You can make this delicious Leftover Corned Beef Soup in the Instant Pot or on the Stove, and this soup is really low in carbs. And just make corned beef soup with thick-sliced corned beef from the deli when you don’t have any leftover corned beef!

PIN the Corned Beef Soup to try it later!

Leftover Corned Beef Soup finished soup in two serving bowls

I know you don’t have leftover corned beef quite yet, but St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, and all the corned beef fans (like me!) will be cooking Instant Pot Corned Beef or Slow Cooker Corned Beef for a special dinner. So I’m reminding you about this amazing Leftover Corned Beef Soup; this is one of my favorite things to make with leftover corned beef!

Or just buy some corned beef from the deli to make this soup; that will also be amazing! And when made this recently to take better photos, Kara and I decided to create a version for the Instant Pot, so now you have two methods to choose from for this tasty soup.

We loved this soup with some coarsely grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, and grated Swiss cheese would also be good if you want Reuben sandwich flavor notes, but the soup is dairy-free if you skip the cheese. I also recommend serving it with your best balsamic vinegar in case people want to drizzle a little more on at the table. I hope you enjoy trying this soup if you’re a corned beef fan!

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

How did we change Corned Beef Soup for the Instant Pot version?

For the Instant Pot version we used less sauerkraut and more corned beef to make a soup that’s lower in carbs, and I’m changing those amounts for the stovetop version as well. Kara is not a big corned beef fan, but she pronounced this soup to be “very good” when we tested it. And for the Instant Pot version everything goes in at once and it only needs 5 minutes under pressure, which makes that a quick and really easy recipe.

What Balsamic Vinegar did I use for corned beef soup?

You can make this soup with any balsamic vinegar you buy at the grocery store and it will be just fine. But if you really want to boost the flavor (without buying a super pricey bottle of balsamic vinegar at an import store) I’ve been thrilled with this Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (affiliate link) that I buy at Amazon.com. It’s sweeter and thicker than regular balsamic vinegar, and you only need a tiny amount when you use it, so the bottle will last a long time!

How low in carbs is the corned beef soup?

This amazing soup to make with leftover corned beef or deli corned beef has only 4 net carbs per serving!

Want more ideas for soup with cabbage?

Check out Low-Carb and Keto Soups with Cabbage if you’d like more soup ideas to make during March while cabbage is on sale.

Leftover Corned Beef Soup process shots collage

How to Make Leftover Corned Beef Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Drain sauerkraut in a colander placed in the sink. (If your sauerkraut doesn’t seem that chopped up, I used kitchen shears to chop it up a bit more.)
  2. Cut up the corned beef into medium-sized cubes (or smaller if you prefer.)
  3. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT. Heat the olive oil, then add onion and cook 4-5 minutes; add minced garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.
  4. Then add chicken stock, beef stock, dried thyme, diced tomatoes, drained sauerkraut, diced corned beef, Worcestershire Sauce, bay leaves, and chopped parsley.
  5. Set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 5 minutes.
  6. When the cooking time is up, let the Instant Pot NATURAL RELEASE for 10 minutes; then release the rest of the pressure.
  7. Stir in balsamic vinegar and Monkfruit sweetener, season with fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.
  8. We ate it with coarsely-grated Parmesan Cheese sprinkled on top and a drizzle of  extra balsamic vinegar.
  9. This soup would be delicious with my Brown Irish Brown Bread to dip into the soup if you don’t mind the extra carbs!
  10. Scroll down to complete recipe to see the stovetop instructions.

Leftover Corned Beef Soup finished soup in two serving bowls

More Corned Beef for St. Patrick’s Day:

Leftover Corned Beef Soup finished soup in two serving bowls
Yield: 8 servings

Leftover Corned Beef Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Leftover Corned Beef Soup is loaded with flavor from sauerkraut and tomatoes; use corned beef from the deli if you don't have leftovers!

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 T minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 2 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth (see notes)
  • 2 cups homemade beef stock (see notes)
  • one 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 T Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley (see notes)
  • 3 large bay leaves
  • 12 oz. sauerkraut, drained but not rinsed
  • 12 oz. cooked corned beef
  • 1 T Monkfruit sweetener (see notes)
  • 1 T balsamic vinegar
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions:

  1. Drain sauerkraut in a colander placed in the sink. (If your sauerkraut doesn't seem that chopped up, I used kitchen shears to chop it up a bit more.
  2. Cut up the corned beef into medium-sized cubes (or smaller if you prefer.)
  3. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT.
  4. Heat the olive oil, then add the chopped onion and cook about 4-5 minutes; add minced garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.
  5. Then add chicken broth, beef broth, dried thyme, diced tomatoes with juice, drained sauerkraut, diced corned beef, Worcestershire Sauce, bay leaves, and chopped parsley.
  6. Set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 5 minutes.
  7. When the cooking time is up, let the Instant Pot NATURAL RELEASE for 10 minutes; then release the rest of the pressure.
  8. Stir in balsamic vinegar and Monkfruit sweetener, season to taste with lots of fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.
  9. We ate it with coarsely-grated Parmesan Cheese sprinkled on top and a drizzle of  extra balsamic vinegar.

Stovetop Instructions:

  1. You will need about one cup more beef broth to make this on the stove.
  2. Chop one onion to make 1 cups chopped onion.
  3. Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot, add onion and saute 4-5 minutes, or until the onions are starting to get lightly browned.
  4. Add minced garlic and saute 2-3 minutes more.
  5. Add chicken broth, beef broth, diced tomatoes with juice, Worcestershire sauce, chopped parsley, and bay leaves and let soup simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  6. While soup simmers, drain the sauerkraut in a colander placed in the sink.
  7. Cut corned beef into medium-sized cubes
  8. When sauerkraut is drained, coarsely chop with kitchen scissors or a large chef’s knife.
  9. After 30 minutes, add sauerkraut, corned beef, and sweetener to the soup.
  10. Stir soup to see if it’s getting too thick, and add a little water if needed. (You probably won't need the water if you add the extra cup of beef stock.)
  11. Let soup simmer 15 minutes more.
  12. After 15 minutes, stir in 1 T balsamic vinegar and season to taste with fresh ground black pepper. 
  13. Serve hot, sprinkled with coarsely-grated Parmesan or Swiss cheese and an extra drizzle of balsamic vinegar if desired.

Notes

If you have homemade chicken stock or homemade beef stock, that would be amazing in this soup! I used flat-leaf parsley but either kind will be fine. I love Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), but use any sweetener of your choice.

I havenโ€™t frozen it yet, but Iโ€™m sure this soup freezes well.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 162Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 43mgSodium 1139mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 10g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

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Square image of Leftover Corned Beef Soup in two serving bowls with cheese and balsamic vinegar.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Corned Beef Soup is great for low-carb or Keto plans. Corned beef isn’t really recommended for the original South Beach Diet, due to the amount of saturated fat. However, if you indulge in it for a special occasion like St. Patrick’s Day, this soup is packed with other low-glycemic ingredients which makes it a healthful way to use the leftovers.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโ€™s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโ€™m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
Leftover Corned Beef Soup was first posted in 2011. The recipe was updated with better photos in 2021 and was last updated with more information in 2024.

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