Wonder Soup–jazzed up cabbage soup with lots of flavor, nutrition and hardly any calories. Make it fast in the Instant Pot or slow and low in the Crockpot.
Wonder Soup
If you’re looking to start your new year off on the right foot, nutritionally speaking, try out this recipe today! I loved this soup because it tasted great and because I knew it was giving me lots of nutrients. It has a bit of a kick so if you’re nervous about spice then just leave out the crushed red pepper flakes and you should be fine. If you want more of a kick then you can jazz up this soup with tabasco sauce. You can get creative and mix up the veg depending on what you have on hand. Try out this soup and eat it for lunch all week!
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Olive oil–or canola oil, butter
- Onion–yellow, white
- Water–or vegetable broth (if you use broth then don’t use the Better than Bouillon)
- Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base–or chicken base
- Cabbage–I use green
- Carrots
- Celery
- Red bell pepper–or another color of bell pepper
- Diced tomatoes–or fire roasted tomatoes
- Crushed red pepper flakes–leave out if you don’t like spice
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder–or granulated garlic or 1 Tbsp fresh minced garlic
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl around. Add in the onion and celery and sauté for 4 minutes.
Pour in the water and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking.
Add in the rest of the ingredients.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the SOUP button to 10 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid.
Stir. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a side of garlic bread, breadsticks, french bread.
- If you want to add protein to this soup try adding in 2 cups of chopped, cooked chicken. I like to use rotisserie chicken from Costco.
- If you want to add rice to this soup increase the water to 5 cups (instead of 4) and add in a half cup of uncooked long grain white rice, jasmine, basmati or converted rice.
- This recipe is gluten free.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with cabbage are Ohio Casserole and “Don’t Touch” Casserole.
- Recipe adapted from Divas Can Cook.
More Healthy Soups…
Instant Pot Energizer Soup
A cabbage soup with lots of veggies and delicious flavor! It will fill you up and give you lots of energy without weighing you down.
Dallas Cowboys Soup
A flavorful navy bean, bacon and ham soup made in your Instant Pot or Crockpot.
Hocking Hills Soup
Instant Pot (or Crockpot) pumpkin-sweet potato spiced soup with chicken and cream. It’s cozy and warm and absolutely delicious.
Husband Healing Soup
A nourishing Instant Pot or slow cooker soup with vegetables and farro. Only 100 calories per serving!
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Wonder Soup
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Jazzed up cabbage soup with lots of flavor, nutrition and hardly any calories. Make it fast in the Instant Pot or slow and low in the Crockpot.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 4 cups water
- 4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base
- Half of a medium head of cabbage, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 ribs of celery, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl around. Add in the onion and celery and sauté for 4 minutes.
- Pour in the water and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the SOUP button to 10 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid.
- Stir. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Heat a pan over medium high heat and add in the oil and swirl around. Add in the onion and celery and sauté for 4 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
- Stir. Ladle into bowls and serve.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Wow! This soup is incredible! I made it in my instant pot to have during the week for lunches. The cooking time and everything was perfect. I love the little kick from the crushed red pepper. This is my new favorite meal prep. Thank you!
So glad to hear it Amanda! Thanks for the 5 stars 🙂
We’ve had this twice since last week. Teenager approved. The first time I added smoked sausage and the second some shredded poached chicken leg quarter meat and both times it was delicious. This one’s a keeper.
I love those ideas! Thanks for the 5 stars 🙂
I have made this soup for years and love it. Sometimes i add grilled chicken or sprigs of rosemary its hard to mess this soup up.
Grilled chicken would be perfect in this soup! Thanks for the 5 stars Billy 🙂
So tasty! We made it yesterday and added some ore salt. We didn’t have the type of stock base so used premade stock. That may have been why we felt it needed a little more salt.
So easy and fast! Thanks for the great recipe. I’m having leftovers as I write!
Thanks for the 5 stars Aaron!
love the soup. we love onion and cabbage so we were happy to see these base ingredients. we added 3cups of uncooked barley. it is perfect the way it is made. we just had some Barley needing a home.
loved the idea of black beans someone added. I thought about wild rice and wondered if you have used that ingredient? thanks.
Steven
Love barley! Good idea! Rice is also a good idea although it takes a while to cook so I would add in cooked wild rice at the end.
I want to know, can I make in crock pot cooker?? I would love to try make this soup.
Yes you can. If you scroll down to the recipe card the slow cooker instructions are written in the recipe at the bottom.
REALLY good soup! Was cold & rainy here today & this soup was just perfect. All I did different was added more cabbage than it called for (we LOVE cabbage). Thanks, Karen, for another winner!
YES! More cabbage is a good plan 🙂 I am glad you liked it!
This soup is delicious. I even created an account just to comment. It’s hard making soups in the Instant Pot, because there’s no way to taste and adjust seasonings during cooking. This recipe has a great amount of seasonings, however, I opted out of using the red pepper flakes (I wasn’t wanting the spiciness) and I reduced the black pepper to 1/4 tsp. I also opted to add extra protein and used 1 lb. lean ground turkey and added it half way during sautéing the onions and celery and cooked until the turkey was browned and cooked through. Additionally, I added 1 extra cup of water and 1/2 cup long grain white rice (rinsed). I am a total soup connoisseur, so I tend to be relatively opinionated. I have nothing bad to say about or remotely negative. Other than adjusting some seasonings and adding extra protein and rice, that was for my liking. I will be making this again and will probably add diced zucchini next time, after it is finished (because it’ll cook through while the soup is piping hot).
Thanks so much Shannon! I love all those ideas. The zucchini is a great addition 🙂
This is an old dieters go to soup can also find it in ‘the cabbage soup diet’ with small differences.They start with a can of V8, onions and ccabbage, next day, add carrots.. you get the idea..
Just made this soup. I’m on my third bowl. just delicious 😋
So happy to hear it Corey!
I was thinking v8 would be a good addition!
I like Ampang up the spice profile with some gumbo seasonings and adding a can of black beans for a little protein.
great idea! Thanks Dianne,
Good ideas!