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!

instant pot lentil soup in blue bowl with seeded bread on wooden table

Watch: How to make Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Gather your ingredients!

ingredients for instant pot lentil soup

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.

diced onions in instant pot
sauteed diced onions in instant pot

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.

carrots on top of onions in instant pot
vegetable broth and carrots in instant pot for soup

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.

bouqet garni, potatoes, and lentils in vegetable broth in instant pot for soup
bouqet garni, potatoes, and lentils in vegetable broth in instant pot for soup

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.

crushed tomatoes sitting on top of veggie broth in instant pot for soup
instant pot lentil soup with potatoes in instant pot
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, we’ll send you new posts and recipes!

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).
instant pot lentil soup in blue bowl with seeded bread on wooden table

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t have an Instant Pot. Can I make this soup on the stovetop?

Yep! Stovetop instructions are in the second recipe card below.

I can’t find French green lentils. What can I use instead?

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.

How long does this soup last in the fridge and how should I reheat it?

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.

Can you freeze this lentil soup?

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.

Can I double this recipe?

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.

What Instant Pot model do you recommend?

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).

Can I add more vegetables to this soup?

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.

instant pot lentil soup in blue bowl with seeded bread on wooden table

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 🙂

Introducing

Big Vegan Flavor

Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.

Order Now

Instant Pot Lentil Soup

By Nisha Vora
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 4 (or 6 with bread)
5 from 186 votes

Made it? Click the stars to leave a review!

Pin Print Review
This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is not your ordinary lentil soup! It's hearty, rich, and flavor-packed yet healthy, vegan, and gluten-free. Thanks to the Instant Pot, it's so easy & quick to make and is great for meal prep and freezing.
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

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.

Video

Notes

*If you don’t have baby potatoes, you can use larger golden or yellow potatoes; just chop them into small pieces.  
** If you don’t have all the herbs, it’s totally fine to use just 2 or 3 of them. You can also use oregano instead of sage or rosemary. 
*** I prefer whole peeled tomatoes, as they are made with just tomatoes (pre-crushed and pre-diced tomatoes have other ingredients added), so there’s more pure tomato flavor. If you don’t have them, though, just use pre-crushed tomatoes. 
**** A good-quality aged balsamic vinegar is needed: it adds a subtle sweet tanginess that works so well with lentils. 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. 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).

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 8.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.1g | Sodium: 626mg | Potassium: 1625mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 7907IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Love this? Leave a rating below!

Lentil Soup (Stovetop)

By Nisha Vora
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6 (with bread)
4.9 from 159 votes

Made it? Click the stars to leave a review!

Pin Print Review
This Lentil Soup is not your ordinary lentil soup! It's hearty, rich, and flavor-packed yet healthy, vegan, and gluten-free. This soup is great for meal prep and freezing.
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

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

*If you only have 4 cups of broth, add one cup (240 mL) of water and a bit more salt. If you want a more traditional soupy texture, you can use 5 1/2 cups *(1.3 L) liquid. 
** If you don’t have all the herbs, it’s totally fine to use just 2 or 3 of them. You can also use oregano instead of sage or rosemary. 
*** I prefer whole peeled tomatoes, as they are made with just tomatoes (pre-crushed and pre-diced tomatoes have other ingredients added), so there’s more pure tomato flavor. If you don’t have them, though, just use pre-crushed tomatoes. 
**** A good-quality aged balsamic vinegar is needed: it adds a subtle sweet tanginess that works so well with lentils. 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. 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).

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 8.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.1g | Sodium: 626mg | Potassium: 1625mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 7907IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Love this? Leave a rating below!

Leave a Comment & Rating

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating along with your comment! It helps others discover my blog and recipes, and your comments always make my day :) Thank you for your support!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe




340 Comments

  1. Cristina says:

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Cristina, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!

      Reply
  2. Regina says:

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Awesome, Regina. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

      Reply
  3. Ali says:

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Awesome, Ali. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

      Reply
  4. Orly says:

    3 stars
    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.

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      We’re sorry to hear you weren’t a fan, Orly. We appreciate your feedback nonetheless!

      Reply
  5. Cindy says:

    5 stars
    This lentil soup is wonderful! It’s the best I’ve ever tried! Thank you so much, Nisha!🙏😋🥰

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Thanks for the lovely feedback, Cindy!

      Reply
  6. Mara says:

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Thanks for sharing, Mara! Glad you enjoyed the soup.

      Reply
  7. Anna Levi says:

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Awesome, Anna. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

      Reply
  8. Kat Grausso says:

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Thanks for sharing, Kat!

      Reply
  9. Kim Harris says:

    5 stars
    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 🙂

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Awesome, Kim. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

      Reply
  10. Alan says:

    5 stars
    Love love love love LOVE everything about this recipe! This will from now on be my go-to lentil soup! Thank you, Nisha!

    Reply
    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life says:

      Awesome, Alan. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

      Reply

You May Also Like