This Instant Pot Ham and Cabbage Soup is a delicious blend of cabbage, ham, potatoes, carrots, onion and celery that is both comforting and satisfying!
When the evenings are chilly, I love warming up with a tasty soup, but I’m not a fan of thin and watery soups. That’s why I love this ham, cabbage, and potato soup. It’s a simple but hearty soup that’s packed with flavor and veggies. It’s definitely a family favorite and one of my regular go-to’s!
What do I Serve with Instant Pot Cabbage Soup?
This ham and cabbage soup is comforting and satisfying. It can stand on its own as a hearty meal or you could serve it as a side dish or appetizer for dinner. We prefer to eat it with some sort of roll or homemade bread on the side and a salad.
Ham and Cabbage Soup Ingredients
You’ll notice that this Instant Pot cabbage soup has a pretty simple list of ingredients. Here are some of the key ingredients that you’ll need for this recipe.
- Cabbage – Roughly chopped cabbage makes this soup extra hearty. A great use for leftover cabbage!
- Ham – cubed into 1/2 inch pieces. You don’t want to use thin sliced deli ham for this recipe.
- Potatoes – I used Yukon Gold potatoes but any will work in this recipe.
- Carrots – I love the pop of color carrots add to this recipe, and their flavor really fit the flavor profile of the soup.
- Onion and celery – I used a yellow onion and just a couple ribs of celery to add depth and flavor to this instant pot soup recipe.
- Chicken broth – I typically use chicken broth, but you could definitely use vegetable broth or turkey broth if that’s what you have on hand. I don’t recommend using only water as your soup will lack flavor.
- Balsamic Vinegar – for a great pop of flavor.
- Bay leaf – this adds such a delicious flavor to the soup. Don’t forget to remove it before serving!
- Parsley and thyme – adds great color to the soup.
- Salt & pepper
Cabbage is one of the least expensive vegetables and it’s loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients like vitamins C and K. It has tons of health benefits too! Great for your heart, blood pressure and digestive system! It’s all packed full of fiber so it keeps you feeling full, longer.
How to Make Ham and Cabbage Soup
This soup is SO easy to make and takes about 15 minutes to prep. Then you let the Instant Pot work its magic.
- Cut up the onion, carrot, celery, cabbage, ham, and potatoes, and put them in the Instant Pot.
- Mix the chicken broth with the bay leaf, balsamic vinegar, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper and pour the liquid over the cabbage and ham mixture. Give everything a good stir.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and turn the knob to seal.
- Set the Instant Pot to cook on “meat/stew” for 15 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, do a natural release for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and fish out the bay leaf.
- Serve immediately since it tastes best when served warm.
Variations to Try
I chopped the potatoes for this soup, but you could slice them with a mandoline if you prefer. It’s quick to do and would reduce your cook time by a minute or so in the Instant Pot.
What to change the vegetables? Try swapping around the vegetables in this soup and try using any of these great options: squash, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, or butternut squash.
If you prefer to cook this ham and cabbage soup in the slow cooker, it’s very easy to adapt. Simply put all your ingredients into your crock pot and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours.
FAQs
What kind of ham should I use?
You can use any type of ham for ham and cabbage soup, but I wouldn’t recommend thin sliced deli ham. It needs to be able to stand up to pressure cooking.
If you are using leftover ham that already has seasonings in place, the soup may take on some of those flavors. If that’s the case, you may want to omit the salt and add it in later once you have a chance to taste how all of the flavors combined.
In addition, you may want to adjust the seasonings or omit them altogether depending on what was used on your ham.
Can I add beans to this soup?
Yes! Although I didn’t write this recipe to specifically include beans, you could easily add one can of white beans such as great northern or navy beans for an added boost of protein and fiber!
How do I store cabbage and ham soup?
Cool this meal for up to 2 hours, then refrigerate for up to 3 or 4 days. You can freeze the completely cooled dish in freezer containers. Before using, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally.
Can this soup be made in advance?
Of course! This soup can be made up to 2 or 3 days in advance. Refrigerate it in an airtight container. Reheat it in a stock pot or large dutch oven when you’re ready to serve.
What kind of potatoes should I use?
I used Yukon Gold potatoes, but you can also use any other thinly skinned potato such as red potatoes, white potatoes or yellow potatoes.
Russet potatoes are another option. However, if you decide to use russet potatoes, I recommend peeling off their tough skin before adding them to the soup.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large carrot peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- 1 ½ cups green cabbage roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups ham chopped
- 1 ½ cups potatoes roughly chopped
- 4 ½ cups chicken broth or stock, low sodium
- 1 bay leaf
- ½-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cut up the onion, carrot, celery, cabbage, ham, and potatoes, and put them in the Instant Pot.
- Mix the chicken broth with the bay leaf, balsamic vinegar, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper and pour the liquid over the cabbage and ham mixture. Give everything a good stir.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and turn the knob to seal.
- Set the Instant Pot to cook on “meat/stew” for 15 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, do a natural release for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and remove the bay leaf. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use any type of ham, but I wouldn’t recommend thin sliced deli ham. It needs to be able to stand up to pressure cooking.
