Brothy Leek, Lamb & Cabbage Soup

Here’s a simple recipe for Brothy Leek, Lamb and Cabbage Soup – a delicious, soul-warming soup that can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stove top!  Keep it Low carb and Keto-friendly or add white beans! Serve this up with crusty bread or try these Savory Cheddar Scones!

Hey friends, I’m so excited to share this Leek, Lamb and Cabbage Soup with you! It’s so light and brothy and made with very simple ingredients- and the best part, it can be made in an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, which makes things especially easy. Or make it on the stovetop.

Most of the time we see lamb featured in heavier stews and yes, I have a few of these here on the blog too-like this Middle Eastern Lamb Stew  – but for Spring I wanted to share something a little lighter and leaner. (If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know my deep love for  Broth-Based Soups.)

If you are following the keto diet, you can leave out the white beans– totally up to you.

The recipe starts with 2 large leeks, a whole head of cabbage and lamb stew meat- cut from lamb leg or lamb shoulder.  It’s perfect for those tougher cuts of meat you may have frozen in your freezer.

This week I’ve partnered with American Lamb, which supports locally sourced and sustainably-raised lamb.  I always feel good knowing I’m supporting local producers.

How to make Cabbage Lamb Soup

Cut the lamb into 1 -2-inch chunks.

Cut the leeks into 1/4 inch rounds and soak in water to remove any dirt or grit.

Drain and begin sauteing them in an Instant pot, or in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven.

The moisture from washing the leeks will help soften them, so wash them, even if they don’t seem very dirty. Add the carrots and celery.

While the leeks, carrots and celery are sauteing, cut the cabbage into chunks.

Add the cabbage, lamb and broth and spices to the pot.

Give a good stir.  The soup will get brothier as the cabbage cooks down.

At this point you could add some dry white beans to the instant pot or add canned white beans after the stew has cooked.

If using an instant pot, set to high pressure for 40 minutes. Manually Release!

For the stove top alternative, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover,and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Stir in a little Apple Cider Vinegar and adjust salt to your liking.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread!

My husband really loves this soup with grated pecorino– it adds a delicious depth, but feel free to keep it light and lean, up to you.

The Cabbage Lamb Soup keeps up to 4 days in the fridge or can be frozen for later use.

The lamb-infused broth is truly heavenly, perfect for dunking bread or biscuits. We served the soup with these Savory Rye Scones and it was divine!

Please make a batch of this Brothy Leek Lamb and Cabbage Soup and let me know what you think below.

Hope you are staying well!!

xoxo

Sylvia

More recipes you may like:

• Instant Pot Middle Eastern Lamb Stew
• Lamb Meatballs with Indian Curry Sauce
• 20 Best Broth-Based Soup Recipes
• Moroccan Braised Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate
• Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Herb Salad and Yogurt Sauce

Brothy Leek, Lamb and Cabbage Soup ( Instapot)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 21 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 50
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 6
• Category: soup, lamb
• Method: Instant Pot
• Cuisine: Irish
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Brothy Leek, Lamb and Cabbage Soup- a delicious, soul-warming soup that can be made in a Pressure Cooker. Add white beans or leave them out for a low-carb, keto option. Serve with Savory Cheddar Scones!

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 leeks, sliced into rings, rinsed, drained.
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
• 1 medium head green cabbage, halved, cored, cut into roughly 1-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 lbs lamb (stew meat- shoulder, leg, etc, or beef stew meat) cut into 2-inch pieces, fat trimmed
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Apple Cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme (or Herbs de Provence, or Italian seasoning)
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• ———
• 1 can white beans, drained (see notes for dry)
• fresh parsley
• grated pecorino ( or other hard salty cheese- manchego, parmesan)

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Instructions

1. Cut leeks into rings, place in a bowl and soak in water, separating the rings. Rinse out any dirt and drain. Heat oil in the Pressure Cooker, add the rinsed leeks, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute until leeks start to tenderize, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the cabbage, lamb, broth, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar, thyme, caraway, cayenne and bay leaves. If adding dry white beans add them now (1/2 cup). Give a stir.
3. Set Pressure Cooker to High pressure for 40 minutes. Manually or natually release.
4. Add canned white beans if using and set to saute function to heat those beans through.  Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
5. Serve in bowls with fresh Italian parsley, grated pecorino and crusty bread (or these Savory Cheddar Scones)

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Notes

If using dry white beans- resist the urge to add more than 1/2 cup- if you want the soup to be brothy.

STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Using a heavy bottom pot or large dutch oven follow directions 1 & 2 above, except leave out the cabbage in step 2. ( You can add dry white beans). Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low or medium low, and simmer gently for 1 hour.
2. Add the cabbage and just enough water to cover it, when pressed down.   
3. Continue cooking another 30-45 minutes, until lamb is tender, pulling apart easily with two forks.
4. Continue to step 4 above and taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Serve in bowls with fresh Italian parsley, grated pecorino and crusty bread (or these Savory Cheddar Scones)

*** For even more flavor you could brown the lamb beforehand- optional.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: -with 1 can white beans added
• Calories: 335
• Sugar: 10.4 g
• Sodium: 877.7 mg
• Fat: 11.2 g
• Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 30.7 g
• Fiber: 9.6 g
• Protein: 29.7 g
• Cholesterol: 75 mg