Hearty lentils, warm spices like cumin, garlic and oregano simmered in a bed of vegetable broth and topped with fresh lemon juice and herbs. An Instant Pot Soup recipe that you need to try! Stores great and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes! Vegan and Gluten-Free!

There is nothing like a nice warm bowl of a soup like this Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup. AmIRight? Of course I am! Hearty, tasty lentils cooked with the usual suspects, onions, carrots and celery, mixed with warm herbs and spices all perfectly cooked in the INSTANT POT. So good and very easy, since the Instant Pot does all the work for you. You just have to take care of a few little steps and then go about your business, maybe even get a quick workout in while this Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup cooks away melting all of the flavors together just like they were meant to be!

Now I know some of you are new to using the Instant Pot. Totally me a few months in but I am OBSESSED! I have made many soups, crispy potatoes, quinoa, rice, hard-boiled eggs, the list goes on. Many more Instant Pot recipes to come but I had to start with this Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup because, well it’s just so good that I cannot go another day without sharing it with you all. You have to know about this! But first things first, let’s talk for a quick minute about the Instant Pot.

A Little bit about the Instant Pot

What is so great about the Instant Pot? It is a multi-cooker that does the job of a slow-cooker, pressure-cooker, rice-cooker, steamer, sauté/browning-pan, warming pot and many other things. It really lives up to the “Multi-Cooker” name since it can handle the job of seven appliances all in one! Now I was a bit skeptical at first but once I learned how to use it I was in heaven. Soups are so easy in the Instant Pot and really the dish I have gotten the most comfortable with but cooking hard-boiled eggs has been my second fave.

The power of lentils

Lentils are such a key ingredient to have at all times in your pantry.  They are so versatile and can be easily incorporated into any meal to add that great punch of plant based protein.  Lentils are also very flavorful and easy to make, not to mention the crazy health benefits they contain.

• Great source of Protein
• Help reduce Blood sugar levels
• Increase Energy
• Lower Cholesterol
• Help with Digestion
• Great for Weight Loss

My favorite variety of lentils are red lentils and French green lentils since they are so delicious and perfect for soups and salads like this recipe.

How to make the BEST Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup

• Set the Instant Pot to the “Sauté” setting and let it heat up for a minute. Then add in some olive oil and the onions, celery and carrots. I just love the smell of sautéd veggies.

• Add in the potatoes and garlic with a little tomato paste and sauté for a few minutes.
• Add in all of the spices and the lentils (French green lentils work best for this recipe but you can also use regular green lentils)
• Add some salt and pepper and mix everything together, toasting the veggies, lentils and spices for a minute or two.
• Pour in the vegetable stock, a vegetable bouillon cube and another sprinkle of salt. Cover and seal the Instant Pot, and then set to cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes.
• Now go get a quick workout in people! Ha ha! You have15 minutes so go do some jumping jacks, squats and lunges. This is how I get my work outs in, ha ha.
• After 15 minutes, the Instant Pot will release pressure naturally. This takes about 10 to 15 additional minutes.
• Once its ready, open the lid carefully, drizzle in the juice of 1 lemon and stir. The lemon just brings this soup to a whole new level and adds some more vitamin C.
• Serve, top with any fresh herbs you have on hand or a big handful of spinach and get to eating this healing, energy boosting soup!

A few notes about this Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup Recipe

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can still make this in a large pot or dutch oven on the stovetop. You would just follow all of the same steps leading up the putting the lid on the instant pot, except you would put a lid on the pot or dutch oven bring it to a boil and then simmer it on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes, add in the lemon juice and stir.

Want to add more greens? Simply add a few handfuls of spinach right at the end before you add in the lemon juice. I love the do this. You could also top the soup with my Easy Vegan Nut and Seed Parmesan Cheese.

Don’t have the same veggie trio I used in this recipe? You can use bell peppers, red onion or parsnips in place of the onions, celery and carrots. I have also added in some cauliflower to this recipe and it totally worked.

Want another awesome Instant Pot Soup recipe to try? Check out this Instant Pot Minestrone Soup from Sweet and Savory Meals. It is A-MAZING!

Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup

Yield: 10 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Hearty lentils, warm spices like cumin, garlic and oregano simmered in a bed of vegetable broth and topped with fresh lemon juice and herbs. An Instant Pot Soup recipe that you need to try! Stores great and it's ready in less than 30 minutes! Vegan and Gluten-Free!

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 cup diced baby potatoes
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 cup French green lentils or regular green lentils
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• juice of 1-2 lemons

Instructions

1. Set the Instant Pot to the Saute/Browning setting and add in the olive oil. Let it heat up for a minute or two.
2. Add the onions, celery and carrots with sprinkle of salt to the Instant Pot and saute for a few minutes until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add in the tomato paste, minced garlic, potatoes and stir. Let the cook for another minute.
4. Add in the spices and stir to coat all of the veggies. Cook for 1 minute to wake up all of the spices.
5. Pour in the lentils, toss and toast with the veggies and spices for 1-2minutes.
6. Pour in the vegetable stock, bouillon cube and some salt and pepper and stir it all together.
7. Place the lid onto the Instant Pot and set it to cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes.
8. After 15 minutes, the Instant Pot will release pressure naturally. This takes about 10 to 15 additional minutes.
9. Once its ready, open the lid carefully, drizzle in the juice of 1 lemon and stir. The lemon just brings this soup to a whole new level and adds some more vitamin C.
10. Serve, top with any fresh herbs you have on hand or a big handful of spinach and get to eating this healing, energy boosting soup

Notes

You can top this with some spinach and just stir it in to wilt right at the end of the cooking time.

If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can still make this in a large pot or dutch oven on the stovetop. You would just follow all of the same steps leading up the putting the lid on the instant pot, except you would put a lid on the pot or dutch oven bring it to a boil and then simmer it on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes, add in the lemon juice and stir.

This soup stores great in an airtight container for up to five days. To reheat: Pop in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 118 Total Fat: 2g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 480mg Carbohydrates: 22g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 6g Protein: 5g