Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Name: Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Prep time: 24 min
Cook time: 38 min
Total time: 1 h 2 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 1½ cups diced) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 3 medium (240 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 3 ribs (150 g) celery ribs, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin; 1 tsp (2½ g) smoked paprika; 1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme; 6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth, divided: 1 cup (240 ml) for deglazing, 5 cups (1180 ml) for cooking; 1½ cups (300 g) dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained; 14½ oz can (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, undrained; 2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves; 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 3 cups (loosely packed) (90 g) baby spinach (optional); 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A hearty, savory vegetable-and-lentil soup built on a sautéed base of onion, carrot, celery and garlic, then pressure cooked until the brown lentils are tender but still hold their shape. A splash of lemon at the end brightens everything.

Prep: 24 min
Cook: 38 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 12 min
Makes: About 9 cups (6 generous servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 1½ cups diced) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
3 medium (240 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
3 ribs (150 g) celery ribs, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
1 tsp (2.5 g) smoked paprika
1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme
6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth, divided: 1 cup (240 ml) for deglazing, 5 cups (1180 ml) for cooking
1½ cups (300 g) dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained
14½ oz can (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, undrained
2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves
1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
3 cups (loosely packed) (90 g) baby spinach (optional)
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, for serving (optional)

Equipment (6)

6-quart (5.7 L) electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot)
Cutting board and chef's knife
Fine-mesh strainer
Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Ladle
Immersion blender or countertop blender (optional)

Steps

Before you start

This recipe is written for a 6-quart (5.7 L) Instant Pot. In an 8-quart model it works as written but may take a few minutes longer to come to pressure.
Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer and pick out any small stones or shriveled lentils.
Plan for about 72 minutes: 24 minutes of hands-on prep and finishing, 38 minutes on heat (sautéing, about 12 minutes to come to pressure, 12 minutes under pressure), and a 10-minute natural release.
Use brown or green lentils. Red lentils break down into a purée, and this timing is too long for them.
Measure out the spices, tomato paste and garlic before you start sautéing so you can add them quickly without letting the pot scorch.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Peel and dice the onion, carrots and celery into roughly ½-inch (1 cm) pieces so they cook evenly.
- Mince the garlic and set it in a small bowl next to the tomato paste and spices.
- Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water, picking out any debris, and let them drain.
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Ready when: Vegetables are in uniform ½-inch pieces and the lentil rinse water runs mostly clear.
Tip: Keep the pieces uniform; large chunks of carrot stay firm while small ones turn mushy.
2
Sauté the vegetables
- Press Sauté and set it to More/High.
- Let the pot heat for about 2 minutes, then add the olive oil.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring every 30 seconds or so, for 5 minutes.
- Then press Adjust to switch to Normal (medium) so the next step is gentler on the spices and garlic.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and the edges of the vegetables look slightly golden.
3
Bloom the aromatics
- With Sauté on Normal, add the tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika and thyme.
- Stir constantly for 1 minute, until the paste darkens slightly to a brick red and the spices smell fragrant.
- Add the garlic last and stir for just 30 seconds.
- As soon as the garlic smells fragrant, move straight to the next step.
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Ready when: Tomato paste has darkened to brick red and the garlic smells fragrant, not browned.
Tip: If anything starts to stick or darken too fast, press Cancel right away, then add the deglazing broth.
4
Deglaze the pot
- Press Cancel to turn off Sauté first.
- Immediately pour in 1 cup (240 ml) of the vegetable broth.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly with a wooden spoon, dislodging every browned bit.
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Ready when: The bottom of the pot feels smooth when scraped, with no stuck-on bits.
Tip: Do not skip this scraping. Stuck-on bits can trigger the Instant Pot's "Burn" warning.
5
Add lentils and liquid
- Add the rinsed lentils, the remaining 5 cups (1180 ml) broth, the bay leaves, salt and pepper.
- Stir to combine so no lentils are stuck to the bottom.
- Pour the diced tomatoes with their juices on top and do not stir them in.
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Ready when: Lentils are fully submerged and the tomatoes sit as a layer on top.
Tip: Leaving the tomatoes unstirred keeps their sugars off the bottom of the pot, which helps prevent a Burn warning. You will stir them in after cooking.
6
Pressure cook
- Lock the lid and set the steam release valve to Sealing.
- Press Pressure Cook (or Manual) on High and set the time to 12 minutes.
- The pot takes about 12 minutes to build pressure before the 12-minute countdown starts, so expect about 24 minutes in total.
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Ready when: The float valve pops up and the display begins counting down from 12 minutes.
Tip: A Burn message usually appears during the first minutes of heating, before pressure is reached. If it does, press Cancel, turn the valve to Venting if steam is escaping, and open the lid once the float valve is down. Scrape the bottom, stir in ½ cup (120 ml) extra broth, then re-lock and restart.
7
Release the pressure
- When the cooking time ends, leave the pot alone for a 10-minute natural release.
- Then carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam.
- Wait for the float valve to drop before opening the lid.
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Ready when: The float valve has dropped and the lid turns freely.
Tip: Keep your hands and face away from the steam valve when venting.
8
Finish and season
- Open the lid away from you and remove the bay leaves.
- Stir the soup well, mixing in the tomato layer from the top.
- Taste a few lentils; they should be tender with no chalky center.
- If you like a thicker soup, blend about 1½ cups of it with an immersion blender in short pulses, or leave it chunky.
- Stir in the spinach, if using, and let it wilt in the hot soup for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice, then add more salt and pepper to taste.
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Ready when: Lentils are tender and creamy inside, tomatoes are fully stirred in, spinach is wilted, and the soup tastes bright and well seasoned.
Tip: Add the lemon juice only after cooking; acid added earlier can keep lentils from softening.
9
Serve
- Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
- Serve hot, with crusty bread if you like.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming hot throughout.

Good to know

Tips

Brown and green lentils are best for this recipe. If your lentils have been in the pantry for more than a year, add 2 extra minutes of pressure cooking time.
Salt is added up front here with low-sodium broth. If your broth is regular, reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon and adjust at the end.
For a creamier body without dairy, blend 1½ to 2 cups of the finished soup and stir it back in.
Finish with a drizzle of olive oil or a spoonful of plain yogurt for extra richness.

Make ahead

The soup tastes even better the next day. Cook it completely (without the spinach and lemon juice), cool, and refrigerate. Reheat, then stir in the spinach and lemon juice just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 5 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) of headspace. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot, adding a splash of water or broth since the soup thickens as it sits.

Substitutions

low-sodium vegetable broth → low-sodium chicken broth. Gives a richer flavor, but the soup is no longer vegetarian or vegan.
dried brown lentils → green or French (Puy) lentils. Use the same amount and time; they hold their shape slightly better.
baby spinach → chopped kale (2 cups, stems removed). Stir it in and let it sit 5 minutes, or use Sauté for 3 minutes until tender.
fresh lemon juice → red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) and taste before adding more.