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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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Once it’s ready, open the lid carefully, squeeze in the lemon juice, and stir in the spinach (if using).
- 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!
Print
Easy Instant Pot Lentil Soup – Vegan
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 people 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is loaded with amazing flavor and nutrition. It is the best cozy and comforting soup that stores and reheats great! Plus it is Vegan and Gluten Free!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion – diced
- 3 large carrots -diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper – diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves of garlic – peeled and minced
- Salt and pepper – to taste
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 10 oz brown lentils – rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice – optional
- 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 bay leaves 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 it’s ready, open the lid carefully, remove the bay leaves, squeeze in the lemon juice 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 soup. Red lentils also work but you will need to cut the cooking time in half since they cook much faster.
- This lentil soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this soup in a freezer-friendly container and keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheat right from the refrigerator on the stovetop in a pot for a few minutes or in the microwave. To reheat from frozen, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat as directed above.
- 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.
Absolutely delicious! Even my 3yr old loved it.
I loved this soup as did the guests to whom I served it. And, none of us are vegetarian or vegan. Next time I may add sausage but no need.
Question–how can someone make this delicious recipe without an instant pot?
Hi Judy, thank you so much! I am glad everyone liked it. You can make it on the stovetop, basically, the exact same way as written in the recipe, it would just need to simmer until the lentils are fully cooked to your desired texture. I will add the stovetop instructions to the post and recipe card, thank you!
Very easy and not a lot of prep time. Turned out great! Thank you!
Thank you Robin! I am so happy you liked it!