If you want comfort food that fits your lifestyle, this Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup is a must-try. First, it takes classic Irish flavors and transforms them into a warming low-carb soup. And, it's a warming meal for those chilly nights when you need something hearty.
This soup is the best way to enjoy leftover corned beef without the starchy potatoes and by swapping in keto alternatives, it gives all the hearty goodness while staying on track with your diet goals.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Key Ingredients for Leftover Corned Beef Soup
- Ingredient Substitutions
- Variations for Keto Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Your Questions about Keto Cabbage Soup Answered
- Storage and Reheating
- Tips for the Best Instant Pot Soup
- Corned Beef Recipes you may like
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
Effortless cleanup: by using the saute setting on the instant pot, you can cook the entire meal in one pot, resulting in fewer dirty dishes.
Keto-friendly comfort: this recipe swaps starchy potatoes for diced turnips, allowing you to enjoy a hearty, soul-warming soup while staying on track with your low-carb goals.
Great use for leftovers: it's a winning dinner idea for repurposing leftover corned beef brisket from the holiday meals like St. Patrick's Day.
Key Ingredients for Leftover Corned Beef Soup
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions.
- Corned beef: the star protein of the dish and designed to repurpose leftover brisket from holiday meals.
- Cabbage: a traditional Irish staple that adds hearty texture and fiber to the soup.
- Turnips: these are used as a low-carb alternative to potatoes to keep the recipe keto-friendly.
- Fennel bulb: this aromatic vegetable is sautéed to create a rich, flavorful base for the broth.
- Mustard seeds & Allspice: these spices are toasted in the instant pot to infuse the soup with warm, traditional flavors.
- Lemon juice: added at the end to brighten the flavors and add a touch of acidity to the savory broth.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Radish or Cauliflower for Turnips: if you don't have turnips, quartered radishes or cauliflower florets work as excellent low-carb potato alternatives that absorb the savory broth beautifully.
- Pastured butter or Ghee for Kerrygold: while Kerrygold butter is a high-quality choice for Irish recipes, you can use any pastured butter or ghee to maintain the healthy fats needed for a keto lifestyle.
- Beef Roast for Leftover Corned Beef: if you don't have leftover corned beef brisket you can use a regular cooked beef roast and add a bit of extra mustard seed and allspice to mimic that traditional brined flavor.
Variations for Keto Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Dairy-free option: swap the butter for avocado oil or ghee to make this soup completely dairy free while maintaining a rich flavor.
- Extra vegetable boost: stir in a handful of fresh spinach or kale during the last few minutes of cooking for added color and nutrients.
- Spicy Irish Kick: add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to the broth to give your comfort food a subtle, warming heat.
Your Questions about Keto Cabbage Soup Answered
Yes, you can easily use leftover corned beef from St. Patrick's Day to make this Instant Pot soup. Just add diced or shredded leftover corned beef brisket directly into the stock for a quick and hearty winter dinner.
To make this cabbage soup keto-friendly, replace high-carb potatoes with diced turnips.
Yes, this recipe can be adapted for a slow cooker by sautéing the aromatics on the stovetop first. Once sautéed, transfer all ingredients to your crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours for a tender, flavorful meal.
By toasting the mustard seeds and aromatics in the Instant pot, you build a richer base for the soup.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate: place any leftover soup in an airtight container once it has cooled to room temperature. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: because this recipe uses turnips instead of potatoes, it freezes well. Store it in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: pour the soup into a small pot and heat over medium-low heat until hot. You can also reheat in the microwave in 1 minute intervals until warmed through.
Tips for the Best Instant Pot Soup
- Deglaze for flavor: after toasting mustard seeds, stir in water and scrape the bottom of the pot to release flavorful browned bits.
- Dice small: cut turnips into ¼" cubes to ensure they cook through during the Instant Pot cycle.
- Add acid last: stir in lemon juice and fresh herbs after pressure cooking to keep the soup's flavor bright and fresh.
Corned Beef Recipes you may like
f you enjoyed this soup, you might also like my Homemade Corned Beef Hash and Eggs for a crispy breakfast. This Instant Pot Corned Beef for a classic dinner, or try these Open Face Reuben Sandwiches.
When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion. diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 fennel bulb diced (reserve fronds)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ tablespoon toasted mustard seed
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 3 pounds corned beef diced or shredded
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups chopped cabbage
- 5 turnips diced small in ¼" cubes (about 2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon pink salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- Fennel fronds
- Juice of 1 fresh lemon
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté. It should read "30".
- Add butter and onion. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add celery stalks, fennel, and garlic. Saute 6 more minutes.
- Push vegetables to the sides of the pot so there's a "hole" in the middle, exposing the metal bottom of the pan. Add the mustard seeds to the middle of the pan and stir, toasting the seeds for 2 minutes.
- Add the allspice to the center with the mustard seeds and toast for 2 more minutes.
- Turn off the sauté feature.
- Add 2 cups water to the pot and stir.
- Remove 1 cup of the broth and process in a blender till smooth. Return the processed stock to the pot. Stir.
- Add the corned beef, bay leaf, tomato paste, cabbage, turnips, salt, and pepper. Fill the instant pot up with water till it nears the Max Fill line. Do NOT fill it higher than this line.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the vent to "sealing", and set the Instant Pot to cook for 30 minutes on high pressure.
- While the cabbage soup cooks, dice the parsley and fennel fronds, being careful not to use any of the harder stems of the fennel.
- When the soup is done cooking, allow the Instant Pot to sit and slow release pressure for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, you may set the vent to "venting" to release the remainder of the pressure.
- When the pressure cooker is done venting, open the pot. Add the parsley, fennel fronds, and lemon juice, and stir. Serve and enjoy!
Christine Longval Maxwell says
How much allspice? It’s not listed in the ingredients only the instructions....?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Christine, I would use 1/2 teaspoon. Thanks for letting me know and I will adjust the recipe! Shelby
Rhonda Schilling says
This recipe calls for allspice but it does not give an amount. Also, do the ingredient amounts change if you do not have an instant pot? Thanks! I'm looking forward to trying this.