Vegan Instant Pot Lentil Soup features potatoes and spinach. You can walk away while it cooks and let your pressure cooker do the work. Plus lentils don't require soaking, so the prep time is minimal.
I love making soup in my Instant Pot. Not only is an electric pressure cooker easy to use, it's great for busy people.
You can make recipes like Vegan Potato Leek Soup, Vegan Potato Corn Chowder, and Vegan Wild Rice Soup without constantly stirring or watching to make sure the pot doesn't boil over.
And for soups using dried beans or legumes, like this Instant Pot Lentil Soup, they cook in less time than they would on the stove. And this version is loaded with comforting flavors and textures.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's thick and chunky with delicious flavors.
- You can walk away and do something else while the soup cooks.
- It's perfect for meal prep and is freezer friendly.
Ingredients
Instant Pot Lentil Soup is made with readily available ingredients you may already have on hand in your kitchen. Here's what you'll need:
- Olive oil (or use water for an oil-free version)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Celery
- Bay leaf
- Dried thyme
- Potatoes (I recommend yellow or gold, but white or red can also be used)
- Brown or green dried lentils (If you are looking for a recipe that used red lentils, try my Red Lentil Potato Soup.)
- Vegetable broth (or water)
- Fresh spinach (or use your favorite dark leafy greens such as Swiss chard or kale)
- Salt and pepper
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Equipment
You can use a 6-quart Instant Pot or an 8-quart model for this recipe.
Instant Pot Ultra 80 Ultra 8 Qt 10-in-1
- Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, and more
- Altitude adjustment, cooking indicator, and a steam release reset button
- Developed with the latest 3rd generation technology with an embedded microprocessor
Instructions
- Use the saute function to cook the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until lightly softened.
- Next add the bay leaf, thyme, potatoes, lentils, and vegetable broth or water. Give everything a quick stir.
- Then close the lid and set the timer for 7 minutes. Keep in mind that it will take time for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure before the 7 minutes start. After the 7 minutes is up, it will take some time for the pressure to release naturally.
- After it does, remove the lid, and stir in the spinach. Add some salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.
Stove top instructions
If you don't have an electric pressure cooker, you can make this recipe on the stove in a Dutch oven or large pot. Add an extra cup of liquid and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the lentils and potatoes are soft. Then stir in the spinach.
Serving suggestions
This lentil soup with potatoes and spinach is a complete meal on its own. Or you can serve it with salads or sides such as the following:
Storing and freezing
Leftover lentil soup can be covered and refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. You can reheat it on the stove or in a microwave.
Or you can freeze individual portions in mason jars or storage containers. Fill the glass jar with cooled soup, allowing some room at the top for expansion. Don't forget to label your lid so you and everyone else in your house knows what's inside.
Then before you want to eat one of the portions, transfer it to the refrigerator to defrost. Since soup tends to thicken when stored, you may want to add it to a sauce pan with a little water before reheating it.
For tips on freezing, refer to USDA Freezing and Food Safety.
FAQ
Red lentils are softer and will disintegrate when cooked, while brown or green lentils will hold their shape. For this Instant Pot Lentil Soup recipe, you should not use red lentils.
It generally takes between 5 to 15 minutes for an Instant Pot to get to high pressure.
Depending on the ingredients and the amount of liquid in the Instant Pot, it can take up to 30 minutes for the pressure to release naturally.
More lentil recipes
And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★
📋 Recipe
Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, for sauteing (or use a splash of water if avoiding oil)
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ cups gold potatoes, diced (or substitute white or red potatoes)
- 2 cups dried lentils, brown or green, rinsed (Do not use red lentils in this recipe.)
- 5 cups vegetable broth, or water
- 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Select the Saute function and add the olive oil to the Instant Pot.
- Saute the onions until they are softened and slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds more.
- Next add the carrots and celery and saute for a few minutes until the vegetables are softened.
- Add the bay leaf, thyme, potatoes, lentils, and vegetable broth (or water) and stir to combine.
- Close the lid and set the timer for 7 minutes on Manual (Pressure Cook on High).
- Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- After the pressure has released, remove the lid and stir in the spinach.
- Add salt and pepper, to taste, and enjoy.
Notes
- Keep in mind that it will take time for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure and come down from pressure before and after the 7 minutes start.
- Leftover soup can be covered and refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Mandy
I made this today in my MEALTHY pot and it was fantastic it’s definitely a keeper I’m going to make it again thank you so much. just what I wanted for the record I omit oil and I did add a fresh lemon juice squeeze at the end.
Amy Katz
I'm so happy to here it, Mandy! Love the lemon.
Sabrina
Melts in your mouth!!! I served it over brown basmati rice and added a dab of butter on top. My teenaged sons loved it too. This will be a family favorite!
Amy Katz
I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it, Sabrina!
Val
Is it still the same directions if made with red lentils?
Amy Katz
Hi Val, red lentils won't work with this recipe because they will get really soft and disintegrate. But here is a red lentil soup recipe that I think you'll enjoy: https://www.veggiessavetheday.com/lentil-potato-soup/
Allison
This is the best lentil soup recipe we've ever tried! Will be making many times again for sure. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Amy
Thank you so much, Allison!
Terri Swanson
Loved this recipe