What Makes This Recipe So Good
My Instant Pot lentil soup is absolutely delicious. It’s thick and spiced and warm, all in a beautiful way that supports the lentils without being too “vegetable soupy”. It’s incredibly nutritious, and the lentils are a great non-meat source of protein. Perfect for meatless Mondays (or any day) or just for the vegetarians/vegans in your life. If you need it to be dairy free, just leave the parmesan cheese off at the end! This is a great freezer meal, so feel free to make a big batch and save some for later in the year. Just thaw it overnight before reheating it on the stovetop. If you don’t want to wait that long to enjoy your next bowl of lentil soup, leftovers can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to one week.
Key Ingredients
Lentils – Specifically red lentils! They cook faster than green lentils and have a slightly different flavor and texture, too. You can use green, brown, or yellow lentils if you want, they’ll just taste a little different, and you may need to adjust the cook time. Whatever color lentils you use, there’s no need to soak them first in this recipe. Much like my Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soak!), you can toss the lentils into the pressure cooker 100% dry. They’ll still come out with the perfect texture!Onions – Don’t underestimate them! Chopped onion gives the Instant Pot lentil soup a little bite and a nice texture. If you haven’t learned the easiest, fastest way to chop on onion, be sure to read my post on it first!Lemon Zest – It’s simple, but so effective. Lemon zest gives the Instant Pot lentil soup this gorgeous brightness, without overdoing the acidity. Want to know the best way to zest your lemon? Check out my post all about lemon zest!
Chef’s Tips
It’s important that you don’t add the salt to the Instant Pot until the lentil soup is done cooking. If you add it too early, the lentils will toughen. This recipe calls for roughly sliced spinach, which is even easier than it sounds! To slice the spinach, lay the leaves out on a cutting board and rock your knife back and forth in only one direction. This is just a very rough slice, so don’t worry about it being perfect! I absolutely love a bowl of Instant Pot lentil soup with a good, thick slice of toast. My favorite way is to slice a nice loaf of crusty bread into 1-inch thick pieces, spray both sides with olive oil, then sprinkle both sides with a little salt. After that, I bake the bread slices at 400° Fahrenheit until the bread turns golden brown and the edges are a deeper brown, but still light in some spots.
You Have to Try These Other Instant Pot Recipes!
Instant Pot Applesauce Instant Pot Brown Rice The Best EVER Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Instant Pot Dal Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip Extra Cheesy Instant Pot Egg Bites Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup Instant Pot French Onion Soup The Best Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta Soup
