Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Stew (vegan)

A quick and delicious stew reminiscent of cabbage rolls made easy in a pressure cooker – featuring cabbage, soy protein, rice, and vegetables.

It’s that time of year. The air is cooler, with a slight briskness to it. The leaves are beginning to fall. And we find ourselves craving more hearty soups and stews. We really enjoy this Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Stew – not just because it’s the best and easiest way to eat unwrapped cabbage rolls… but for several other really great reasons:

• It’s super easy to make!
• It’s thick and hearty!
• It’s nutritious!
• It’s portable!
• It tastes great!

So let’s start with the first reason. This Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Stew is super easy to make! For one thing, a pressure cooker makes this stew a breeze. I like using the sauté function on the Instant Pot to sauté the mirepoix – onions, celery, and carrots. Then you toss in the remaining Instant Pot ingredients, including shredded cabbage.

While the Instant Pot is doing it’s thing, you reconstitute the texturized vegetable protein by combining it with the remaining TVP ingredients. You can substitute the TVP for cooked bulgur, kasha, or farro. You’ll get a slightly different flavor and texture, but it will still be extremely nutritious, and satisfying. This is a great option for anyone avoiding soy products.

Then, when the Instant Pot releases its pressure naturally, simply add the TVP mixture into the cooked vegetable stew. And you’re done. Super simple, fast, and easy.

Second, this Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Stew is thick and hearty! Of course it contains a lot of vegetables; but it also contains TVP, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. The TVP absorbs a lot of liquid and the tomato paste thickens things up quite a bit more. You can always thin it down or thicken it up by increasing or decreasing the amount of vegetable broth or water. I like using my Umami Vegetable Broth which uses kitchen scraps so it’s practically free and contains no added colors, preservatives, or sodium.

Third, this Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Stew is extremely nutritious! So yeah, I’m sure you already know that the vegetables in this stew are super healthy and good for you. And you probably also know that you’re supposed to incorporate as many colors of the rainbow to ensure you’re getting all sorts of nutrients your body needs. But did you know that TVP is really great source of lean plant protein? After all, TVP stands for texturized vegetable protein.

Made from soy flour, TVP is naturally high in fiber, low in fat, and contains no cholesterol. (The Spruce Eats) It’s also less expensive and is shelf-stable which makes for a great plant protein source during emergencies. Because it is made from soy flour, it is considered a refined soy product. Much like tofu, it doesn’t have any real flavor on its own, but does absorb flavors and spices well. And since it mimics the texture of ground meat, it’s great it my Plant-based Taco Filling and in soups and stews like this Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Stew.

Fourth, this Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Stew is extremely portable. And fifth, it tastes great! So, for me, Reasons 4 and 5 go together. I say this soup is portable because it tastes even better the next day. When you look at this way, this stew becomes a great make-the-day before option for camping trips, leftovers, meal prep, and work lunch the next day. To keep things really easy, you can ladle some of this stew into a hot thermos for a ready-to-eat meal when you’re traveling.

My sweet daughter-in-law gave me these adorable camping theme mugs last Christmas. I love how fun they are. But they’re also large enough to serve soup, stew, and chili. She definitely makes me a happy camper.

I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Stew as much as I do.  I’m just starting out and would love to see your results.

Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!   

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Instant Pot Ingredients

• 1 cup celery, chopped (3-4 stalks)
• 1 cup carrots, sliced (3 carrots)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cups cabbage, shredded
• 2 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced (4-6 cloves)
• 2 cups tomatoes, chopped (1 can)
• 1 cup light brown or white rice*
• 4 cups vegetable broth, divided
• 2 bay leaves
• dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Reconstituted TVP Ingredients

• 1 cup texturized vegetable protein (TVP)
• 1 cup hot water or vegetable broth
• 16 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar 
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp herbes de provence
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp allspice
• 5 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Using the sauté function on your Instant Pot, sauté the onion, celery, carrots, and cabbage, until almost tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Press “Cancel” and add in the minced garlic, rice, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, red pepper flakes (if using), and 3 cups of broth. Stir to combine.
3. Attach the lid and make sure the relief valve is turned to sealing.
4. Select High Pressure for 5 minutes, then allow pressure to release naturally, about 15-25 minutes.

1. Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the Reconstituted TVP Ingredients list.  Set aside.

Once the pressure has released, remove the lid, and add the reconstituted TVP mixture.  Stir in an additional 1 cup of vegetable broth.

Adjust seasonings, herbs, and salt, as desired.

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Notes

* I use light brown rice which cooks in 4 minutes in the Instant Pot.  You can replace it with white rice if you prefer. You can definitely use brown rice in this soup but you should cook it separately beforehand to ensure the rice and soup cooks properly.  Then add the cooked brown rice to the soup when you add the TVP.  Otherwise, your soup may turn to mush if you try to cook the soup 22-25 minutes to ensure your rice cooks completely.

– If you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can make this easily on the stovetop. That’s how I used to make it. Just sauté your vegetables until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Then add your remaining ingredients (except lemon juice) and simmer on low heat, about 30-45 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

– This soup is delicious the next day, allowing the ingredients and flavors to mingle.

– I used a 14 ounce bag of classic coleslaw from Aldi. (it contains 5-6 cups)