Description
This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is a hearty and nutritious dish that is quick and easy to make. Packed with vegetables and flavorful spices, it’s a perfect meal for a busy day.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetable base:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Seasonings and legumes:
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1½ cups green or brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Garnish:
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté vegetables: Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode, heat olive oil, and cook onion, carrots, and celery until softened.
- Add seasonings and legumes: Stir in garlic, cumin, thyme, and smoked paprika. Add lentils, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
- Pressure cook: Cancel sauté mode, set Instant Pot to high pressure for 15 minutes. Natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick-release remaining pressure.
- Finish and serve: Stir in lemon juice, adjust seasoning, remove bay leaf, and garnish with parsley before serving.
Notes
- You can use red lentils for a softer texture or add chopped spinach or kale for extra greens.
- Leftovers freeze well and taste even better the next day.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (plus 10 minutes pressure release)
- Category: Soup
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1½ cups
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 13g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
