This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is so comforting, hearty, healthy, and filling! You won’t need to settle for bland tasteless lentil soup with this amazing recipe.
It’s a dump-and-start Instant Pot recipe that’s so easy to throw together, and everyone will ask for seconds and thirds!
Lentils are really good for you! They’re packed with plant-based protein, minerals, nutrients, and fiber.
And I get it, lentil soup probably doesn’t sound very exciting to you, but trust me on this, a properly seasoned and well-made lentil soup will make you want to polish off more than just one bowl!
As a bonus, this recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Looking for a few more excellent and easy instant pot recipes? Try my Instant Pot Split Pea Soup or Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup next!
And if you’re new to cooking with a pressure cooker, I have a full guide to the Instant Pot that you’ll want to check out first.
Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipe Highlights
- Amazing Flavors — The earthy flavor of lentils is accentuated by a simple blend of dried herbs, garlic, and aromatic vegetables.
- Lovely Texture — The Instant Pot cooks the lentils perfectly in 20 minutes. They’ll be soft but not too mushy, in a wonderful broth.
- Satisfying and Cozy! This soup is perfect for any night of the week (especially busy ones) but I find it even more satisfying when it’s really cold outside. A lentil soup like this one can really warm your soul!
This delicious Instant Pot soup recipe first appeared on my site in March of 2020. I’ve made some minor tweaks to the original recipe and am sharing all of my best lentil soup tips with you now!
It’s really good! Check out the reviews:
Wonderful recipe. Lentils came out perfect! The only thing I did differently was to add some sausage. My husband and teenage son loved this dish, I will definitely make it again!
Natasha
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Lentils – To make this soup, you can use dried brown lentils, green lentils, or red lentils. I don’t recommend Puy lentils, as they don’t soften like the other varieties do. Note: If you use red lentils, you will get a slightly different taste, a more yellow color, and a creamier texture.
- Vegetable stock – For the liquid, I used my homemade vegetable broth, which I make in the Instant Pot. It’s much healthier and cheaper, and I make it using kitchen scraps to reduce our food waste. You can use chicken stock or chicken broth if that’s what you have available and you’re not concerned about the soup being vegetarian.
- Mirepoix – the humble beginnings, or the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery combo that is used as the base for flavor.
- Herbs and spices – I’m using a combination of thyme, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Tomato – One standard can of diced tomatoes is perfect.
- Spinach leaves – While spinach leaves are optional in this recipe, I highly recommend that you add them due to their added nutritional value. They add a very mild taste to the soup, and adding greens is always a good thing!
How to Make Lentil Soup in the Instant Pot
Recipe Tips
- Adjust the liquid at the end. Depending on the size of your lentils, you may find that your soup needs a little bit of extra broth once it’s cooked. Start with 5 cups, and stir in up to 1 more cup of hot broth if needed.
- Fresh herbs instead of dried. I think that dried herbs are super easy, and I tried this with fresh ones and there wasn’t much of a difference. But if you want to, use a tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs in place of the dried herbs here.
- For extra flavor, you can saute the mirepoix with a bit of olive oil in the instant pot before adding the other ingredients. Just know that you don’t have to! You’ll have a delicious pressure cooker lentil soup even if you skip that step.
- Quick Release. The lentil soup will be ready to go as soon as the timer goes off. You can quickly release the steam, or allow it to release naturally if you prefer.
- Lemon juice is a must! This final burst of flavor makes so much difference in the flavor of the soup. The acidity balances the earthy, savory flavors perfectly.
Storing Tips
- Fridge – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure that the soup has completely cooled down before it goes into the fridge.
- Freezer – Freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat – Either reheat in the microwave or a pot over the stovetop on medium heat.
What Goes Well With This Lentil Soup?
- My favorite way to enjoy lentil soup in the pressure cooker is with a piece of freshly baked crusty bread, soft dinner rolls, or this easy garlic bread.
- You can also serve it with a vegetable side such as garlic green beans, roasted cauliflower salad, steamed broccoli, or smothered potatoes.
More Great Lentil Recipes
- Mint lentil salad
- Lentil and mushroom shepherd’s pie
- Lentil and rice mujaddara
- Vegan lentil wraps
- Instant pot lentil and pumpkin curry
- Lebanese Lentil Soup
Recipe FAQs
Should Lentils Be Soaked Before Making Soup?
That’s the beauty of this recipe, you do not need to soak the lentils before cooking them! Instead, just rinse them off and drop them in the instant pot.
How long do lentils take in the instant pot?
At high pressure with plenty of liquid, brown lentils take 20 minutes to cook fully and get soft.
What size Instant Pot is best for soup?
Most soup recipes will work best in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, or a larger one. If you have a 3-quart instant pot, you’ll want to halve this recipe so that it fits.
More Delicious Instant Pot Recipes to Try
Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Instant Pot Chili
Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) brown lentils 10 ounces, rinsed, no need to presoak
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 oz (400 g) canned diced tomatoes do not drain
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 cups (1.2 liters) vegetable stock
- 2 cups (100 g) baby spinach leaves
For Serving
- 1 lemon juiced
- Bread
Instructions
- Add lentils, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot. Cover with vegetable stock and stir to combine.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid and adjust the valve to the sealing position.
- Press on the ‘Pressure Cook/Manual’ function, set at high pressure for 20 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure and cook. When it’s done, do a quick pressure release and remove the lid.
- Add the spinach leaves. Stir and cover with the lid again to allow them to wilt. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and seasoning if needed.
- Serve warm with fresh lemon juice if desired, and bread on the side.
Notes:
- Adjust the liquid at the end. Depending on the size of your lentils, you may find that your soup needs a little bit of extra broth once it’s cooked. Start with 5 cups, and stir in up to 1 more cup of hot broth if needed.
- Fresh herbs instead of dried. I think that dried herbs are super easy, and I tried this with fresh ones and there wasn’t much of a difference. But if you want to, use a tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs in place of each teaspoon of dried herbs here.
- For extra flavor, you can saute the mirepoix in the instant pot before adding the other ingredients. Just know that you don’t have to! You’ll have a delicious soup even if you skip that step.
- Quick Release. The lentil soup will be ready to go as soon as the timer goes off. You can quickly release the steam, or allow it to release naturally if you prefer.
- Lemon juice is a must! This final burst of flavor makes so much difference in the flavor of the soup. The acidity balances the earthy, savory flavors perfectly.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Make sure that the soup has completely cooled down before it goes into the fridge.
- Freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
- Either reheat in the microwave, or in a pot over the stove top on medium heat.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
This recipe first appeared on Little Sunny Kitchen in March 2020, but it was slightly tweaked and republished in October 2024 with new images and more useful tips.
bre says
Could I use tomatoe sauce instead of diced tomatoes in this recipe? I have a super picky vegetarian in the house. Looks delicious!
Diana says
You can use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes but I would probably use a smaller 8 ounce can. It will give the soup a smoother texture and slightly more concentrated tomato flavor. If the sauce is very thick, you might want to add a little extra liquid. Hope your picky eater enjoys it!
Dottie says
Very easy and comes out perfect
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Dottie.
Gladys Byrd says
I don’t have an instant pot. Can this soup be made in a regular pot?
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Gladys, while I’m sure that it can be, I haven’t fully tested that method yet with this recipe.