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 :)
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
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
Can’t wait to try this! I wanted to ask, do you use Diamond Crystal or Morton for your kosher salt?
Hi Sonja, we hope you love it! We use Diamond Crystal :)
Thanks for sharing I appreciate your works on making this blog.
Of course, Warner! Thanks for reading :)
This is the BEST lentil soup ever!! I literally make it once a week.
Awesome, Imsen. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Delicious! Weather was freezing and snowy in NYC this past weekend so I made this and it totally hit the spot! Will definitely be part of my winter recipe rotation going forward.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Jenn!
How would I adjust the recipe if I don’t want to add potatoes? Less liquid?
Hi Anna, you could scale down by 1/2 cup, but the stew is already quite thick and lentils need a lot of liquid, so I wouldn’t reduce the liquid too much. And if you prefer a soupier texture, leave the amount of liquid as is. Enjoy!
I made it in the instant pot yesterday, and it was delicious! Also easy to customize (I added some more root veggies that I still had in the fridge, such as celeriac and parsnips). Will eat the leftovers today for lunch and will definitely make this again!
Bettina, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
This is a hit in my house, my son’s love it. Easy, healthy and delicious, thank you for the recipe. I’m going to make it every week.
Awesome, Nicola. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Delicious! It has has a subtly sweet/tartness at the end (I think from the balsamic?) that makes it unique and super yummy. It’s also hearty and warming. It is easy and relatively quick to make so it’s a great weekday one-pot recipe.
Gabby, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
I’m sooo in love with this soup! I made it for my (vegan-skeptic) parents this week and they loved it. It’s hearty but feels healthy at the same time. And most important it’s just frickin delicious. Thank you, Nisha!!
Awesome, Bethany. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I made this for dinner last night and I have to say, it was one of the most delicious things I’ve made in awhile. I will definitely be making it again very soon.
Awesome, Pam. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
This is by far the best lentil soup I’ve ever had. It has so much flavor and I love the contrast between the toothsome lentils and the creamy potatoes. So easy to make, this is definitely going to become a staple.
Cristina, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Marvelous! I made this last night for this week’s meal prep and it turned out fantastic. I think it will be even better for lunch today. Thank you, Nisha!
Awesome, Regina. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I made it (the Instant Pot lentil soup) today for lunch and it was outstanding! Despite all your other excellent recipes, I was not expecting how well it turned out, so hearty and comforting. Well done, Nisha!
Awesome, Ali. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Just OK… I made some of Nisha’s recipes in the past, all were amazing, but this soup was just OK. I even bought fresh herbs to get it just as written in the recipe. Something with the potatoes just doesn’t come together with the rest of the soup. The tomatoes were also overpowering.
We’re sorry to hear you weren’t a fan, Orly. We appreciate your feedback nonetheless!
This lentil soup is wonderful! It’s the best I’ve ever tried! Thank you so much, Nisha!🙏😋🥰
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Cindy!
I made this soup and it was very good but I wouldn’t recommend doubling it in an 8 quart cooker. Half again might work. I doubled it but only had two cups of the French green lentils, soaked overnight, and the eight quart pot was over filled to around one to two inches from the top but cooked okay anyway. Another cup of lentils would have been too much. The soaking probably wasn’t necessary but I’ve had such bad experiences with dry little lentils that don’t soften, I was being extra cautious. The boquet garni added a lot to the flavor. A heavy rain had washed all the herbs in my garden and it was so nice to find a use for them.
Thanks for sharing, Mara! Glad you enjoyed the soup.
This was delicious! I had to substitute sweets for white potatoes and I had only a small can of diced tomatoes, but it was terrific, and it went together quickly even on the stove top.
Thanks for sharing, Kat!
Hi, I love your recipes.
I added a touch of celery & tomato paste & some hot fresh chiles.
I live in Ecuador & can’t always get every ingredient! However, there are several really good vegan restaurants here in Cuenca,Ecuador.
I even asked one of the local Indian restaurants to sell me black mustard seeds and masoor dal, as I lived in India for 5 years & in Mexico for many years. I also lived in New Mexico for almost 40 years & like a little kick in my food! I grew up in Italy until I was 14, so I adore garlic, ajo, aglio, too!
Keep doing what you’re doing.
Awesome, Anna. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I made this last night for my family and it was such a huge hit! It couldn’t have been easier to make. It was so comforting and my husband said it tasted like beef stew, minus the beef! We will definitely use this in our rotation of favourite meals! Thanks Nisha :)
Awesome, Kim. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Love love love love LOVE everything about this recipe! This will from now on be my go-to lentil soup! Thank you, Nisha!
Awesome, Alan. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!