Instant Pot Cabbage (Vegan & Oil-Free)

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This vegan version of Instant Pot Cabbage is one of the easiest healthy side dishes you’ll ever make. It’s ready in only a few minutes and pairs well with so many other recipes.

instant pot full of cooked cabbage with a wooden spoon

Growing up in the South, there are some things you eat a lot of, and one of those is CABBAGE! Cabbage with cornbread, cabbage with beans, cabbage with whatever you want. You should also try my Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas.

overhead shot of plate full of food cooked cabbage, beans, cornbread with red checker napkin

We still eat cabbage at my house on any given night, so I recently decided to look up how to make it in my Instant Pot. I came upon a recipe from Clean Eating Kitchen that sounded really simple with only 3 ingredients–cabbage, oregano, and vegetable broth. But, y’all know I’m gonna Terri-Tweak it to add a little more flavor, so I came up with my own spin on it, and it turned out delicious!

overhead shot of white bowl full of cooked cabbage with wooden spoon

How to make Instant Pot cabbage

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

This is such a super simple recipe, and it only requires a few ingredients that you likely already have on hand, and it needs to cook for 5 minutes. Seriously!

Prepare the cabbage for cooking

You’re going to need to start with a medium-sized head of cabbage and wash it well. Next, remove a few of the outer leaves to get down to the cleanest part.

Slice the cabbage head in half and remove the core by cutting a V-shape around it. After that, lay the flat side down on your cutting board and slice it into 1″ pieces, then cut those in half. You just want to get a rough cut into bite-size pieces.

cabbage head sliced in half on cutting board with knife

I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.

How to cook cabbage in an Instant Pot

A couple of things that add lots of flavor to dishes are onions and garlic and that’s the case with this Instant Pot pressure cooker cabbage as well.

Begin by dicing up your onion and garlic. Then, place them along with 1/4 cup vegetable broth into your Instant Pot insert and set it to SAUTE.

instant pot with sauted onions

Allow the onions to begin to darken just a little and then add another tablespoon of the veggie broth or water and stir them around a bit.

Next, add the Italian seasoning, low-sodium soy sauce, the rest of the vegetable broth, and the chopped cabbage. Stir it up well enough for the seasonings to get all over the cabbage.

instant pot full of cooked cabbage

Your pot is going to be very full, but the cabbage shrinks a lot when cooking so it will make more space in there. Place the lid on and lock it into place. Set to MANUEL and the time to 5 minutes. Also, make sure the vent is set to the SEALING position.

Once cooking has finished and the timer goes off, carefully use a large spoon, dishcloth, or potholder to turn the vent knob and do a quick release to allow the pressure to come down.

plate with cooked cabbage, baked beans, and cornbread

How long does it take to cook cabbage in a pressure cooker?

It’s really a preference thing. I like my cabbage to have a little crisp to it, so 5 minutes seems to be the magic spot. Carrie with the Clean Eating Kitchen only cooked hers for 4 minutes. Some folks may like their cabbage a little more done and would likely be happy with about 6-minutes.

My 6-quart Instant Pot takes about 15 minutes to come to pressure for this recipe. Then the 5-minute cooking time begins. So, my total Instant Pot time is about 20 minutes.

white bowl of cooked cabbage on wood table

Stovetop instructions:

This recipe can very easily be made on the stovetop in about the same amount of time. Simply follow the same instructions as above except using a stockpot. After sauteing the onions and garlic, add the cabbage and seasonings. Cover with a lid and allow to cook on medium heat for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is tender.

Recipes that go well with cooked cabbage

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

instant pot full of cooked cabbage with a wooden spoon
4.72 from 7 votes

Instant Pot Cabbage

This vegan version of Instant Pot Cabbage is one of the easiest healthy side dishes you'll ever make. It's ready in only a few minutes and pairs well with so many other recipes.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Additional Time 1 minute
Total: 11 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

Instructions

  • You’re going to need to start with a medium-sized head of cabbage and wash it well. Next, remove a few of the outer leaves to get down to the cleanest part.
  • Slice the cabbage head in half and remove the core by cutting a V-shape around it. After that, lay the flat side down on your cutting board and slice into 1″ pieces then cut those in half. You just want to get a rough cut into bite-size pieces.
  • Dice up the onion and garlic and then place them, along with 1/4 cup vegetable broth, into your Instant Pot insert and set it to Saute.
  • Allow the onions to begin to darken just a little and then add another tablespoon of the veggie broth or water and stir them around.
  • Next, add the Italian seasoning, low-sodium soy sauce, the rest of the vegetable broth, and the chopped cabbage. Stir it up well enough for the seasonings to get all over the cabbage.
  • Your pot is going to be very full, but the cabbage shrinks a lot when cooking so it will make more space in there. Place the lid on and lock it into place. Set to Manual and the time to 5 minutes. Also, make sure the vent is set to the SEALING position.
  • Once cooking has finished and the timer goes off, carefully use a spoon, dishcloth, or potholder to turn the vent knob and do a quick release to allow the pressure to come down.

Video

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
Pairs well with my cornbread recipe.
Stovetop Directions:
This recipe can very easily be made on the stovetop in about the same amount of time. Simply follow the same instructions as above except use a stockpot. After sauteing the onions and garlic, add the cabbage and seasonings. Cover with a lid and allow to cook on medium heat for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is tender.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Sodium: 156mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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9 Comments

    1. This recipe can very easily be made on the stovetop in about the same amount of time. Simply follow the same instructions as above except use a stockpot. After sauteing the onions and garlic, add the cabbage and seasonings. Cover with a lid and allow to cook on medium heat for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is tender.

  1. I don’t know why, but I have been craving cabbage lately. I found your recipe and have made it 3 times. Just delicious. I just found your recipe for Vegan Italian Parmesan Cabbage Wedges. That recipe is going to be tried next.

  2. Delicious and so easy to make. I had some leftover cooked barley I threw in at the end. Looking forward to enjoying this again. Thanks.

    1. @Shellie, I make it for potlucks all the time and add potato chunks and vegan Italian sausage slices or frozen meatballs.
      I’ve also used fennel in 1″ chunks added along with fennel seeds. You can add carrot and parsnip chunks to the recipe and add caraway seeds or dill. I add sliced vegan brats in also.
      The best thing about this meal is that it’s quick, tasty, and tastes fabulous! It’s a no-brainer.

  3. Terri, I made this last night for dinner. I liked it very much. It was served with my garden’s green beans seasoned with lemon and dill spice, delicata squash with some brown sugar ( sometimes delicacta are tasteless) , half a sweet potato and your corn bread. Fun meal

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