Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Natural Release:: 10

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 128kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is the soup recipe my family requests most often. It also happens to be the easiest one to make, since you don't have to saute anything before you get started. (Seriously!) Once you taste how much flavor the pressure cooker brings out, it will become a regular in your house, too.

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Ingredients

1 yellow onion , chopped
2 carrots , peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks , chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional; for spice)
1 cup dry green lentils
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt , plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups water
1 cup fresh baby spinach , roughly chopped
fresh parsley & lemon slices (optional; for serving)

Instructions

In the stainless steel bowl of the Instant Pot, combine the onion, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes along with their juices, garlic, cumin, curry powder, cayenne (if using), lentils, salt, pepper, and water.
Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Use the Manual or Pressure Cook button to cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. It should take roughly 15 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, so the screen will read ON until then.
When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then move the steam release valve to Venting. When the floating valve drops, it's safe to remove the lid.
Give the soup a stir to make sure the lentils and vegetables are tender, then stir in the chopped fresh spinach. The greens should wilt quickly in the hot soup. Season with additional salt to taste, then serve warm with slices of lemon or freshly chopped parsley on top, to help brighten the flavor even more.
Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for roughly 1 1/2 cups of soup. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

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High-Protein Note: This soup has 25% protein per serving, based on calories, making it a great plant-based source of protein. (If you're curious, here's how you calculate it: 8 g of protein x 4 calories per gram = 32 calories of protein per serving. 32 ÷ 128 calories per serving = .25, which means 25% protein per serving.)

Nutrition