This recipe takes the flavors of classic cabbage rolls — seasoned ground meat, tomato sauce, cabbage, and rice — and turns them into a single-pot soup, skipping the fussy work of rolling individual cabbage leaves. The whole dish comes together in a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot), starting with a quick sauté of meat and aromatics, then everything else goes in together before pressure cooking finishes the job.

Because this recipe relies on a pressure cooker rather than a stovetop simmer, the technique here is less about careful monitoring and more about correct sequencing — sautéing first, then combining and sealing everything for the pressure cooking phase, followed by a proper pressure release before serving.

Understanding the Components

Before starting, it helps to think of this recipe in two stages:

1. The Sautéed Base Ground beef, ground pork, and diced onion are cooked together until the meat is crumbly and the onions are soft and translucent, with garlic stirred in near the end. This step, done using the pressure cooker’s sauté function, builds the foundational savory flavor of the soup.

2. The Pressure-Cooked Soup Once the meat mixture is seasoned, the remaining ingredients — beef broth, cabbage, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and rice — are all added together and cooked under pressure, which is what allows the rice to cook and the cabbage to soften in a fraction of the time a stovetop version would take.

Kitchen Workflow: The Order That Actually Saves Time

Here’s the most efficient order to work through this recipe:

Step 1 — Sauté the meat and onion. Turn on the pressure cooker and select the Sauté function. Heat the olive oil and cook the ground beef, ground pork, and onion until the meat is crumbly and the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Step 2 — Add the garlic and drain. Stir in the garlic, then turn off the Sauté function and drain the grease from the pot.

Step 3 — Season the meat mixture. Season with brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, paprika, salt, pepper, and bay leaves.

Step 4 — Add the remaining ingredients. Mix in the beef broth, cabbage, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and rice.

Step 5 — Pressure cook. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to your manufacturer’s instructions, and set the timer for 15 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to build before the timer starts counting down.

Step 6 — Release pressure and serve. Release pressure using the natural-release method according to your manufacturer’s instructions, about 15 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid, stir the soup, and serve.

Draining the grease after the sauté step, before adding the seasonings and remaining ingredients, keeps the finished soup from becoming overly greasy — this is a small step that’s easy to skip but makes a real difference in the final texture.

Component Organization: Setting Up Your Station

A simple setup supports this one-pot recipe:

• The pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot) — used for both the sauté step and the pressure cooking phase
• A cutting board and knife — for dicing the onion and shredding the cabbage
• Measuring spoons and cups — for the seasonings, broth, and rice
• A ladle — for serving once the soup is finished

Because this is a true one-pot recipe, there’s minimal equipment needed beyond the pressure cooker itself — most of the prep work is simply measuring and chopping ingredients before they go into the pot.

Step-by-Step Assembly Strategy

Assembly here is really about layering the ingredients into the pot in the right order:

1. Start with the meat and onion sauté, since building this savory base first is what gives the finished soup its depth of flavor.
2. Stir in the garlic only near the end of the sauté step, since garlic can burn quickly if added too early.
3. Drain the excess grease before adding anything else, to keep the finished soup from being greasy.
4. Add the seasonings directly to the meat mixture before the liquid ingredients, so the spices have a chance to coat and flavor the meat.
5. Add the broth, cabbage, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and rice together, stirring to combine before sealing the lid.
6. Seal the pressure cooker and cook according to the timing above, allowing for the buildup time before the countdown begins.
7. Use the natural-release method as directed, rather than a quick release, to let the pressure come down gradually.

Practical Notes for Best Results

• Drain the grease after sautéing the meat and onions, before adding the remaining ingredients, to avoid a greasy finished soup.
• Add garlic near the end of the sauté step rather than at the beginning, since it can burn quickly over direct heat.
• Follow your specific pressure cooker’s manufacturer instructions for selecting high pressure and setting the timer, since interfaces can vary between models.
• Allow the full 10–15 minutes for pressure to build before the 15-minute cook timer begins counting down — this is a normal part of the process, not a sign of a problem.
• Use the natural-release method as specified, rather than manually releasing pressure quickly, since this affects how the rice and cabbage finish cooking.
• Stir the soup well after removing the lid, since ingredients can settle during the pressure cooking process.

Part 2: Straightforward Recipe Card

Cabbage Roll Soup

Description: Cabbage rolls turned into an easy-to-make soup with less fuss — all the classic flavors of seasoned ground meat, tomato sauce, cabbage, and rice, made simple in a pressure cooker.

Duration:

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Additional Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1 medium head cabbage, shredded
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice

Instructions:

1. Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot) and select the Sauté function. Heat olive oil and cook ground beef, ground pork, and onion until the meat is crumbly and onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic. Turn off Sauté function and drain grease.
2. Season with brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, paprika, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Mix in beef broth, cabbage, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and rice. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer’s instructions; set timer for 15 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
3. Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer’s instructions, about 15 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Stir soup and serve.

Notes:

• Nutrition per serving: 356 calories, 16g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 61mg cholesterol, 1091mg sodium, 30g total carbohydrate, 4g dietary fiber, 9g total sugars, 23g protein, 41mg vitamin C, 86mg calcium, 4mg iron, 721mg potassium.

Medical Disclaimer: The nutritional and dietary information provided in this document is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as, and should not be substituted for, professional medical or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Nutritional values are approximate and may vary based on specific brands, ingredient substitutions, and portion sizes used. Individuals with food allergies, dietary restrictions, or medical conditions—including but not limited to sodium-restricted diets or gluten sensitivities—should consult a qualified healthcare provider or registered dietitian before making changes to their diet. Reliance on any information provided in this document is solely at your own risk.