This Vegan Instant Pot Lentil Soup is warm and hearty, and so quick to make. It’s packed with vegetables and protein, to provide a complete meal with little effort. Perfect for lunch or dinner!
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Lentil soup is one of my husband’s favorites, so I decided it was about time I came up with a recipe for it.
And I’m so glad I did!
This Instant Pot lentil soup is so hearty and filling, and it’s great for busy nights. Chop up a few vegetables, throw everything in the Instant Pot, and dinner is ready in less than an hour! (You don’t even have to soak the lentils!) Just add some nice crusty bread for a complete meal!
I especially love to eat this soup on a cool, rainy day, but it can be enjoyed in any season!
This recipe makes 6 large servings, and keeps well, so it’s great for meal prepping.
Health benefits
I love lentils. They’re cheap, healthy, and so good for you! Just what are the benefits of eating lentils?
- They are an inexpensive and low fat source of protein.
- Lentils are an excellent source of iron, especially when cooked with ingredients high in vitamin C like the tomatoes in this soup.
- They are very high in fiber.
- The many phytochemicals in lentils may reduce the risk of, or help reverse, many health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and many forms of cancer (source).
Ingredients
- Yellow onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Kale
- Vegetable broth
- Brown lentils
- Canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste
- Herbs and spices – oregano, basil, cumin, coriander, bay leaves, and black pepper
Cooking in an Instant Pot
I absolutely love cooking in my Instant Pot! It makes cooking so much faster and easier.
It also uses far less power than cooking on the stove top, and doesn’t heat the kitchen.
You do have to wait for the pot to come to pressure, as well as wait for the pressure to come down after cooking. But once you hit the start button, you can walk away and do something else while the soup is cooking.
Also, there is no need to stir the contents, and no worry about the pot boiling over.
There are many different models of Instant Pots out there. I use a 6 quart Instant Pot. I haven’t tested this in other sized Instant Pots, and wouldn’t recommend this recipe for the mini Instant Pot due to the volume of soup.
Directions
Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery in the Instant Pot on the Sauté setting. If the vegetables start to stick, add a small amount of water.
When the onion is translucent, add the garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes, just until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the remaining items to the pot and stir together. Cook on the manual setting or high pressure for 6 minutes.
Allow the pressure to come down naturally. Remove the bay leaf, and taste for salt and pepper.
Here’s the before and after of the soup.
Just like magic, those raw ingredients are turned into delicious soup with just a push of a button!
Storing
Leftover soup stores very well in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. For longer storage, the soup can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
I like to use wide mouth quart size canning jars for storing my leftover soup. Quart or gallon size freezer bags can also be used for freezing the soup. Just fill the bags, seal them, and lay them in a single layer in the freezer. When they are frozen, they can be stacked.
Remove the soup from the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before heating and serving.
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For more delicious soups, see:
- Potato Kale Soup in the Instant Pot
- Easy Vegan Black Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
- Split Pea Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Vegan Corn Chowder
- Chickpea Noodle Soup
- Vegan Tortilla Soup
Are you an Instant Pot fan? Then don’t miss my roundup of over 25 oil free vegan Instant Pot recipes from around the web!
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Vegan Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups brown lentils
- 2 cups kale
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in the Instant Pot on the Sauté setting until onion is translucent. Use a bit of water to deglaze the pot if the vegetables start to stick.
- Add the garlic and sauté a couple more minutes, until the garlic is fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Cook in the Instant Pot on the Manual setting or high pressure for 6 minutes with a natural pressure release.
- Remove the bay leaf and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations are approximate.
