This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is a thick and hearty stew that is packed with potatoes and vegetables and only requires 7 minutes of cooking time! This is the perfect weeknight dinner for Fall and Winter.
Soup is my go-to dinner in the Fall and Winter. They are easy to make, and the possibilities are endless! I love making my Vegan Barley Soup, my Acorn Squash Soup, or even my Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup, depending on what is in season and what ingredients I have in the kitchen.
But this Instant Pot Lentil Soup is definitely my most-made soup recipe because it only cooks for 7 minutes, thanks to using a pressure cooker! Not only is it quick and easy, but it can also be easily adapted to use what you have on hand. And it's full of plant-based protein, fiber, and veggies!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe requires simple, easy-to-find ingredients.
- And it only cooks for 7 minutes.
- This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is completely vegan and gluten-free, so anyone can enjoy it.
- It is packed with vegetables, herbs, and plant-based protein from lentils.
- And most importantly, it is absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Lentils: I recommend brown lentils for this recipe. I like Goya or Bob's Red Mill.
Vegetable Stock: For vegetable stock, I love Better Than Bouillon. It is delicious and easy to store.
Vegetables: This soup calls for onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, potatoes, and frozen peas.
Herbs: I like a combination of dried thyme and bay leaves. If you think bay leaves don't taste like anything, it's time to buy new ones!
Variations
I have made this Instant Pot Lentil Soup so many ways over the years, and it always comes out delicious.
Instead of zucchini, try about 1 ½ cups of chopped mushrooms or green beans.
Instead of dried thyme, use an Italian seasoning blend.
Special Equipment
You need an Instant Pot for this lentil stew recipe.
Mine is the 8-quart Instant Pot, but the 6-quart Instant Pot will work too!
The 3-quart Instant Pot is too small for this recipe.
Instructions
Step 1. First, chop all the vegetables into about ½" cubes.
They don't have to be perfect!
Step 2. Now, add the lentils, onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, and potatoes into the instant pot.
Then, add the vegetable stock, olive oil, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme, and give it a stir.
Step 3. Next, place the lid onto the Instant Pot and turn it on high pressure for 7 minutes.
Once 7 minutes have elapsed, allow it to naturally release for 5 minutes, then press the quick-release button to release the pressure.
Step 4. Finally, add the frozen peas, stir and serve the Gluten-Free Instant Pot Lentil Soup!
What to Serve it With
This soup is delicious on its own, but I love to serve it with some sort of bread like:
Recipe FAQs
Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes!
Fill any container with a tight-filling lid with soup, leaving an inch of space at the top because the soup will expand when frozen. Allow the soup to cool completely in the refrigerator. Then, pop it into the freezer!
To defrost, place a frozen soup container into the refrigerator overnight. Then, pour the soup into a pot or microwave-safe bowl and heat. Enjoy!
No, you don't need to soak lentils for most recipes. They cook in about 20 minutes from dry!
Brown or green lentils are typical because they hold their shape through cooking. Red lentils are also delicious, but they lose their shape entirely.
Expert Recipe Tips
Be careful when quick-releasing the Instant Pot. Hot steam shoots up from the valve, so it is important to keep your hand and arm out of the way.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Equipment
- 1 6-8 Quart Instant Pot
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chefs Knife
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups Brown Lentils, picked through and rinsed
- 1 Large Onion chopped into ½" pieces
- 2 Large Carrots chopped into ½" pieces
- 2 Ribs Celery chopped into ½" pieces
- 2 Medium Potatoes, Cubed
- 1 Medium Zucchini Chopped into ½" pieces, see note
- 5 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Stock See note
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Large Cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 1 ½ tsp Dried Thyme Leaves or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 3 Small Bay Leaves
- Salt and Black Pepper to Taste
- ¾ Cup Frozen Peas
Instructions
- In a 6-Qt or 8-Qt instant pot, combine the lentils, onion, carrot, celery, potatoes and zucchini.1 ½ Cups Brown Lentils, picked through and rinsed, 1 Large Onion, 2 Large Carrots, 2 Ribs Celery, 2 Medium Potatoes, Cubed, 1 Medium Zucchini
- Then, add vegetable stock, olive oil, garlic, thyme, bay leaves ,and black pepper and stir.5 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Stock, 2 Large Cloves of Garlic, Minced, 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves, 3 Small Bay Leaves, Salt and Black Pepper to Taste, 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Place the lid onto the instant pot and set it to high pressure for 7 minutes.
- After 7 minutes has elapsed, turn the instant pot off and let it naturally release for 5-10 minutes. See Note
- After 5-10 minutes, manually release the pressure by pressing the quick-release valve. After the pressure has been released, open the lid, add the frozen peas, and stir. The peas will warm up in a few minutes with the heat of the soup.¾ Cup Frozen Peas
- Taste the soup for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Let the soup cool a bit before serving. This stays very hot for a while.
Dave says
This turned out fantastic. As a lazy, mostly-vegan guy, would love if you had more instant pot recipes. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Sue says
Making this right now! I’ve made it before and it’s so good!