Instant pot lentil soup is a delicious soup packed with vitamins, minerals and plant-based protein. And it is made with pantry ingredients, plus long-lasting root vegetables, making it a great meal to pull together in a pinch.👌🏻
Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting, and heat oil for about a minute. Add the onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf, and cook until softened (about 5 minutes).
Add garlic and stir, turning off the pot by pressing cancel.
Add in the vegetable stock, tomatoes, lentils, seasonings, potatoes
Place the lid in the locked position, pressure valve to sealed/ cooking, and cook for 8 minutes on low pressure. (Mine took around 20 minutes to come up to pressure, FYI.)
Quick release the pressure after cook time is up, and wait for all the pressure to release before opening the pot. Note: because the pot is so full this will take a couple minutes.
Stir in chopped fresh spinach.
Optional: To thicken soup, use a potato masher, pressing down a few times (8 to 10) through the soup until reaching your desired thickness or consistency. Alternatively, you can use a stick blender: 2 to 4 quick pulses. (I did not do this for the photos shown, FYI)
Optional: Squeeze in the juice of one lemon, and stir to combine. This is optional, but it really brightens up the flavor.
Optional: Finish of with some chopped fresh herbs for garnish. Parsley, green onion or fresh thyme would taste great!
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
*If you use Better Than Bullion, there is a decent chance you won't need any additional salt. It is very, very salty on its own. I added no more salt to mine. Taste it first.
We like our Instant Pot lentil soup super thick, almost like a stew. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add a little more vegetable stock.