 15 to 20 minutes given this volume. Both of those times are built into the 50-minute cook time in the recipe card. Hope that helped clarify!

  15. Susan Lentini

    4 stars
    Very hearty soup. Very cabbagy. I couldn’t use the whole cabbage, it was too big. It was very thick, like a stew. Is it supposed to be? What quantity did you use to calculate the nutritional I for below? Over 300 calories seems like a lot for such a vegetable dense soup but I don’t know how much you were calculating. This is my third soup I try from your group of recipes “17 Vegan soups” and they are all delicious!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Susan, Yes this soup is on the thicker side. It has vegetables, tomato and lentils which account for the 300 calories. Thanks for going through the vegan soup roundup, we’re so happy you’ve found value in it!

      1. Susan Lentini

        5 stars
        Thanks Kaitlin, 300 calories for 1 cup?

        1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

          Hi Susan, the nutrition facts are for one serving. Which is 1/4 of the full recipe yield.

          1. Susan

            Ok thanks. 1/4 is a lot of soup.

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