Instant Pot Lentil Soup

4.78 from 9 votes

Posted: 09/22/20

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An easy, healthy soup recipe all made in your pressure cooker. This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is packed with flavor, is vegetarian, filling and cozy to warm up with. Pair it with crusty bread and a salad for an easy dinner.

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White bowl with Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup in it and a pressure cooker in background.

Homemade lentil soup is a classic comfort food dish that’s so easy to make in your Instant Pot. It’s healthy and loaded with vegetables like carrots, onions, and peppers.

I use my pressure cooker multiple times a week and one of my favorite things to make is soup! When you use your Instant Pot you don’t have to babysit it – once you secure the lid you can leave it to do its job. No hovering over the stove stirring a pot of soup.

I love to make beef stew and chicken taco soup with my IP and now I have this easy lentil soup. Lentils can be a little tricky to cook on the stove but they always come out tender and delicious when I cook them in the pressure cooker.

This is the kind of soup you can have for dinner as a main dish with some breadsticks on the side. Or make a batch to have on hand for easy lunches – it keeps well in the refrigerator so it’s great for meal prep.

Contents show

Ingredients

If you’ve never tried lentils you are going to love them! They are a type of legume and are packed with protein. They’re a great way to make a hearty dish without using meat – they’re really filling!

The soup is a combination of pantry ingredients with a few fresh veggies that combine to make the most flavorful lentil soup.

Chopped onion
Sliced carrots
Diced bell pepper
Dried brown lentils
Cumin and garlic powder
Fresh thyme
Low-sodium chicken broth
Salt

Overhead image of ingredients needed for Instant Pot Lentil Soup

It might be tempting to leave out the fresh thyme but using fresh is a must for this soup! It adds a subtle yet irresistible fresh flavor. Of course, if you can’t find it, you can substitute dried thyme but if you can get your hands on fresh I highly recommend it.

I like to use low-sodium chicken broth because it allows me to control the amount of salt in the soup. If you use regular chicken broth you may want to reduce or omit the added salt in the recipe.

To make this soup vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

How to Make Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Saute onions, carrots, and peppers with the oil in the Instant pot for a few minute or until they start to soften.
Add the lentils, seasonings, fresh thyme, broth, and salt and stir to combine.

Instant Pot with chopped carrots, celery and onions in it.

Instant Pot with sauteed onions, celery and carrots.

Secure the lid, close the steam valve, choose the option “beans/chili”, and set the timer for 25 minutes.
It will take some time for the pot to get to pressure before the timer starts. Once the timer goes off allow the steam to naturally release. This means you don’t need to open the steam valve – once the steam has released the valve will pop up.
Carefully remove the lid and stir the soup. At this point, give the soup a taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
Ladle it into bowls and add some chopped fresh parsley as a garnish.

Can I use a different type of lentil besides Brown lentil?

I used brown lentils in this recipe because they are easy to find at your typical grocery store.

If you decide to use a different type of lentil, you may need to adjust the cook time as each type of lentil will cook differently. You are free to experiment with the type of lentil you would like to use, just make sure to prepare the lentils according to package directions.

How long does it keep?

Lentil soup will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week as long as it’s stored in an airtight container.

This is also a great soup to freeze and it will keep well for up to six months in the freezer.

Wooden spoon with a scoop of lentil soup on it.

If you’ve been looking for a healthy, delicious soup I hope you give this Instant Pot lentil soup a try! Serve it with bread and a salad on the side for a dinner your whole family will love.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Homemade Hamburger Helper is always a family favorite and making it in your pressure cooker is really easy!
For the ultimate comfort food dinner, you have to try my Instant Pot Meatloaf. It’s tender, juicy, and always a hit.
My Pork Roast with Vegetables and Gravy is a complete dinner you can make in your pressure cooker. It’s easy to prep and even easier to clean-up!

Try it and love it? Rate it, please! Seriously though a five-star rating below will make my day!

If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!!

Meet Julie Evink

I'm here to help you win in the kitchen again! Life is Busy, Life is Crazy, but that doesn't mean you can't make your family dinner! Julie's goal is to provide you with easy, family, friendly recipes that use pantry staples. Dinnertime will be stress free again!