Instant Pot Lentil Soup {Vegetarian}

This easy and healthy Instant Pot Lentil soup is incredibly tasty and hearty! Crockpot and vegan adaptations and instructions are also included.

Do you know how ugly lentil soup is? I mean, just downright butt ugly. People say you eat with your eyes first. If that is the case, I would eat lentil soup with my eyes c-l-o-s-e-d.

But if eating visually is the first step, actually tasting food is the next. And when you taste this lentil soup, you’ll forget all about its homely appearance. If you want a pretty (and delicious) soup, check out my Paleo Chicken Pot Pie Soup!

Packed full of veggies and other flavors, this soup is pleased to knock your taste buds proverbial socks off after your initial reaction.

You can make this lentil soup in your Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stove top. You can make it vegan, vegetarian, or omnivarian (<—- let’s call that a thing). It’s versatile and delicious. 

If you’re new to your Instant Pot, check out this post on Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners.

How Long Do Lentils Take in the Instant Pot?

You’re going to be cooking your lentils for only 12 minutes in this recipe. You hear that? Probably not because you’re reading this, so…

This recipe uses brown lentils, but you can also use green lentils and cook for the same amount of time. If you are going to be rocking some red lentils in this recipe, reduce the cook time to 10 minutes.

Do I Have to Soak the Lentils Before Cooking?

Heck no you don’t, not when using the Instant Pot! You will want to rinse them and remove any pebbles or debris that snug their way into your bag of lentils.

But no soaking? Your life is about to rule!

Lentil Soup Ingredients

What’s in this soup? Pure heaven and unicorn dust. And um, lentils.

• Brown or green lentils
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onion
• Potato
• Garlic
• Broth – your choice veggie or chicken (related: Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth)
• Smoked paprika. Because of course
• Pesto
• Other yummy herbs

Have you ever seen a soup recipe that includes something like three carrots, one stalk of celery, and a garlic clove? Amateur hour my friends, amateur hour.

I fully believe that the purpose of soup is to warm your body and soul, create the ultimate feeling of coziness, and shove so many vegetables into one pot that you think it shouldn’t be possible.

And garlic? Oh, friends, I laugh at one clove of garlic. I grow garlic each and every year on my microfarm and I consider it one of the most essential ingredients in my kitchen.

If you want to take your chances with the vampires with your one clove of garlic, then by all means.

Do You Need to Saute the Veggies For Instant Pot Lentil Soup?

Ok, so an older version of this recipe had you sauteing some of the ingredients for a few minutes in olive oil. But then I was like “eff that noise, let’s dump everything in and see what happens”.

Guess what happened? It tasted the exact freaking same. So obviously let’s skip that extra step and make some soup!

How to Make Instant Pot Lentil Soup

*Detailed and printable recipe available at the bottom of this post.

Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot. Stir.

Place the lid on and switch it to the lock position. Switch the vent to “sealing”.  Press Manual then High Pressure and adjust the time to 12 minutes. It will take around 10 minutes to get up to pressure.

Once the time is up, allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Then use a kitchen towel and flip the switch to “venting”. Place the towel over the vent and allow it to depressurize fully. It took 8 minutes total for me.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• No Instant Pot? Crockpot and stovetop instructions are included in the printable recipe card.
• This soup was made in an 8 quart Instant Pot. If you have another sized Instant Pot, the cook time will be the same. Just make sure you don’t fill the inner pot more than two-thirds full.
• As written, this recipe is vegetarian. Use a dairy-free pesto to make it vegan. Add some diced ham, bacon (cooked), or sausage (cooked) if you prefer to include meat.
• Throw in some spinach at the end of the cook time for some added greens.
• This soup freezes like a boss! Pro tip: freeze in wide mouth pint mason jars for easy grab and go meals.

More RECIPES LIKE THIS

• Whole30 + Paleo French Onion Soup {Dairy-Free}
• Zuppa Toscana in the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Tortilla Soup
• Vegetable Soup With Mini Cheese Ravioli
• Whole30 Potato Soup
• Whole30 Beef Stew

Healthy, full of veg, hearty, and oh so tasty. This lentil soup is now your new favorite meal.

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Making this recipe or others?

Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #sustainablecooks. I can't wait to see your take on it!

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5 from 8 votes

Instant Pot Lentil Soup {Vegetarian}

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

Instant Pot Lentil Soup - the perfect 12-minute meal that is big on flavor when you're short on time. A special ingredient takes this soup to the next level.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lentil soup

Servings: 10

Calories: 217 kcal

Author: Sarah

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 7 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 large russet potato peeled and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
• 1 1/3 cup dried brown or green lentils
• 6 cups broth of choice
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp prepared pesto
• salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot. Stir.

2. Place the lid on and switch it to the lock position. Switch the vent to "sealing".  Press Manual then High Pressure and adjust the time to 12 minutes. It will take around 10 minutes to get up to pressure.

3. Once the time is up, allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Then use a kitchen towel and flip the switch to "venting". Place the towel over the vent and allow it to depressurize fully. It took 13 minutes total for me.

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

Stove Top Instructions

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine olive oil, carrots, celery, and onions. Cook down for 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on medium until lentils are soft (about 30 minutes).

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Lentil Soup {Vegetarian}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 217 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7g 11%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 8mg 3%

Sodium 350mg 15%

Potassium 742mg 21%

Total Carbohydrates 27g 9%

Dietary Fiber 10g 40%

Sugars 4g

Protein 11g 22%

Vitamin A 168.9%

Vitamin C 21%

Calcium 6.5%

Iron 16.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post contains affiliate links and we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase. This allows me to continue to provide free content, and I only share products that I use and love myself. 

This recipe was originally published in December 2017. New photos have been added. For reference, this is one of the photos from the original post:

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