Instant Pot Lentil Soup

This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is the absolute easiest way to get a tasty, healthy meal on the table in minutes. Put everything directly into your pressure cooker (no sautéing necessary) and cook for 15 minutes.

Our basement flooded a few weeks ago. It was annoying and gross in all the ways those things are, but luckily we had already known our basement was a flood risk, so we don’t keep much down there. And what we do is all up high, off the ground.

The one exception, for some reason, was my Instant Pot. When we ran to the basement after we realized how heavy the rain was, I saw the Instant Pot sitting on the ground, and water creeping toward it.

At the last minute, I ran through the flood, scooped it up and rescued it.

What’s funny is that this isn’t an appliance I’ve used often. In truth, I only bought it for a freelance project for a client (where they requested Instant Pot recipes), and I never grew to love and rely on it for much besides Instant Pot short ribs and Instant Pot sweet and sour chicken.

But in the spirit of “I saved this thing from a flood so now I’m going to show it a little love,” I bring you this Instant Pot Lentil Soup today.

About this Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipe:

In truth, this recipe is an oldie but a goodie! I had already perfected my Slow Cooker Lentil Soup recipe, so I just needed to re-test it and adapt a few ingredient amounts to make it suitable for Instant Pot cooking.

The soup’s flavor comes from classic aromatics like carrot, celery and onion, as well as warming spices like cumin and curry powder (just like my kafta recipe). To add protein and flavor, I’ve also included smoked turkey sausage (interchangeable with turkey kielbasa), which adds a depth of flavor without adding a ton of calories and fat.

If I’m being honest, I like this Instant Pot version better than the original crock pot recipe. While I love a long-simmered crock pot soup, the pressure cooking allows the flavors to really develop and meld together in a way that the slow cooker does not.

Jeff and I couldn’t get enough of this Instant Pot version each time I tested it! I’ve also found a deep love for instant pot apple butter and even instant pot salmon recently.

How to make lentil soup in an instant pot:

I am NOT a fan of Instant Pot recipes that require you to use the sauté function before you start the pressure cook. If I’m going to sauté something, I will probably just finish cooking whatever the item is on the stovetop or in my oven. No, if I’m using my Instant Pot, I want to set it and forget it. No pre-cooking, please!

In that spirit, all you do for this recipe is throw all of the ingredients into the pot and turn it on (same with my Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup). While I was worried that skipping the sauté of the aromatics would lead to a less flavorful soup (I tested it both ways to compare), that wasn’t the case at all.

This soup is so richly flavorful that I would never guess it took just about a half hour to make. It truly tastes like it has simmered for hours.

How long to cook lentil soup in an instant pot?

I’ve found that 15 minutes on high pressure is just right! The aromatic vegetables are all tender, and the lentils are cooked through but not mushy, which I think is the sweet spot for any lentil soup.