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?
Amy's canned lentil soup kept me fed through college. OMG, those precious little carrot cubes!
This recipe is 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!
A few notes on key ingredients
- Lentils: The best kind of lentils here are green or brown lentils, just like in my Golden Lentil Soup. I find them in the international aisle of the grocery store. Red lentils would be very mushy, but if you're into that texture and that's all you have on hand, go for it!
- Veggies: Onion, carrot, celery, and potatoes are absolutely my fave veggies (and flavor boosters!) in lentil soup. I add greens at the end for extra nutrition. Mushrooms, fennel, green beans, cauliflower, potatoes or sweet potatoes would all be yummy here as well.
- Broth: I use Better Than Bouillon for convenience. You can use 5 cups of it; but I only call for 4 (plus some water) since cartons of veg broth are always 4 cups.
- Spices: cumin and coriander tie this soup with a bow. Somwtimes I add turmeric, too! And I've been known to double the spices when I'm feeling frisky.
- Lemon: A splash of acid brightens the whole soup. You could also use red wine vinegar.
Let's make it!
Nutrition fun fact
The pressurized pot if the Instant Pot lowers the boiling point of water, so your food is rarely cooked 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!
Tips for storing, reheating, and freezing
- Place any leftovers in an air-tight container and store the refrigerator for up to five days. I think this soup taste even better on day two, tbh.
- To reheat the soup, you can heat a portion in a small pot on the stove over medium low heat or quickly in the microwave.
- Freeze cooled soup for six months. Simply thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Soup season is ON!
Print
Healing Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mediterannean
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 week.
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!
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!!