This Cabbage Lentil Soup is packed with fresh vegetables and red lentils. This wholesome, plant-based soup will win your heart because it's packed with incredible flavors and comes together in under 30 minutes. Lentil and cabbage soup is a great way to use some leftover veggies from the fridge.

Why you'll love lentil cabbage soup

This nutrient-dense plant based and vegetable-loaded protein-rich soup is comforting and satiating. You'll love this easy vegan soup because:

• It is vegan. nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free.
• Red lentils add a protein boost.
• Readily customizable. You can add more veggies of your choice. Make it spicy if you want to, and even skip adding the tomato to make it even lighter and bland.
• Gets ready under 30 minutes.
• A great source to feed kids vegetables. Yeah, this cabbage and lentil soup is kid-approved.
• A fantastic budget-friendly soup for the whole family!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.

• Cabbage: Diced into small squares.
• Vegetables: Zucchini, celery & carrots. You'll love this combo. You can also add extra veggies like mushrooms, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, and corn.
• Aromatics: Onion, ginger & garlic. The chopped fresh ginger and garlic deepen the flavor of this soup recipe.
• Red lentils: Add a layer of protein and add body & rich flavor to the soup without making it overpowering.
• Seasonings: Fennel seeds, turmeric, paprika, ground black pepper, oregano & red pepper flakes. Salt to taste. Fennel and turmeric help soothe the stomach. I would highly recommend that you do not miss these ingredients to make this calming vegan cabbage lentil soup recipe.
• Crushed tomato: Added this for a mild tart flavor. You can skip if you want to.
• Oil: Extra virgin olive oil.
• Lemon juice: A bright flavor.
• Liquid: Water.
• Bay leaf.
• Fresh herbs: Curly top parsley and fennel greens. You can also add chopped dill instead of the fennel greens.

Method

Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.

• Sauté veggies: Set the instant pot on sauté mode and add oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and sauté for a few mins. Then, add the chopped ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the seasonings and the fennel seeds and sauté for 30 seconds. Next, add the zucchini and give everything a good stir.

• Add cabbage & lentils: Add the diced cabbage, red lentils, and give everything a quick stir. Add the crushed tomato. Cancel the sauté mode.

• Deglaze pot: Add water and deglaze the pot very well by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This will help loosen any stuck food particles and prevent the burn error.
• Pressure cook: Add the bay leaf. Pressure cook on High pressure for 4 minutes, followed by 10 minutes natural pressure release. Cancel the pressure cook option.
• Serve: Fish out the bay leaf and discard. Give the soup a good stir. Add the fresh green herbs and mix well. Serve the hot plant-based lentil and cabbage soup with the side of your choice. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Milder on stomach: Make it tomato-free, skip the lemon juice, garlic, and the red pepper flakes. When my GERD symptom triggers, I often make this soup tomato-free, and it still tastes fantastic. You can also replace the onion with chopped leek.
• More vegetables: If you want to make this lentil and cabbage soup more nutrient-dense, add more vegetables like diced white button mushrooms, sweet potatoes, yellow squash, and sweet corn. You can also add chopped greens at the end, like baby spinach, dragon kale.

Stove-top Method

• Sauté veggies: Set a Dutch pot or a heavy-bottomed pot on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add oil. When the oil becomes hot, gently release the onion, carrots, celery, and sauté until they begin to turn soft. Add the chopped ginger and garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Now, add all the seasonings along with the fennel seeds and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and give everything a good stir. Next, add the cabbage and the red lentils and give everything a quick stir.
• Cover & cook: Add the crushed tomatoes and water. Deglaze the pot very well by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula to remove any brown bits. Throw in the bay leaf. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until the cabbage becomes tender. Turn off the heat.
• Serve: Discard the bay leaf. Add fresh lemon juice. Give the soup a good stir. Add the chopped fresh green herbs and mix well. Serve the vegan cabbage lentil soup with your favorite side. Enjoy!

Serving Ideas

Serving this cabbage and lentil soup is easy with the following sides:

• Moroccan couscous.
• Brown rice with vegetables.
• Air fried veggies like acorn squash, brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, smashed brussel sprouts, roasted beets, carrots and potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, mushrooms and onion, baby gold potatoes, roasted radishes.
• A crusty sourdough bread.
• Wholegrain bread like teff or spelt breads.
• A hearty garden salad.
• Vegetable quinoa or plain quinoa.

Leftovers and storage

Fridge: You can store this cabbage lentil soup for up to 5 days in the fridge. Store the soup in airtight glass containers.

Freezer: You can freeze the soup for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge and then reheat following the directions mentioned below.

Reheating Ideas

Stovetop: Reheat the vegan cabbage soup with lentils on the stovetop on medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed pot until warm or hot. You may add more vegetable broth or water to adjust the consistency of the soup.

Instant pot: You can also reheat this soup in the instant pot on the sauté function. Reheating the thawed frozen soup might lead to some texture changes like the cooked zucchini might become mushy and lose its texture.

MORE PLANT-BASED SOUPS MADE IN THE INSTANT POT

• Instant pot lentil soup with potatoes.
• Bean and potato soup instant pot.
• Potato leek soup instant pot dairy free.
• Instant pot vegetable soup with potatoes.
• Instant pot Portuguese bean soup.
• Dry Lima Beans Instant pot.
• Instant pot red lentil soup.
• Old fashioned vegetable barley soup.
• Sweet Potato and kale soup with coconut milk.
• Vegan mushroom barley soup.
• Farro soup instant pot.

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I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! If you try this Cabbage lentil soup recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I would love to hear how it turned out for you, or any changes you make.