Instant Pot Magic: Sirloin Steak, Tomato and Cabbage Soup

Blackeye peas and braised cabbage are two foods which are typically eaten on New Year’s Day here in Louisiana. My dear Cajun next door neighbor — who was just a little suspicious — always made sure we had these foods as they represent good luck and wealth for the new year. Most grocery stores have deep cardboard containers of cabbage for sale in late December. I found a few remaining very large heads of cabbage in January. I love cabbage; who can pass up a nine-pound cabbage for 55 cents? But they need to be cooked soon as the Vitamin C in the cabbage decreases over time. And so I made several dishes with this cabbage. My favorite was a savory soup made in my Instant Pot containing very lean top sirloin steak, beef broth, cabbage and diced tomatoes. I just love this combination of ingredients.

Here’s a carboard bin that is typically found in grocery stores here in South Louisiana around the new year. It is a “hot deal” for sure as these cabbages were still available in January. I purchased one for a very discounted price of 10-cents a pound plus a discount of half this price.

One-Pot “Soup” in an Instant Pot

Yes, I’m still cooking new dishes in my Instant Pot a year after I received it. It has been a creative challenge and provides me with lots of entertainment in the kitchen. Over time, I have found that some recipes adapt better than others to the Instant Pot method of cooking. Soups and stews work well because they have plenty of liquid to pressurize the Instant Pot.

One of my goals is to figure out ways to cook all the steps of the recipe in the Instant Pot rather than using multiple pots and pans. My adaptation of a recipe in an “Instant Pot” magazine turned into “Sirloin Steak, Tomato and Cabbage Soup.” It is quick and easy. And, yes, all the steps are done in the Instant Pot. The flavor of this soup is excellent, combining sirloin steak, beef broth, with tomatoes, cabbage and seasonings.

Recipe

Here are the ingredients for my soup. It is very simple.

The grocery store where I purchased the cabbage also had top sirloin steaks on sale. This cut of beef is very lean. It works well for moist heat methods of cooking. I used one of these steaks in this recipe (about 1-1/2 lb beef), trimmed the fat and cut it into large cubes.

To make the recipe, sauté the chopped onions and garlic with oil in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting — and with the lid off. Season the sirloin chunks with salt, pepper, paprika and add them to the Instant Pot, searing them on all sides.

Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and mix in with the sirloin chunks. Next, layer on shredded cabbage — but don’t stir. Last, pour on beef broth and canned diced tomatoes with juice. Press down on the cabbage until the broth and juice from tomatoes is on top. This is important to provide enough liquid for the Instant Pot to pressurize.

Place on the Instant Pot lid and twist it to lock. Set the steam valve to seal. Cook for 20 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to pressurize and more time to cool off. The Instant Pot keeps track of the temperature and cooking time. So simple. It allows you to tend to other tasks in the kitchen, computer area and elsewhere which turns out to be a nice unanticipated benefit of using an Instant Pot. And I achieved my goal of doing all the steps in the Instant Pot.

I am very pleased with this hearty soup. It is made with lean beef — so this dish is relatively low in fat — plus the tomatoes and cabbage provide Vitamin C. All the vegetables provide antioxidants. And now I have another healthy and nutritious recipe using cabbage. This soup tastes great during this cold winter weather. I hope you enjoy this easy Instant Pot soup recipe!

I got a bargain with my 55-cents cabbage head weighing nine pounds. Cabbage is a cool weather crop and the price is best during the winter months. But cabbage is readily available all year, so make this soup any time of the year!