Easy Instant Pot Lentil Soup – Vegan

Instant Pot Lentil Soup is warm and comforting and loaded with flavor. It is made with all healthy ingredients in 15 minutes in the pressure cooker. This lentil soup recipe is freezer-friendly and it can be made with green, brown, or red lentils. It is also Vegan and Gluten-Free!

This Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipe is one of those recipes that I make on days when I know I may not have time to make dinner. It is just so easy to pre-chop all the veggies, then just saute them with the oil and spices, add in the rest of the ingredients then cover and cook! Even my husband who doesn’t cook much can make this recipe. 

The fact that this lentil soup is so tasty and nutritious is even better! Plus it is also budget-friendly, great for meal prep, and freezes and reheats great! Now I know why my parents always made lentil soup when we were growing up!

Why you’ll love this lentil soup recipe!

• Quick and easy, ready in 15 minutes!
• Loaded with incredible flavor!
• Packed with plant-based protein and veggies.
• It is already vegan and gluten-free!
• Freezer-friendly!
• It stores and reheats beautifully!

Want another awesome Instant Pot Soup recipe to try? Check out this Spicy Instant Pot Sweet Potato Soup It is A-MAZING!

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 is 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.

Instant Pot Lentil Soup Ingredients

• Lentils – I used brown lentils in this recipe because I love how they hold up in this soup and how well they absorb all of the other amazing flavors.  You can also use green lentils. See the recipe variations below for how to make this soup with red lentils. 
• Veggies – onion, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic.  Not your typical mirepoix but I really love the flavor the bell pepper gives this soup rather than using celery.  Of course, you can use celery in place of the bell pepper if you prefer. 
• Spices – thyme, oregano, cumin, paprika, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.  I prefer to use dried herbs in this soup and then serve it with a garnish of chopped fresh herbs like thyme and parsley.
• Vegetable stock – I recommend using low-sodium stock so you can control the amount of salt in this lentil soup. Store-bought or homemade will both work!
• Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
• Spinach – this is totally optional but so good!
• Lemon – is also optional but really enhances all of the flavors of the soup nicely. 

How to make lentil soup in the instant pot

1. Set the Instant Pot to the “Sauté” setting and let it heat up for a minute. Then add in the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in 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.
2. 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.
3. Add in the lentils, tomatoes, and veggie stock and stir it all together then add the bay leaves. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set in the “Sealing” position.
4. Set the instant pot to the “SOUP” setting for 15 minutes or set it in “MANUAL HIGH PRESSURE” mode for 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 it’s ready, open the lid carefully, squeeze in the lemon juice, and stir in the spinach (if using).
6. Serve hot and enjoy! See serving suggestions below.

Recipe Notes and Variations

• Add some meat. You can stir in some cooked diced ham or bacon for more protein. 
• Make it vegan. This recipe is already a vegan lentil soup recipe!
• Lentil soup with potatoes. If you want to bulk this soup up a little bit more, then add 1 cup of diced potatoes before you cook it.  You will need to add an extra ½ cup of stock or water. 
• Lentil soup with sausage. To make this lentil soup with sausage, add the sausage when you cook the veggies and cook it until it is nice and brown, then add the rest of the ingredients as directed in the recipe. 
• Use different lentils – You can make this a brown lentil soup or a green lentil soup.  If you would like to make it a red lentil soup then you will need to cut the cooking time in half since red lentils cook faster and are more delicate than green or brown lentils. 

How To Store and Reheat Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Storing: You can store this lentil soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Freezing: Freeze this soup in a freezer-friendly container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight then reheat it as directed below. 

Reheating: Reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat or in portions in the microwave.

What to serve with lentil soup

• Salad. To make this recipe even more nutritious, you can serve it with a salad like this kale salad or this Mediterranean salad. 
• Bread. This soup goes great with some warm naan bread or a soft and fluffy biscuit. 
• More veggies. This soup would go great with a side of roasted potatoes and asparagus or some roasted broccoli. 

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 Instant Pot Lentil Soup recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how yours turned out!

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