Vegetable Beef Soup with Cabbage

Vegetable beef soup with cabbage is a low carb, keto-friendly, hearty meal loaded with beef and vegetables that will keep you warm and satisfied! And with only 2 net carbs, this is a soup you can't pass up.

I love to eat soups and eat as much as I can because they are so rich and flavorful. I like that I can throw different combinations of vegetables and beef or chicken and can whip up a delicious satisfying soup.

It is even more necessary and satisfying when the weather is cooler as it helps warm you up from inside.

Vegetable soup is not only deliciously satisfying, but they also provide a host of health benefits due to the vitamins and minerals from the vegetables. For instance, this soup contains 42% of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C in just one serving!

It also helps with weight loss and portion control as it makes you feel full really fast and curbs overeating.

This recipe is made using the instant pot but you can use any regular pressure cooker. You can also use a slow cooker but it will take much longer.

To keep it low carb, I only used vegetables with a low carb count but still enough to provide rich and strong flavors.

Ingredients used

• Stew beef chunks: These are beef chunks that are usually cut into cubes and become soft and chewy when cooked. But any tender beef cut will do as long as you cut it into chunks and remove the bones.
• Vegetables: Red bell pepper, scallions, garlic, cabbage.
• Tomato paste: Instead of using fresh tomatoes, the tomato paste lends a stronger, more concentrated flavor.
• Spices: I use cayenne pepper, bouillon powder, thyme, salt, ground crayfish. Ground crayfish is popularly used to spice up soups and stews in West Africa and gives this a bit of an earthy, traditional flavor. You can leave it out or substitute with coconut aminos or soy sauce for a delicious, umami flavor. 
• Olive oil: This is used to brown the beef. Browning the beef is a necessary step because this gives the beef an incredible depth of flavor.
• Meat stock/broth: You will need stock, broth, or water or a combination of either. I used 2 cups of stock and 2 cups of water. You can use more or less of either but you might have to adjust the salt and spices for the right blend of flavors you desire.

How to make this recipe

Prepare the vegetables by chopping the cabbage, scallions, garlic, and bell pepper. Cut the beef into chunks if not already cut. I like to cut it into bite-size so I can just scoop it into my mouth when eating the soup!

Turn on the instant pot and switch to saute mode. If you have one of the more popular instant pots like the Instant Pot DUO60, this is the button on the lower-left corner.

Add the olive oil, then add the beef. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and stir the beef till it is browned. If you have a smaller instant pot, you might need to do this in batches.

Note: when using the saute function, the lid MUST be left open. The instant pot is quite deep so you don’t have to worry about spills or splashes.

If you are not using an instant pot, you can use a skillet to do this. You just have to brown the meat on high heat for a few minutes till it is browned.

Add the scallion and garlic and stir till softened.

Add the red bell pepper, tomato paste, cayenne pepper, bouillon powder, thyme, and salt. Also add your stock or water.

You might have to adjust the flavor depending on the liquid you add, but you will have the chance to do this later.

Press the manual mode on the Instant pot and set it to 45 minutes. It will take 10 minutes for the instant pot to come to pressure. Make sure the vent is set to sealing.

After the instant pot counts down 45 minutes, do a quick release. Basically use a wooden spoon to push the vent at the top from the sealing to the venting position.

Be careful so you don’t get burned! I like to keep a respectful distance when doing this.

Open the instant pot and check the flavor. If you want, add more salt and spices if you are not satisfied. Add the cabbage and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

It automatically switches to the warming function but still has enough heat to soften the cabbage. If you want it crunchier, leave it for only 5 minutes. Your vegetable beef soup with cabbage is ready to eat!

Need more low carb soups? Try these!

Instant Pot Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Keto Mushroom Soup

Keto Buffalo Chicken Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

Spicy Cauliflower Soup

Or check this collection of yummy, savory low carb soups to keep you warm and cozy!