Instant Pot Lentil Soup is comforting and easy to make. You can walk away and let your pressure cooker do all the work! This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
I love making soup in my Instant Pot.
Not only is an electric pressure cooker easy to use, it’s great for busy people.
Imagine making recipes like Vegan Potato Leek Soup, Vegan Potato Corn Chowder, and Vegan Wild Rice Soup and not having to be in the same room.
There’s no stirring or making sure the pot doesn’t boil over.
And for soups using dried beans or legumes, they cook in less time than they would on the stove.
That’s why I love this Instant Pot Lentil Soup!
Instant Pot Lentil Soup is made with pantry staples.
I usually have everything needed on hand.
And if you’re missing an ingredient or two, don’t worry because this recipe is highly adaptable.
Of course you’ll need some brown or green lentils.
The nice thing about cooking lentils is you don’t need to soak them first.
(Note: don’t try making this recipe with red lentils since they have a much softer texture when cooked.)
Like many other classic recipes, this one starts off with a mirepoix of onions, carrots, and celery, along with garlic.
And for seasoning, you only need a bay leaf and dried thyme.
Fresh thyme would work wonderfully, too, if you have some.
In addition, I love potatoes in lentil soup.
I usually use gold potatoes, but white or red work just as well.
And I like to finish the soup off with a handful or two of fresh spinach.
The hot liquid from the Instant Pot Lentil Soup wilts it down with a few stirs.
Making Instant Pot Lentil Soup is really easy.
First you use the saute function to cook the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until lightly softened.
Next you add the bay leaf, thyme, potatoes, lentils, and vegetable broth or water.
Then you 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.
But lucky for you, you don’t need to wait.
You can walk away and do something else.
Then 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 then Instant Pot Lentil Soup is ready to serve!
Instant Pot Lentil Soup is great for meal prep since it can be refrigerated and frozen, then reheated later.
I like to freeze individual portions in mason jars.
You can 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 when I want to eat one of the portions, I transfer it to the refrigerator to defrost.
And since the Instant Pot Lentil Soup tends to thicken when stored, I’ll add it to a sauce pan with a little water before reheating it.
It’s so wonderful to have homemade soup anytime you want!
Some other recipes I like to freeze in glass jars for later are Vegan Taco Soup and Chickpea Curry.
Instant Pot Lentil Soup is a delicious complete meal.
You can serve it with a green salad and crusty bread, or just enjoy a big bowl on its own.
Lentils are extremely nutritious and help you feel full, even though they are low in calories.
Check out this article about the health benefits of consuming lentils.
And if you’re looking for more ways to incorporate lentils into your diet, some of my favorite recipes featuring this legume are Roasted Butternut Squash Spinach Salad and Lentil Meatloaf Muffins.
Now let’s make Instant Pot Lentil Soup!
Instant Pot Lentil Soup (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, for sauteing (may 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
- 1 1/2 cups gold potato, diced (or white or red potato)
- 2 cups lentils, brown or green
- 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
Nutrition
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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
LS
Found this on pinterest and it sounds yummy.
You should have mentioned that the pot has a max fill line, that you shouldn’t go over or the IP can boil over, or it could come out in the steam from the sealing / venting switch. I’ve experienced that a few times, not fun cleaning that up. Most lentil soup recipes for the IP that I’ve come across say that lentils take about 12-15 minutes to cook, I don’t like crunchy lentils.