Cozy lentil soup with nourishing veggies, greens, and bright lemon made hands off in the Instant Pot! A hearty, soul soothing, and filling lunch or dinner packed with plant protein and fiber. Herby, savory, and delightfully balanced, this couldn't be easier. Whip it up in 10 minutes flat! And leftovers are the bomb.
Welcome to the the innards of my lentil soup loving soul!!
Is a steamy bowl of [pressure cooked] soup complete with a crusty hunk of bread not THE most comforting thing there ever was? Veggie-packed dinner soups are simply my favorite.
Amy's canned lentil soup kept me fed through college. OMG, those precious little carrot cubes! But oh, how homemade healthy lentil soup in the Instant Pot changes the game.
While we all know and love my reader fave mixed vegetable soup, today's recipe is tomato-free and loaded with fiber-rich lentils. The cozy spices always make me come back for another bowl! Don't you just love a meal-worthy soup?
A few notes on key ingredients
- Green/brown lentils: I developed this Instant Pot lentil vegetable soup recipe with green or brown lentils since they get nice and soft but hold their structure (versus red lentils which get mushy...not the vibe of this soup. Texture!).
- Extra veg: Most recipes for lentil soup just call for the standard mirepoix, but the dietitian in me can't help but add greens at the end for extra nutrition (and come on, the color contrast so good).
- Broth: Wanna know my best kept soup secret? Better Than Bouillon. To me, it's a non-negotiable in soups since it's wildly convenient, budget-friendly and boasts such depth of flavor compared to boxed broth.
- Spices: Cumin and coriander tie this soup with a crazy flavorful bow and make it totally crave-worthy. I've been known to double the spices when I'm feeling frisky; so spice according to your palate.
- Lemon: My secret weapon for taking a soup from good to great. It's nuts how much a splash of acid brightens the whole soup. I've also tested this recipe with use red wine vinegar, yum!
Let's make it!
Nutrition fun fact
I learned when I was testing this recipe that the pressurized pot of the Instant Pot lowers the boiling point of water, so your food is rarely cooks at a temperature above 250 degrees. Now what the heck does that mean?
Well, lower temps means fewer nutrients lost, as does shorter cooking times. In fact, the Instant Pot cooks 50-70% faster than traditional cooking methods! I AM HERE FOR THIS NUTRIENT WIN!
For an even bigger protein boost, give my lentil chicken soup with turmeric and ginger a whirl! Soup season is ON.
Print
Healthy Instant Pot Lentil Veggie Soup with Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mediterannean
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Cozy lentil soup with nourishing veggies, greens, and bright lemon made hands off in the Instant Pot! A hearty, soul soothing, and filling lunch or dinner packed with plant protein and fiber. Herby, savory, and delightfully balanced, this couldn't be easier. Whip it up in 10 minutes flat! And leftovers are the bomb.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 stalks of celery, diced (can sub fennel)
- 3 carrots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 5 cups vegetables broth*
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, to taste
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp coriander
- 1 medium Russet or red potato, diced
- 3 cups chopped greens (spinach, baby bok choy, chard)
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except spinach and lemon juice in the Instant Pot.
- Make sure the steam release valve is set to "sealing." Press manual or high pressure button and cook for 12 minutes. Note that it takes ~10 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure before it starts cooking and counting down. Once it's done, carefully quick release any remaining steam using the valve on top. Remove the lid and turn the machine off.
- Stir in greens. Season with lemon juice or vinegar to brighten it up and taste, adjusting salt and pepper if needed. Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a 5 days.
Notes
*You can also use 4 cups of vegetable broth and 1 cup of water (since most vegetable broth cartons contain 4 cups).
STOVETOP: Sauté in 1 tbsp olive oil the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and salt in a dutch oven over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add spices, lentils, broth, and water. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer, covered, for 15 more minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Proceed with step three.
You can double the spices if you like spice, and I've also added ½ tsp turmeric and loved it!
This recipe an ode to my Hearty Lentil, Kale, and Potato Soup from way back when in 2013, which I know many of you are quite fond of. I still make it all the time!
Fran says
I’m loving your recipes and have a question about the veg broth. Better than billion has such a high sodium content I haven’t used it in years. Why is it suggested so often?
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Not everyone is salt sensitive, so that's really individualized! It's super cost effective and flavorful hence why it's recommended. I love it personally (but I don't have any reason to use low sodium)!
Judy says
I made this on the stovetop added diced turnip and parsnips along with the other veggies, (omitted the potato) . Doubled the spices ( these really are nice spices for this soup) added fresh parsley with the greens. Along with the Tumeric added two teaspoons of beet powder for the health benefits ( which made a lovely warm colour with the Tumeric to the broth) What a wholesome delicious soup that looks vibrant in bowls. Thanks for this recipe!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Parsnips are so underrated, I love that you did this!! Everything you added sounds like the best up-level 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!
Jena Tucci says
This was fairly simple to make and was high reward! Very tasty and loaded with veggies. I added the turmeric and didn't regret it.
If anyone is wondering, you can make a double batch and it's under the max capacity for instant pot 🙂
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Ohhh that's so helpful, thank you for letting me know a double worked Jena!
Sarah says
For the 2x and 3x amounts, it jumps to 21 and 31 cups of water! 😁
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Ahhh I see that. I updated the ingredients to prevent that glitch from happening. If you ever notice it jumping from 1 to 21 or something crazy in a recipe when you do 2x, just be sure to use the original 1x amount and do the math on your own as sometimes recipe cards make mistakes.
Sarah says
Just made it! So delicious! It's a cold morning here and this is perfect. Thank you! ❤️
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Yayyy so glad to hear it Sarah! And I’m glad you didn’t use 31 cups of water 🤣
Amy Goubeaux says
I’ve been making this soup for years and it’s still one of my favorites. Sometimes I add turkey sausage if I want meat in the soup! Thank you for always sharing such good recipes.
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Aww I love to hear that, thank you for taking the time to let me know Amy!
Sarah says
Hi!
I fear I might be missing something. The recipe calls for 21 cups of water?
Excited to make this soon!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
It calls for 4 cups of broth + 1 cup of water. Did you see 21 cups somewhere?
Linda says
I came across a harvest blend of already diced vegetables and herbs. Butternut squash, red onion, celery, sweet potato, parsley, sage and rosemary. Super easy! I did add the rest of the ingredients along with the suggested turmeric.
5 stars!!!
P.S. I have also made this exactly as written and it is great also. 5 stars either way! Thank you for sharing.
Alexis Joseph says
That sounds so convenient, thanks Linda!
Liz says
Tasty, healthy, cozy, easy -- basically all the best adjectives. Love the addition of potatoes!
Liz says
5 stars!
Alexis Joseph says
Heck yes, thanks Liz!!
imsen says
This is the BEST lentil soup ever!! I literally make it once a week.
Quick and Easy Family Recipes
Alexis Joseph says
Amazing, thanks a ton Imsen!!
Emily P says
Super easy dinner! We almost always have all of these ingredients on hand, so it was really nice to have everything done quickly and using the Instapot made it even easier. Delicious!
Alexis Joseph says
Yayy!! truly the best pantry meal. Thanks for the sweet comment, Emily!
Maria says
I made the older stovetop version of this with kale way back when you first posted it years ago. I still love it just as much today as I did back then. Always a winner. Thanks so much Alexis!
Alexis Joseph says
That version is so classic! Thanks, Maria.
Ingrid says
This soup is delicious! I have to admit, I wasn’t sure the lentils would be soft, but they were perfect! I added Braggs seasoning and blended a little of the soup for thickening. So easy! I’ll be making this again 👍🏼
Alexis Joseph says
Love that you made it your own, thanks Ingrid!
Vincci says
Very easy to make and delicious! I sautéed the onion, celery, carrot and garlic before adding everything else to the Instant Pot.
Alexis Joseph says
Fabulous! So glad you loved it!
Joanne says
I have made a lot of lentil soup in my day, but this is by far the best! Even my husband, who professes not to be a lentil lover, thought it was great!! Glad to know that I can freeze it, but I doubt that I will ever have enough left over to freeze. I made my in the IP and it was done in a flash.
Alexis Joseph says
You made my day! Thanks so much, Joanne!
Michelle says
This is my new favorite soup recipe! It’s so easy, tasty, and healthy. I use the stovetop recipe since I don’t have an instapot. It’s even better after a day or two in the fridge, and makes for a quick, tasty leftover lunch during the week!
Alexis Joseph says
I agree--so much better the next day. Thanks so much, Michelle!
Alana says
Made it on the stove, super delicious and flavorful!!
Alexis Joseph says
Wonderful to hear, thanks a ton!
Heather says
Made this soup this week and it was amazing!!! I used the stovetop directions and it was perfect. My son had 3 bowls! Already looking forward to eating it again.
Alexis Joseph says
Perfecttttt!!!
Jodi says
This was the best instant pot lentil soup I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe as written using brown lentils and kale. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Alexis Joseph says
I'm thrilled to hear this, thanks a ton Jodi!
Amy D says
Loved this soup so much! It had so much flavor. Doubled the spices like you suggested for a little more heat. Will definitely be making it again!
Alexis Joseph says
Wonderful, thank you tons for letting me know this was a winner!
Megan says
Love this recipe! Super quick and easy. Great for lunches for the week!
Alexis Joseph says
Amazing, thanks lady!!
Kelli says
Made this tonight and it was so good! Thank you Alexa for the easy yummy recipe!
Alexis Joseph says
Awesome, so glad to hear it, Kelli!
Mallory says
Delicious, as always! Added a bit of both lemon juice (half of a lime) & red wine vinegar. Topped with Parmesan & nutritional yeast.
Alexis Joseph says
Yessss all about the acid!!
Kathleen says
So easy & so good!! Perfect winter soup that doesn’t feel too heavy
Alexis Joseph says
Perfection. Thanks, Kathleen!
Sabine Kuhn says
I made it on the stovetop. Will definitely make it again.
Alexis Joseph says
Fab! Thanks a ton for letting me know, Sabine!
Maggie says
Just made this for my freezer stock as I prepare for baby. Will be perfect for healthy and easy lunches. Thanks so much!
Alexis Joseph says
Wonderful, thanks for the feedback Maggie! If you'd be up for leaving a star rating with your comment next time, I'd be so grateful! It helps others find my recipes 🙂 Thanks again!
Chamron Brown says
This soup is the best lentil soup I've made...so far! 👍 I did add one cup of chopped mushroom and I used kale as the green veggie. Also I put a scoop of cooked quinoa into my bowl when serving. Yummm. Thanks Alexis for all your wonderful recipes my family and I love em!
Alexis Joseph says
Yayyy thank you so much, Chamron! You made my day 🙂
Dylan says
Yummm! I've been making this soup for years and it never gets old! Love the Instant Pot version 🙂
Alexis Joseph says
I agree--it does not get old! Thanks, Dylan!!