There are so many good reasons to add this Instant Pot Lentil Soup to your rotation.
- Hearty. This is your not ordinary lentil soup! It’s almost meaty in texture and thick and rich. Adding potatoes not only provides textural interest but also naturally thickens the soup.
- Healthy and Allergen-Friendly. Despite being hearty, it’s 100% wholesome and features protein-rich, fiber-rich, iron-rich lentils. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free.
- Deep Flavor: Thanks to a bouquet garni of fresh herbs (my favorite soup flavor-builder), this soup has a woodsy depth of flavor you won’t find in most soups, along with great sweet-tangy flavor from whole peeled tomatoes and aged balsamic vinegar.
- Quick and Simple. There’s just 10 minutes of hands on cooking, and then the Instant Pot takes over and does it’s magic (but there’s also stovetop instructions if you don’t have an Instant Pot). Plus, all the ingredients are simple and straightforward.
- Meal Prep- and Freezer-Friendly. This soup is a great option for meal prep and freezes really well!
- Instant Pot Friendly. This soup is even easier in the instant pot (though an instant pot is not required to make it).
P.S.: Looking for more vegan Instant Pot recipes? I’ve got over 90 in my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook!
P.P.S.: Looking for another easy yet delicious use for lentils? Try my Lentil Salad with Fresh Herbs!
Watch: How to make Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Step-by-Step Instructions
Gather your ingredients!
Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot on the Sauté setting. Once hot, sauté the onions with a pinch of salt until nicely golden and completely soft, 6 to 9 minutes.
Add the carrots and garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in a bit of veggie broth to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits.
Add the rest of the broth, lentils, potatoes, salt and pepper, and bouquet garni (fresh herb bundle tied with kitchen twine). Stir well to submerge the bouquet garni.
Pour the crushed tomatoes on top but do not stir. Pressure cook for 12 minutes, then allow a natural pressure release for 12 minutes. Open the pot and stir in the balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard.
Tips for making this Instant Pot Lentil Soup
French green lentils are best in this recipe. Unlike regular green (or brown lentils), they hold their shape well when cooked and do not turn mushy. They also have a nice subtle peppery flavor. Some grocery stores sell French lentils, some don’t, so I typically buy a big bag of French green lentils (affiliate link) online and it lasts me a long time (enough to make this soup 9 or 10 times!).
For soup texture, if you want a thinner consistency that’s soupier than the soup shown in photos here, you can add an additional cup of broth. Or, when the soup is done, if it’s too thick for your taste, you can always add some more broth and stir until heated through.
For the finishing ingredients, use the best balsamic vinegar you have. It adds this complex sweet tanginess and depth of flavor, and rounds out all the flavors. It makes the lentils taste meatier and the tomatoes sweeter.
- Giuseppe Giusti makes my absolute favorite balsamic vinegar, and I’ve tried a lot of brands (affiliate link). It’s not cheap but a little really does go a long way, and it’s made by a family who’s been making balsamic vinegar since the 1600s(!) so you know it’s good.
- When buying balsamic vinegar, look for bottles that say “aged” and ideally say something like “balsamic vinegar of Modena (IGP)” (or balsamic tradizionale, but that’s very pricy!). The standard $3 imitation balsamic at every grocery store is just sour and doesn’t do any favors.
- If you don’t have a good balsamic, try using 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar, taste, and then add more as desired. Neither of these is sweet in the same way as balsamic, so if the soup tastes too tangy, add a pinch or two of sugar or maple syrup (it won’t taste sweet, just there to balance the flavors).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! Stovetop instructions are in the second recipe card below.
If you want distinct lentils in your soup, Black beluga lentils would be your best bet. If you can’t find those, just sub regular green (or brown) lentils, but consider reducing the pressure cook time to 10 minutes instead of 12 minutes, since they soften more quickly.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days. It will thicken as it rests, so I recommend reheating it on the stove over medium heat with a few splashes of veggie broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
Yep! It freezes pretty great. Once it’s cool, transfer to a few small containers (makes it quicker to defrost). I like using these single-serve Souper Cubes (affiliate link). It makes it easy to defrost an individual block of soup on the stove in less than 10 minutes. It should stay good in the freezer for 4 months. Or, you can defrost the soup in the fridge.
If you have a 6-quart Instant Pot like I do, I think doubling would make the soup too voluminous to fit below the IP’s maximum capacity limit. If you have an 8-quart model, however, you should be fine.
For most folks, a 6-quart model is sufficient. If you cook for more 6 or more people on a regular basis, the 8-quart makes most sense. A good model for beginners is the Duo Plus (their most popular model), but if you want a bit more customization, the Pro is great (affiliate links).
Sure. Some baby spinach or baby kale folded into the cooked soup would be great. Turn on the Sauté setting and let it cook for a couple minutes until the greens are wilted.
I hope you give this easy and delicious Instant Pot Lentil Soup recipe a try! If you do, please leave a rating and review below with your feedback and tag me on Instagram with your remakes :)
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced (peeled or not)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups (960 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth, more as needed
- 1 pound baby potatoes, quartered (peel left on)*
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) French green lentils (Puy lentils)
- Bouquet garni: 2 bay leaves + a few sprigs each of Italian flat-leaf parsley, fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme, tied tightly together with kitchen twine**
- 1 (28-ounce/800g) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand***
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar****
Instructions
- Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot (normal or medium heat level). After a few minutes, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is nicely golden and completely soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the carrots and garlic along with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Cook until the carrots are just starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in a bit of the vegetable broth to deglaze the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Add the remaining broth, lentils, potatoes, bouquet garni, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and several cracks of pepper. Stir gently.
- Pour the crushed tomatoes (including juices) on top, but don’t stir (this prevents the tomatoes from sinking to the bottom and triggering the Burn notice). Note: getting the can nice and low right into the pot helps keep the tomatoes resting on top (instead of pouring from high above).
- Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing (not Venting). Select the Pressure Cook setting (or Manual setting on older models) at high pressure and set the cook time to 12 minutes.
- Once the 12-minute timer has completed and beeps, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Then manually release any remaining steam.
- Open the pot and remove the bouquet garni. Stir in the dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar and taste. Add more salt and pepper to taste.This is a hearty and thick soup/stew, but if you want it thinner, add more broth until you reach your desired consistency and stir until warmed through.
Notes
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Lentil Soup (Stovetop)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced (peeled or not)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups (1.2 L) low-sodium vegetable broth*
- 1 pound (450g) baby potatoes, quartered (peel left on)
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) French green lentils (AKA Puy lentils)
- Bouquet garni: 2 bay leaves + a few sprigs each of Italian flat-leaf parsley, fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme, tied tightly together with kitchen twine**
- 1 28-ounce (800g) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand***
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar****
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion, along with a pinch or two of salt. Cook until onion has softened and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the carrots and garlic and another pinch of salt. Cook until the carrots are just starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in a bit of the vegetable broth to deglaze the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Add the remaining broth, lentils, potatoes, bouquet garni, crushed tomatoes (including their juices), 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Stir well.
- Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover the pot partially, and simmer the soup for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
- Remove the bouquet garni. Stir in the dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar and taste. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
I’ve made this so many times and it never disappoints. Highly recommend.
Awesome, Matthew. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Hi there! This recipe looks amazing! I’d love to try it! What size of instant pot do you use? 3 or 6 quarts? Thank you in advance:):):):)
Hi Lori, all of Nisha’s recipes use a 6 quart IP. Enjoy!
I’m sorry to say that this soup was way too tomato-y for me, too. I’ll eat it but I won’t make it again. I should cook less amounts of a new recipes in the future. But that’s ok! Preferences are different.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us, Carolin. Your review is much appreciated. We hope you enjoy the other recipes on the blog!
Wonderful soup, no matter how I make it! The first time I made this soup, I really winged it. I just went to my pantry and did my best. The main part that I had to improvise on was the tomatoes(I used canned diced tomatoes) and spices.(I used dried spices from my cupboard.) The soup was wonderful. The second time I made it I bought the suggested whole tomatoes and hand squeezed them and I used the fresh herbs tied in a bundle. The soup was even more wonderful. It is definitely better if you can follow the instructions exactly but if not, don’t let that stop you, this is a great soup and will taste wonderful no matter what. Thank you for a great recipe that I can feed my family with.(Oh and I love that it is inexpensive!)
Thanks for the lovely lengthy review, Rita! So cool to hear how you were able to improvise with the recipe.
Made this dish just as described in the instant pot. It was really delicious and a nice flavor shift from the usual lentil soup. Highly recommended and will definitely make again.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Bob! It makes us happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe.
Bright and delightful! The potatoes add a nice bulk, and I really appreciated the mustard/balsamic pop of flavor — I only had fresh thyme and rosemary, but the herbs really did add a delightful depth. The instant pot also made it super easy! Will definitely add to my rotation, and may even completely replace my standard Alton Brown lentil soup!
Linny, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup.
I’ve made this a couple times, once for my meat-eating parents. Mom says she prefers this one to the lentil soup recipe she’s always used (which contains bacon)!
Wooohooo, that’s so awesome to hear, R! Thanks for sharing :)
This recipe is truly excellent! I will definitely make again. 25g of protein is a win for me and the flavour was delicious.
After reading some of the comments, I decided to take out the whole tomatoes from the can and tossed the excess liquid and I thought the consistency was perfect; just enough liquid to be soaked up by some nice fresh bread. I didn’t find sage so used only fresh thyme and oregano. I also ended up buying the high-quality aged balsamic, which was a fantastic choice, and drizzled some on top of the soup for serving. I bet a balsamic reduction could be used instead too, and may give that a try sometime.
Thanks Nisha for another fantastic recipe! It was my first time using an Instant Pot and it didn’t disappoint. My boyfriend absolutely loved it too.
We appreciate your feedback and support, Cassidy. Thank you for leaving such a fantastic a review!
Love this recipe. Very similar in ingredients to the first lentil pot recipe I made, but this was soo much better! No contest.
Hi Zania, thank you so much for your kind review!
EDIT: ADDICTED to this soup, fifth time I made it this week, I changed the soup by adding flour and an extra can of tomatoes, IT IS SO GOOD and has become INCREDIBLY cheap, only $10-15
Hi Toby, we’re thrilled to hear you’re loving this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Cooking this now as I write this message, I am using the pot method, so far it has used minimal dishes and is very relaxing and easy to cook!, not too expensive the second time you make it since you have leftover ingredients, I also don’t use lentils much, so I thought I’d give it a proper go!
back after boiling: bit too soupy even with reducing the liquid, but still really good!
Hi Toby, good to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Soups often thicken in the fridge overnight, but you can use an immersion blender to thicken any soups right after cooking if the liquid hasn’t reduced enough. Cheers!
This is one of my favorite soup/stew recipes! So yummy!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Nancy!
Not a fan of the addition of the tomatoes, which totally ruins the flavors in my opinion. This might be yum for some, but I was looking for a classic lentil soup recipe and this isn’t it. Super disappointed. I wish I had omitted them 😭
Normally the recipes on this website are absolute FIRE. This one experience won’t keep me from coming back. I adore rainbowplantlife
Hi Andrea, we’re sorry to hear the tomato didn’t work for you in this recipe. We’re happy to hear you enjoy the other recipes, though!
Wow, this is good! I have made many lentil soups in the past. The difference, IMO, is the addition of the mustard and balsamic vinegar. I actually just added both to my individual bowl of soup to test out the flavour because I wasn’t sure my family would enjoy it. What an amazing addition! I used grainy mustard and a really high quality balsamic but I’m sure I could add some other infused vinegars like lavender, pomegranate, etc. I also added a 1/2 cup of red wine to the soup. I will be keeping this recipe. Thank!
Thank you for your lovely comment, Deens! It makes us happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe.
3 foods I hate: Lentils, Tomatos, and Cauliflower. I don’t know why, but I’ve never eaten any of these foods and enjoyed them. However, because I hate myself, I decided to make this recipe. And oh my God I’ve never been so wrong in my life, this recipe is a 10 out of 10 smack your mom in the FACE good. I found myself seeking out tomato bits in my bowl for the first time in my life – maybe it was just the Italian canned tomatos I bought.
Fr though, 10/10. Make this.
This was delicious, both my husband I loved it! Will make again for sure!
Awesome, Dawn. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Can I still do this recipe even though I don’t have an instant pot?
Hi Lee, yes there are regular stovetop instructions on the second recipe card of the blog post!
How do you cook this meal if you don’t have a pressure cooker? I tried and failed.
Hi Susanne, did you try using the second recipe card with stovetop instructions? If so, what part gave you trouble?
Delicious! I used sherry vinegar because I don’t have a good aged balsamic and I still think it came out tasty. I typically don’t love lentil soups, but this recipe won me over with the addition of potatoes and all the flavors from the herbs. Perfect for winter time! Husband and I are with some garlic toast. Will be making again.
We’re so happy this recipe won you over, Kelsey! Thanks for sharing :)
I made this as a dry run for Christmas Dinner (I didn’t want to make a new recipe when hosting 15 for dinner), it’s deliciously festive!
Awesome, Danielle. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!