Chunky Beef, Cabbage and Tomato Soup (Instant Pot or Stove Top)
Ground beef, cabbage, vegetables and tomatoes, this is the perfect soup to clean out your fridge! And it’s super easy to make.
I grew up on homemade soups, in fact most dinners in my house growing up either started with soup, or soup was the main dish. My Mom usually threw whatever she had in the refrigerator and would whip up a new soup. I was a pretty picky eater, but I always loved when she made cabbage soup. This recipe reminds me of one of those soups she would whip up. Feel free to add any veggies you might need to use up. Crushed or diced tomatoes both work fine.
You can see more Soup Recipes here!
More Cabbage Recipes You May Also Enjoy:
- Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Kalyns Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
- Leftover Ham Bone Soup with Potatoes and Cabbage
Chunky Beef, Cabbage and Tomato Soup (Instant Pot or Stove Top)
Ground beef, cabbage, vegetables and tomatoes, this is the perfect soup to clean out your fridge! And it’s super easy to make.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
- 1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 28 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
- 5 cups chopped green cabbage
- 4 cups beef stock (canned* or homemade)
- 2 bay leaves
Directions:
- Assuming your electric pressure cooker has a saute option, or if using the Instant Pot, press the saute button and let the pressure cooker get very hot, when hot spray with oil, add the ground beef and salt and cook until browned breaking the meat up into small pieces as it cooks, 3 to 4 minutes.
- When browned, add the onion, celery and carrots and saute 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, cabbage, beef stock and bay leaves, lock the lid cook high pressure 20 minutes.
- Let the steam release naturally. Remove bay leaves and serve. Makes 11 cups.
To cook on the stove top:
- Follow the same directions as above in a large pot or Dutch oven, cook covered low 40 minutes.
*check labels for gluten-free or Whole30 compliant.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 7 servings, Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Amount Per Serving:
- Freestyle Points: 3
- Points +: 4
- Calories: 181 calories
- Total Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
- Sodium: 592mg
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 4.5g
- Protein: 15.5g
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You have a probIem. I am trying to sign up for Skinnytaste.com emails but am told “email address not valid”. I have tried with my Apple email – @icloud.com and with my Bell email – @sympatico.ca. These are both valid email addresses which I use every day. This is no way to get subscribers to your blog.
I just added you with no issues.
U mad bro?
Love it. Got my instant pot first time today and this recipe was the first to try out. I was not disappointed. Instead of using ground beef and beef broth, I used ground pork and boiled water. Incorporated mushroom which added an earthy flavor. It was definitely flavorful. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Made this tonight and thought my husband would complain but he said it was really good! Thanks!!
Great!
This was my first recipe I tried with my Insta Pot – and it’s was FANTASTIC! Can’t wait to try others, you have so many good ones it’s hard to decide which. Thank you!
You’re welcome! 🙂
When you put these nutrition facts into a smartpoints calculator, the total points is 5 and not 3 like it’s listed. Am I looking st something wrong?
Yes you have to use recipe builder, the nutritional facts don’t make fruit and veggies 0.
You are right Gina!
If you use Gina’s nutritional info on your pre freestyle calculator
You will get the pre 2018 Smartpoints. I’m continuing to use
Skinnytaste but just put the nutritional info into my old( Smartpoints) calculator and follow regular Smartpoints… I’m
STILL losing weight!
I make something similar with rice. A kind of deconstructed cabbage roll.
How much rice would I use? Not instant right?
This soup is amazing! I actually doubled the recipe tonight so we could eat on it a few days. Thank you for the recipe!
I’ve made this over a dozen times by now and the soup has always been well received. Leftovers don’t last long either.
Can you make this on the stove or in a crock pot?
Yes. It says at the end of the recipe that you make it the same on a stovetop.
Does this freeze well?
As a single person, I would also like to know if this freezes well.
Whenever I make stuffed cabbage, I always freeze it. They reheat very well in the micro.
Love all of your recipes, Gina! I haven’t made one that’s disappointed. So excited to try this out. 🙂
Thanks Autumn! I hope you enjoy this one too!
Could I make the cabbage soup recipe with ground turkey?
All recipes that call for ground beef, you can substitute with ground turkey or ground pork. Eat healthier! You can even substitute with fake ground beef products. You know what? You can even substitute ground meat with my favorite… tofurkey italian sausage. So low in calories and tastes so real. No need to fry it up as it is already cooked. You can even put frozen meatballs in the soup, too. I always keep a package of frozen meatballs for soups and spaghetti in case I don’t feel like cooking ground beef/turkey. You can also put shredded chicken in this recipe. You can even add a handful of pasta, too. You can add kale or spinach and sometimes if you want, fresh green beans. Use this recipe as a base to work from! Often times, I like to add cubed potatoes but doing so will drive up the calories and carbs.
Lee, thanks so much for all your suggestions! Great!!!
Love Gina’s recipes!
Is the high pressure of the instant pot the “manual button” I dont have a pressure button like some models. Thanks!
The older Instant Pots had a Manual button – now use Pressure Cook.
I definitely can’t wait to try this. I love soup season. I put it in my Weight Watchers recipe builder though and it came up as 4SP, just as an FYI.
Are you using the recipe builder? The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why.
I ❤️ This soup!!! Had it last week for lunch and I’m making it again this week!!!! Delicious
Made this before and loved it. I’m look to meal prep Does this soup freeze well
Gina, you have changed my life lol. I’m always on and off Weight Watchers and my husband eats no carbs or sugar. I use your recipes 3-4 nights a week. It’s healthy, fresh, real ingrediants, and I find recipes that suit both of our needs. I am constantly giving your website out to all the mamas out there who don’t know what to make for dinner. I don’t even think about it anymore. I just go to your site, see what pops up and make a grocery list. Congrats to you, I can see you love what you do, and you are fantastic at it. Thank you for making my mom life so much easier!
Awww thank you Katie!
I’ve made this a few different ways and it always turns out well. I normally serve it with cornbread or french bread. The original version is good but I do like the flavors that various spices add.
1) I’ve tried this recipe with chili powder and smoked paprika added and it’s awesome (try with 1 teaspoon of chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika, then adjust at the end)! Normally I do not have celery but it’s still great without it.
2) I have used ground turkey instead of beef and used frozen spinach instead of cabbage. I added some ground thyme, celery seeds (didn’t have celery), ground black pepper, and garlic powder (start with 1/2 teaspoon of each, and then adjust as necessary).
This may seem like a dumb question, but after you add the tomatoes/cabbage/broth, should you stir it all up?
Made exactly as described and it was perfect. 🙂
This soup is perfect for the colder temperatures! I used the Instant Pot version and it did not disappoint. I am watching my carb intake and it is hard to find low-carb soups and comfort food. Gina, I can’t thank you enough for including low carb recipes in your repertoire!
You’re welcome Leslie!
This was easy to make and tastes fantastic! I used homemade beef bone broth and I did it on the stove top. This will be a regular menu item at my house.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Made this last night. It was awesome. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Gina, how well does this freeze? Single person household and would love to put some in the freezer for later.
I see you can add vegetables…any tips or tricks? Thanks!!
Do you know how many Smart Points this soup would be if you used ground turkey?
Sorry not off the bat!
Gina Walmart carries 96% lean ground beef that brings it down a little further. I have an electric chopper and I let my ground beef cool and put it then there as I like the meat real fine. The leaner the beef I find the chewier it is – I have never found a really lean turkey. Thanks for your comments (responses)
Any recommendations for a boxed beef broth? I have yet to find one that doesn’t have an off flavor.
I like the taste of Swansons Beef Stock
Loved it! Definitely will pass on the recipe and make it again and again!
I really enjoyed this soup. Its been perfect for lunches all week!
Gina, what size Instant Pot did you use? I haven’t gotten one yet, but I’m in the market, and I’m not sure what size to get. I’m single and live alone, but I do like having leftovers.
6 quart.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Gina! My husband and I started Weight Watchers three months ago and we’ve lost over 60 pounds between us. I’ve been cooking your recipes four or five days a week, and we both credit you with keeping us satisfied and on track. I always make a soup or two on the weekends that we use throughout the week for lunches or with dinner and this is one of our favorites. Again, you’ve helped change our lives and we can’t thank you enough!
Thank you Sherry! Congrats, that is awesome!
Made this for dinner tonight. Absolutely fantastic. Everything I make from your website is delicious, I don’t have to worry about trying a new recipe because I know it will be yummy.
Thanks Carissa!
I have just made this soup!! However, when I put the nutritional information into my Weight Watchers app on my phone it calculated a serving for 5 points. Do you know if there is any saturated fat or do you just have the total fat? Any idea why you got 3 points and I got 5?
Did you use the recipe builder? The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why.
I did use the Recipe Builder and as I doubled the recipe and added all ingredients including the 2 lbs of lean ground beef – it came out to 7 Smart Points per serving (even adjusting the servings to be for 14). I will count it as 5 smart points — such an awesome soup!! Enjoyed it today for lunch and was very very satisfied and full with 1 1/2 cups!!
So just did the recipe builder on the site not my app on phone and it came out to 4 points! 24 points for the beef and 1 for the beef broth! I can live with that!! Thank you for your awesome recipes and helping those on WW to stay on track!!
I used the recipe builder and it came out with 7 points! I doubled the recipe using 2 lbs ground beef!1
Would purple cabbage change the taste of this soup? What would be your cooking suggestion for a crockpot?
Love this recipe! My partner loved the soup immensely! I recently bought the Instant Pot and love how making meals is so easy. This recipe rocks! Of course, as with a lot of recipes, other ingredients and spices can be added but at least the base does the job well and is very satisfying. It’s really nice to be able to put all the ingredients in one pot and have everything come together. What was even more special was that when i cooked the ground turkey on the stove to put in the pot, I didn’t use any seasonings. However, after time in the Instant Pot there was so much vibrant flavor coming out of the ground turkey.
Cabbage soup often gets a bad rap but I have learned how to make it taste very good using the Ninja Slow Cooker, which would take a couple of hours for the soup to cook and at the last few minutes, add the cabbage. With the Instant Pot, the meal is complete and delicious in no time and it is my opinion, that the flavors popped even more with a pressure cooker.
My intentions is to make more soup for 2018 and this recipe will surely be on the repeat schedule! So easy to make and so full of flavor and a lot of options. Thank you for this recipe!
So glad you liked it!
Any tips on making this in a crock pot? I was thinking to add everything (brown the meat first) to the crock pot and cook it on low, then add the cabbage in when it was about done. Do you think 8 hours would be too long?
Thank you! 🙂
OMGoodness. This soup was delicious! My daughter and I have been back for seconds. I hope there will be some left for lunch tomorrow.
1. Could this recipe be done in the slow cooker?
2. If I were to use a bag of coleslaw, how many bags would I need to equal 5 cups?
Sure, really depends on the size of the bag.
I always have a question of making meal plan, for example, the calories of this meal is only 181, but for a whole meal you could take about 400-500 calories. So what else do you have with this?
To increase your calories, you can have a salad on the side, or half sandwich.
I would also add brown rice, a little parm–and I would double the serving. A heaping side of steamed broccoli. I always need 500 calories for a dinner meal.
Can I ask what is an instant pot? Same as a pressure pot?
It is an electronic pressure cooker.
i absolutely love this recipe and so did my man!! thank you so much, this is a total winner. I am actually on my way into the kitchen to make it again right now!
Why don’t you drain the grease off the meat after browning it? Seems like that would be a good idea with ground beef which always leaves grease in the pan even if it’s a low percentage of fat.
Thank you for an awesome instant pot recipe. I used extra lean ground beef. Came out 7 – 1 1/2 C severing at 2 sp each. 😁
This is an excellent recipe and couldn’t be easier to make. If you’re short on time, buy some cabbage slaw mix and use it instead. It has some carrots in it, too. For added flavor, use fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
Hi, this recipe sounds delicious. How can I tell if I have the right size IP? I have the small one – 3 quart.
I find most of the recipes are for the large one!
I don’t want to get half way through and realize mine is too small for all the ingredients.
This recipe fits best in the 6qt instant pot
Great Instant Pot Recipe.I used sirloin tips cut into bite seized pieces. It took about 20 minutes to reach full pressure and 25 minutes to cook. It was delicious.Thank you.
Can you make this recipe in the mini insta pot?
If you use turkey ground meat do you need to change the broth to chicken broth?
Made this tonight for dinner…but…I changed it up just a bit…I used ground turkey and chicken stock in place of the beef…Another Awesome recipe…and I made it on the stove top….
This was the first thing I cooked in my new InstaPot. LOVE LOVE LOVE the soup!! One of my favorite dishes is rolled cabbage but it’s a pain to make. This satisfied my cravings for that! Had it for dinner last night and am now having leftovers for lunch! This will be added to my staple recipes for quick and easy dinners! Thank you thank you!! 🙂
So delicious and my husband loved it. It was all eaten up in no time.
My whole family loved it!
Best cabbage soup ever! I cooked it stovetop. I will definitely make it again.
Made this last weekend. I still had the second half of the head of cabbage left over so I decided to make it again and made a WONDERFUL error.
My grocery store sells diced vegetables (onions, celery, and bell pepper) and I thought I got celery but picked up bell pepper by accident. Made it anyway and it was delicious. I would call it “Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup.”
This soup was delicious, just the way it is. I was skeptical with not many ingredients, but i was pleasantly surprised.
Thanks once again Gina for a fabulous recipe! My family and I eat so well because of your excellent recipes. As a weight watcher leader/coach i am always looking for plan friendly recipes to share with my members and yours are definitely my go tos. I use the meal planner every Sunday to get my meals in order for the upcoming week. And since i got an instant pot over the holidays I’ve really loved all your creations even more. Thank you thank you thank you!!
This soup is very similar to the Beef, Tomato and Acini di Pepe soup, which my family LOVES and calls Hamburger Soup. I made this cabbage version tonight, and I’ll admit I was worried about the kids reaction to the cabbage, but the cabbage blended with the onions, they didn’t even notice, It was delicious. My kids ate it up, but said they would have loved it even more with the Acini di Pepe pasta in it. I made the recipe exactly as written, but I added 2 diced gloves of garlic at the end of the celery/carrot/onion saute and cooked about 30 seconds, and I added some pepper after I added the liquids. I also deglazed the instant pot pan with about a half cup of the beef broth after I cooked the garlic, scraping up the yummy bits from the sautee process and then added the rest of the beef broth. I am a new Instant Pot cook and would offer these suggestions: I didn’t spray the pot with oil. I added about about a T after the pot heated on the HIGH Sautee setting, before the beef ( I did this bc my olive oil spray smoked and didn’t do much after I sprayed the IP). Don’t be alarmed when you add the beef on the high setting that it will burn like I was. I turned my IP off to medium and then back to High when I realized Med was too low and that High was just right. I added another spin or 2 of olive oil after adding the veggies bc they looked dry. I diced the cabbage so it blended with the onions. I served it with 90 calorie crescent rolls, “shake from the jar” Trader Joe’s parmesan cheese, and hot sauce since some of us like it spicey.. It took about 40 minutes for my IP to naturally release. I have the Instant Pot Ultra. From now on I’m going to make “Hamburger Soup” with cabbage. Great way for kids to get more veggies.
I also added garlic, thyme and oregano–that’s what Epicurious adds to the same recipe.
This soup is DELICIOUS!! I added corn and jalapeños for a kick. My husband said it was the best soup he’s ever had – Wow…big compliment Gina!! Nice work. Thank you for your tireless efforts that allow us to eat so good!!!
I made this tonight and loved it. The only thing I’d change is add a little more beef for my carnivore husband. LOL
I made this recipe tonight and it tasted superb and fast and easy. I added pepperoni, thin sliced cut in quarters. I replaced the beef broth with water. Thank you for this recipe.
It looks delicious !Can I use bone broth instead of beef stock?
That would be delicious!
Made this with ground turkey. Yummy.
Just made your recipe in my instant pot..it is delicious! Tastes like stuffed cabbage!Thinking of trying peppers next time..maybe add rice..like stuffed peppers..Thank you Gina!
great!
I made this last night and the whole family loved it!
If wanting to add rice to this, How much would you add and would it change the cooking time? Also should more liquid be added? Thanks ….
I’ve done this in the instant pot and stove top. Love it! A perfect hearty soup for the winter. Sometimes I’ll add in a small amount of brown rice.
Will this fit in the Mini?
This recipe was delicious! I added garlic powder to the meat while browning. I will make it again!
We made this last night and it was AMAZING. We did add potatoes (diced really small) and red pepper flakes for some heat. My husband made mine with my fake beef crumbles and it was just as delicious. Such a great recipe!
I made this soup for lunches this week, and it was great! Started Sunday evening at 745, made in the instant pot. Was done and in the fridge by 9:30. For having such few ingredients and no extra spices, it was so full of flavor! Making again soon, and may add green beans or zucchini.
Super easy to make in the Instant Pot! Loved this recipe – quick, delicious, and healthy!
Can you use a slow cooker? My Wolfgang Puck has the browning option on it. I love it because of this feature. I have a pressure cooker I’ve never used. I guess I remember my mother exploding hers. I would appreciate your input.
We love this soup! I’ve made it once a week during this colder- than-normal winter and it warms our bones. It’s delicious, but so easy. My daughter is away at school and makes it too. Thanks so much!
Just made this and so yummy
Has this been made with purple cabbage? Ive made it with green and its delicious. have some purple I need to use up.
I added way more onion and carrots, along with garlic salt, onion powder, etc. But this is so easy and wonderful, I can’t wait to make it again!
I add 1T beef Better than Bullion to add depth of fflavor, since store bought beef stock is pretty watery. This is such a delicious soup, it’s part of my monthly rotation for easy lunches or dinners. Freezes really well.
This soup is delicious! Made it tonight as we started WW again 2 months ago and needed to spice up the meals. So tasty and filling. Love the low SPs. I used diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion. I will add some fresh peppers next time. Adding some rice would be a good option too. Thanks for always having tasty and new recipes!
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I tried to enter you too, it won’t let me either. I will try again.
Yum!
Delicious! I threw in some mushrooms and a little left over bok choy – but other than that made the recipe as directed. I’ll definitely be keeping this in the rotation!
Delicious! I’m making this again tonight for the fourth time. I love having this soup in the house. I measure all ingredients except for the cabbage. I just chop up the whole thing and throw it in. And I use Better Than Boullion beef stock. Comes out great!
My husband and I really liked this soup. I think next time I will use turkey sausage for a little more flavor and add a few more carrots or other vegetable. It was yummy, esp on a cold Maine day.
I have never actually gone back to leave a comment after trying out a recipe, but in this case, I have to give credit where due. This cabbage soup recipe is one of my very favorites now and my significant other loves it as well as the rest of his family! It is so nice to come home after a long day at work and not have to spend hours slaving over the stove yet I still get to enjoy such a great home cooked and healthy meal without all the hassle! I have even put some away in the freezer and it does not ruin the flavor or anything about it, so even when you have alot of leftovers or don’t want to eat it for 5 days straight it is perfect for freezing and taking out on one of those cold lazy nights you feel like having something warm and yummy but dont want to do anything but cuddle up and relax, just thaw heat and enjoy all over again! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it will be cherished for many years to come!
Thank you for sharing that it freezes well!
I was going to make it but even the half portion makes a ton!
This is a great recipe!
Just made this recipe and it is fantastic! Did it on the stove top and added red pepper flakes for a little heat. Thanks for sharing!
I have tried two different email addresses and I keep getting the same message for both, “not a valid email address”. What should I do?
I’ve put your email in Yvonne, you should be good to go!
Skinnytaste.com has become my “go-to” site for wonderfully tasty, weight watchers friendly recipes. Nearly EVERYTHING I have made has become a favorite, and made multiple times. We had this for supper this evening, and it was no exception. We like our food with a little more spice, so I did make a couple of changes. I added minced garlic and chopped green peppers, a couple of teaspoons of instant beef stock powder, ground pepper, and a teaspoon of ground allspice. Loved the result–it tasted like cabbage rolls in a soup!
Great!
Made this several times, we really love it. Just made it with ground turkey, wondered how do I figure out the points? I do like it better with beef. My husband and I have been using your recipes since February 14, 2018. I’ve lost 23 lbs and my husband 18 lbs. thanks for you great recipes!
Can I finish this in the slow cooker? How long to cook on low? When would I add the cabbage?
Have just made tonight for an easy Friday night dinner. Thanks Gina for making it easier to be healthy!! Both hubby and myself LOVED this, was awesome flavor, easy peasy and extras to freeze for weekday lunches. Just PERFECT!!!
I love every skinnytaste recipe that I’ve tried but this one by far is my favorite. It easy sooooo good !!! Thank you for always coming up with such good and healthy food options.
Thanks Brittany!
I have been trying to do a summer slim down by cutting back on my carbs. Most of our dinners lately have consisted of a protein and a vegetable which is great but has gotten boring. I thought of your deconstructed cabbage rolls which we love but I looked at the carbohydrate count and found it too high (for me right now – I will be eating it again some day!) That’s when this recipe appeared. It totally got me out of my rut – super yummy and satisfying. My husband had two and a half bowls so he obviously enjoyed it too. Thanks for the great healthy recipe!