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Crazy good Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup that is literally the best lentil soup recipe ever! Super easy and all cooked in the Instant Pot. Hearty lentils, warm spices like cumin, garlic, and oregano simmered in a bed of vegetable broth and topped with fresh lemon juice and spinach. This is a simple vegan Soup recipe that you need to try! Stores great and its ready in less than 30 minutes!
There is nothing like a beautiful warm bowl of a soup like this Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup paired with some warm naan bread. Hearty, tasty lentils cooked with
So good and very easy, since the Instant Pot does all the work for you.
Fresh veggies and hearty lentils stewed in the instant pot to make the most amazing comforting lentil soup topped with lemon and spinach. Is there anything better on a cold winter day? Not really.
What to love about this lentil soup recipe
- Super easy to make, right in the instant pot in under 30 minutes!
- Warm, comforting and so, so good for you.
- Light with an amazing smooth texture mixed with hearty spinach and tangy notes of lemon.
- Packed with plant-based protein and vitamins.
- Stores great and is even better the next day!
Are lentils good for you?
Lentils are such a key ingredient to have at all times in your pantry. They are so versatile and can easily be incorporated into any meal. 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 green and brown lentils since they are so delicious and perfect for soup like in this recipe. You can read more about the healthy benefits of eating lentils here.
Ingredients needed to make this Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup
How to make lentil soup in the instant pot
- 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, bell peppers, and carrots and season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Let that all cook for 3-4 minutes to bring out all of that incredible flavor. Expert Tip: If you are short on time, you can skip this step but it does add a bit more flavor to the soup.
- Toss in the garlic and sauté for a few minutes, then add in all of the spices and let that all cook for 1-2 minutes to wake up all of the glorious spices.
- Than add in the lentils, tomatoes, and veggie stock and stir it all together. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set the “sealing” position.
1. SAUTE THE VEGGIES, ADD IN LENTILS AND TOMATOES 2. POUR IN THE STOCK STIR EVERYTHING TOGETHER
4. Set the instant pot to the “SOUP” setting for 15 minutes or set it in “MANUAL”mode to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the Instant Pot will start to countdown until it is ready to release the pressure. The instant pot will either release the pressure naturally or you can do a quick release.
5. Once its ready, open the lid carefully, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon and stir. Then fold in the spinach.
Yummy! See the recipe notes section on how to pre prep this recipe for the freezer and cook later as well as instructions on how to cook it in the slow cooker.
A few notes about this Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup Recipe
- You can use brown or green lentils in this recipe. Just make sure to rinse the lentils before adding them to the soup.
- 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 you are using, bring it to a boil and then simmer it on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and spinach right at the end.
- Want to add more greens? Simply add a few more handfuls of spinach or kale. I love the do this.
- Don’t have the same veggie trio I used in this recipe? You can use diced celery, red onion or even parsnips in place of the onions, bell pepper, and carrots. Diced red baby potatoes or diced sweet potatoes can be added right before you start the cooking time.
- If you would like to bump up the tomato flavor then you can add in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste when you are sautéing the veggies.
- Short on time? Make this recipe quicker by skipping the step of sautéing the veggies and just add all soup ingredients to the Instant Pot, stir it all together, and cook. Note that sautéing the veggies does add a bit more flavor to the soup but it will still be crazy good.
Want another awesome Instant Pot Soup recipe to try? Check out this Spicy Instant Pot Sweet Potato Soup It is A-MAZING!
More healthy soup recipes to try!
- Easy One Pot Healthy Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Sweet Potato Soup
- Healthy Creamy Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Curry Butternut Squash Soup
Did you try this recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how your’s turned out!
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Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 people 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The is literally the best lentil soup recipe ever! Super easy and all cooked in the Instant Pot. Hearty lentils, warm spices like cumin, garlic, and oregano simmered in a bed of vegetable broth and topped with fresh lemon juice and spinach. This is a simple vegan Soup recipe that you need to try! Stores great and its ready in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 3 large carrots (diced)
- 1 cup diced green bell peppers
- 1–2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder – optional
- 10 oz brown lentils
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 (15oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- Juice of 1–2 lemons (depending on how much lemon flavor you like)
- 2 cups fresh spinach – optional
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to the Saute/Browning setting and add in the olive oil. Let it heat up for a minute or two. Add the onions, bell peppers, and carrots with a sprinkle of salt to the Instant Pot and sauté for a few minutes until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the minced garlic, and stir. Let that cook for another minute. Add in the spices and stir to coat all of the veggies. Cook for 1 minute to wake up all of the spices.
- Pour in the lentils, tomatoes, and veggie stock and sprinkle in some salt and pepper and stir it all together. Finally, add the bayleaf to the soup.
- Place the lid onto the Instant Pot and set it to cook on HIGH pressure or the SOUP setting for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the Instant Pot will release pressure naturally, which takes about 10 to 15 additional minutes.
- Once its ready, open the lid carefully, remove the bay leaf, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon and stir in the spinach. Place the lid back on for about 1 minute to allow the spinach to wilt. Then give the soup a good stir. It will be nice and thick and packed with so much flavor.
- Serve hot, top with any fresh herbs you have on hand along with some shredded hard cheese like parmesan or manchego. Crusty bread is also great paired with this incredible soup.
Equipment
Notes
- You can use brown or green lentils in this recipe. Just make sure to rinse the lentils before adding them to the soup.
- 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 you are using, bring it to a boil and then simmer it on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and spinach right at the end.
- Want to add more greens? Simply add a few more handfuls of spinach or kale. I love the do this.
- Don’t have the same veggie trio I used in this recipe? You can use diced celery, red onion or even parsnips in place of the onions, bell pepper, and carrots. Diced red baby potatoes or diced sweet potatoes can be added right before you start the cooking time.
- If you would like to bump up the tomato flavor then you can add in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste when you are sautéing the veggies.
- Short on time? Make this recipe quicker by skipping the step of sautéing the veggies and just add all soup ingredients to the Instant Pot, stir it all together, and cook. Note that sautéing the veggies does add a bit more flavor to the soup but it will still be crazy good.
- To store this soup: Let it cool completely, transfer it to an airtight container, and store it in the refrigerator for up toe 5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave for 90 seconds. To Freeze this soup: Let it cool completely, place it in a freezer-friendly container, label it and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, place it in the refrigerator to defrost overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freezer pre-prep method: Freeze together (in a freezer-friendly container): chopped onion, carrots, bell pepper, garlic, lentils, vegetable stock, all the spices, salt and pepper, crushed tomatoes. Instant Pot Instructions (from frozen): 16 minutes high pressure + 10 minutes natural release. Slow Cooker Instructions (from frozen): 6 hours on high. Final step after cooking: Fold in the fresh spinach and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
I love this soup. Give it a 5 star rating. It’s the best!!!
5 ⭐️
What would the cooking time be if I used red lentils?
I’d never made lentil soup before – it seemed daunting to me?! But this was sooooo easy, fast, and packed with SO.MUCH.FLAVOR.
This is going to be a go-to for this dairy-free gal!!!
★★★★★
Hi Suzanne! I am so glad you liked it! It is one of my favourite soups.