Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Potatoes

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. (Don't have an Instant Pot? Stove top instructions are also provided.)

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 leek and potato soup, vegan corn chowder, and vegan wild rice soup without constantly stirring or watching to make sure the pot doesn't boil over.

Plus 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.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Stove top instructions
• Serving suggestions
• Storing and freezing
• Recipe FAQs
• More vegan lentil recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

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 uses red lentils, try my red lentil potato soup or Instant Pot red lentil vegan chili.)
• Vegetable broth (or water)
• Fresh spinach (or use your favorite dark leafy greens such as Swiss chard or kale)
• Salt and pepper

Equipment

You can use a 6-quart Instant Pot or an 8-quart model for this recipe.

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

Instant Pot lentil soup is a complete meal on its own. Or you can serve it with a salad or side.

It pairs well with fruity dishes like Mexican beet salad, apple and pomegranate wild rice salad, and strawberry kale salad.

Or enjoy it with vegan sun-dried tomato spread and some warm crusty bread.

Storing and freezing

Leftover lentil soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container 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.

Recipe FAQs

More vegan lentil recipes

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