Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Hearty, nourishing, and flavorful Instant Pot Lentil Soup is comfort food at its best. It’s easy, satisfying, and only one pot to clean!

If you love quick and easy soups whipped up in an instant pot, you will love Instant Pot Lentil Soup, Chili, Tortilla Soup, and Beef Stew. You’ll want to come back to these dishes again and again! 

Healthy & Delicious

We all go through phases where we try to eat healthier, at least I do so please tell me I’m not alone! I like to incorporate a few healthier meals throughout the week, including a vegetarian or vegan dish. 

You may worry that to do this I’m compromising flavor, but let me assure you that is definitely not the case! Especially with this Instant Pot Lentil Soup. It is FULL of spices and flavor, you won’t even realize that is actually meat-less and packed with healthy ingredients!

My favorite part of this soup is that it is a one-pot-wonder, easy to make, and come together quickly. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal. It is hearty, filling, and down right yummy. Just whip up a pan of rolls, or a loaf of bread, and you will be in heaven!

How to make Instant pot lentil soup

SAUTE. Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot insert using the sauté function. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, pepper, fennel seeds, chili powder, and tomato paste, and mix to combine.

PRESSURE COOK. Add the broth, lentils, and squash to the instant pot, stirring well. Turn off the sauté mode and place the lid on top of the pot. Turn the knob to seal and set to cook for 8 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.

SERVE. Stir in the lemon juice and kale, then place the lid on top of the pot and let the kale steam for 5 minutes. After five minutes, stir the soup and serve hot.

Recipe Tips + Variations

Just a few tips and ways to change this recipe up…

• Lentils: No need to soak lentils before adding them to the Instant Pot. Use brown lentils instead of green if desired.
• Fennel Seeds: If you don’t have fennel seeds on hand, substitute dill seeds or anise seeds instead.
• Veggies: Add extra veggies like chopped carrots, zucchini, and minced garlic.
• Broth: If you aren’t trying to keep this dish vegetarian you can use chicken broth in place of the vegetable broth.
• Add Meat: You could also add leftover rotisserie chicken, cooked ham, or cooked bacon bits to your soup after it has finished cooking in the Instant Pot. Brown some ground beef or sausage in the Instant pot with the onion using the sauté function.  Add the other ingredients as listed in the recipe once the meat and onions are cooked.  
• Creamier: To make this dish creamier, measure out a cup of soup and add it to a blender. Blend for a minute or so and then pour it back into the soup.  Stir it all together and enjoy!
• Thinner: To thin out your soup, add another ½ -1 cup of broth until you reach the desired consistency.

Storing leftovers

STORE any extra soup in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To FREEZE any leftovers make sure they are cooled first and then store in an airtight container with some space left at the top for expansion. This soup will keep well frozen for up to 3 months. 

To reheat frozen soup it’s best to let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Refrigerated soup can be reheated on the stove over medium-low to medium heat or warmed up in the microwave for about 2 minutes stirring halfway.  

Here are some delicious bread recipes to serve with this soup:

• Cheese Breadsticks
• Brazilian Cheese Bread
• 1 Hour Soft & Fluffy Dinner Rolls
• Best Ever Cheesy Garlic Bread
• White Bread