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Instant Pot Chicken Cabbage Soup recipe with Chinese Napa cabbage, juicy chicken and shiitake. This instant pot chicken Napa cabbage soup is Paleo, Whole30 and Keto and ready in 20 minutes. Perfect for fall weather and colder months. Stovetop instructions included!
Instant Pot Chicken Cabbage Soup – Healthy, Easy, and Cozy Delicious!
Cabbages are probably one of my top three favorite go-to vegetables. They pack with tons of umami and the flavor intensifies after you cook them. I’ve written quite a few cabbage recipes from Asian Chicken Cabbage Salad, Chicken Cabbage Stir-Fry, Chinese Lion’s Head meatball stew with cabbage, to today’s Instant Pot Chicken Cabbage Soup.
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There are many chicken cabbage soup recipes on the net with various seasonings. If you are looking for a new exciting flavor, definitely check out my Asian-flavored cabbage soup made with shiitake.
Stir-Fry Version
If you don’t have an Instant Pot at home, I have a stovetop version you can find it here. It is a stir-fry recipe and you can easily convert it to soup by adding more chicken stock. Follow the same cooking steps below and adjust seasonings before serving. Simple and easy!
By completely coincidence I added a few chopped jalapeno before serving. Jalapeno is not a traditional ingredient you’ll find in Chinese cabbage soup but both my husband and I love the little spicy flavor punch. You can use them as a garnish to individual serving bowls so everyone can enjoy the soup based on their preference.
I highly recommend that you use chicken thighs for this cabbage soup recipe. Thigh meat will be more moist and tender than breast meat. Some people feel that thigh meat is too rich to the taste buds but in this case since the flavor is diluted with the broth, if you can, I recommend you give thigh meat a try.
More Cabbage Recipes!
- Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry
- Paleo Chicken Stir-Fry with Cabbage
- Creamed Chinese Napa Cabbage
- Sauteed Taiwanese cabbage
So my dear readers this Instant Pot Chicken Cabbage Soup is –
Easy
Healthy
Low carb
Umami flavor rich
Fall and colder weather friendly
& Paleo, Whole30, Keto
If you give this Instant Pot Chicken Cabbage Soup a try, be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It’ll help me and my blog tremendously. Thanks in advance.
And if you aren’t a blog subscriber yet, be sure to subscriber to me blog and get my free video guide on how to make 10 Delicious Paleo Meals Ready in 10 Minutes Each!
Instant Pot Chicken Cabbage Soup (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)
Video
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 lbs chicken thighs , boneless and skinless
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Aromatics:
- 6-7 large cloves garlic , sliced
- 2 large shallots , sliced lengthwise
- 4-5 thin slices fresh ginger , finely chopped
Other:
- Half One Whole napa cabbage , about 6-8 heaping cups, dice to 2.5-inch sections, separate stems and leafy parts
- 5 to 6 oz. fresh shiitake , sliced
- Avocado oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp Red Boat fish sauce , optional
- 1 bulb scallion , chopped
- 1 whole red or green jalapeno , optional
Instructions
- Season the chicken, prep aromatics, and dice napa cabbage and slice shiitake. Set them aside ready to use.
- In a 6-quart instant pot, press “Saute” and wait until the panel indicates hot, add 2 tbsp avocado oil and sear the chicken thighs about 3 minutes per side. Set the chicken aside.
- Add 1 to 1.5 tbsp cooking oil, saute garlic, shallots, and ginger until fragrant (about 20-25 seconds). Season with a pinch of salt.
- Deglaze the pot with 1 cup chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits. Press “Cancel”. Add chicken, shiitake, and cabbage stems on the top layer. Seal the lid and valve, Press “Manual” and adjust cook time to 15 minutes. Once the Instant Pot is done cooking (it will beep) wait for 10 minutes (natural release) before switching to quick release.
- Stir-in cabbage leaves. Season the broth with coconut aminos and toasted sesame oil. Taste and see if you like to add the fish sauce or more salt. Garnish with chopped scallions and jalapeno, if using. Serve hot or warm with sautéed cauliflower rice, roasted sweet potatoes, or any rice or sweet potato noodles for a gluten-free meal.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love more pressure cooker/Instant Pot recipes? Check out my Instant Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew Bo Kho, Best Whole30 Instant Pot Recipes, Instant Pot Butter Chicken, Instant Pot Chinese Bone Broth, Taiwanese Meat Sauce, Pumpkin Chicken Korma, and my Instant Pot recipe archive.
Hi ChihYu! This recipe looks fabulous and I am planning to make it for a dinner I am hosting this coming Friday. I am planning to do the stovetop version since I don’t have an IP. Do you think it will reheat well if I make it on Thursday? If I do that, do you think I should save any individual step for Friday? Thanks in advance!
HI Anita, thanks for reaching out. Stove top will be great. You’ll have more control of the heat. If you use napa cabbage, I would add the cabbage leafy parts (cabbage leaves) on the serving day so they won’t turn too mushy or disappeared in the broth :). Please use chicken thighs so the meat will remain tender. Actually this soup tastes even more fragrant the day after so if you make it a night before I think it’ll be perfect.
About the chicken stock (liquid) to add to the pot, it depends on the size of the pot you’ll use. Since you’ll be making it on the stovetop, please add just enough liquid to cover the chicken and some parts of the cabbage stems. The chicken and the cabbage will release more liquid during cooking. Allow it to cook and simmer over medium heat. Check periodically so if the water level becomes too low you can add more liquid. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let me know how it goes!
This looks like comfort food to me! So delicious. 🙂
Thank you, Raia! Totally agree with you – Chicken cabbage soup is my comfort food, too!
Ginger, onion and garlic are my favorite aromatics! Also the napa cabbage is where it’s at. It’s hard for me to find at times but when I do see it, I snatch it right away. Will make this next time I have some on hand!
This looks amazing I can’t wait to try! Do you think boneless chicken breast would work?
Hi Gilda, You can but the flavor might be less fragrant because breasts contain less fat than thighs. Also the texture will be drier. You can either do a combination of breasts and thighs or if all breasts, I recommend checking out my Chicken Cabbage Stir-Fry version – https://iheartumami.com/paleo-chicken-stir-fry/
Thanks so much for replying! Xx
I’m loving all the flavors in this soup! Chicken and cabbage are such a great combo, and I love that you can make this in the IP.
I just love those big chunks of cabbage in there – the shiitakes are so amazing I bet! I can’t wait to make this for soup night next week!
This is more of an IP question… whenever a recipe says “manual”, do we assume it’s high pressure (not low)? I’m not sure and I don’t see where it’s explained. Looking forward to trying this recipe, it sounds so good!
Thanks!
Hi Cheri, thanks for reaching out. Newer Instant pot have Pressure level button instead of the manual button. When a recipe says Manual on High I would use the Pressure Level button and adjust it to High Pressure. Hope that helps!
Thanks, just to clarify. If the recipe only says “manual”… should we select high or low pressure? It doesn’t usually tell you. Thanks!
Hi! Excited to make this recipe tonight but a little confused how there’s only 1 cup of broth for a soup that serves 6people?
You need 1 cup of water to keep the instant pot from burning at the bottom. Napa cabbage leaks a lot of water and the chicken does, too. 🙂
Does this reheat well?
Yes! The cabbage might turn softer texture but the flavor will still be very delicious!
I always LOVE your recipes! the profile of flavors that you are producing is exactly what I love in Asian cuisine. I am going to try this soup today, but do have one question- I guess we need to add the chicken stock when we add the chicken and other ingredients back in the pot? it doesn’t say in the instructions.
HI Dana! Thanks so much! I updated the recipe. Please deglaze the pot with 1 cup chicken stock for a 6 quart Instant Pot. Appreciate it!
Thanks ChihYu! i’m preparing all the ingredients as we speak, can’t wait to try it at lunchtime 🙂
I will definitely try this. In the meantime, I haven’t quite figured out the IP yet. Can I use dried shiitakes instead of fresh? Do I need to soak them before adding them? And does it make a difference if I put the fish sauce in before cooking? Does the flavor get lost if it’s pressure-cooked? Finally, would leaving the IP to completely release naturally make the cabbage too soft? Thank you for all that you do; excellent recipes that are pretty simple and aligned with my diet.
Hi Ilsa, thanks so much for your kind words and hope you are well. Yes you can definitely use dried shiitake mushrooms. Please be sure to re-hydrate them first. Save the mushroom water and add that to the pot. The total liquid should be 1 cup of stock to a 6 quart size Instant Pot. So if you use the mushroom water please reduce the chicken stock quantity. About adding fish sauce before cooking – I recommend adding fish sauce after cooking because you might not need it, especially if you use the mushroom water. About natural release or quick release – chicken is a more delicate meat, compared to beef chuck roast (brisket…etc). I recommend natural release for 10 minutes then switch the valve to quick release. This way the chicken will remain tender and the cabbage won’t become too soft (mushy). Hope that helps!