Instant Pot Lentil Soup
User Reviews
5
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
6 - 8
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Calories
353 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Description
This soup begins with crisping bacon in the Instant Pot using its sauté function to render fat and develop flavor. Onions and garlic are sautéed in the bacon fat with ground cumin, dried thyme, and bay leaves for aromatic complexity. The pot is deglazed with chicken stock to lift browned bits, deepening richness. Green lentils, chopped carrots, celery, crushed tomatoes (added on top to prevent burning), fish sauce, and remaining stock are combined and pressure cooked to tenderize the lentils without pre-soaking.
The broth is savory and balanced, enriched by the umami from bacon and fish sauce without overwhelming fishiness. The vegetables soften but maintain some texture after pressure cooking. A dash of sherry or rice wine vinegar added before serving offers a subtle acidity that lifts the flavors, while chopped fresh parsley adds herbal freshness.
This soup functions as a filling meal on its own or a starter. It freezes well for meal prep and can be adapted by omitting bacon or using vegetable stock for a vegetarian variant. Using unsalted chicken stock allows precise control of seasoning.
Green lentils are preferred; red or yellow lentils require shorter cooking times.Do not mix crushed tomatoes into the pot to avoid burn warnings on the Instant Pot.Fish sauce adds depth but will not impart a strong fish flavor.Frozen leftovers reheat well, making this suitable for batch cooking.Substitutions include vegetable stock and olive oil in place of bacon.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400g) green lentils rinsed, dried
- 6 lices (210g) Bacon , browned and cut into bits
- 1 (245g) onion roughly diced, large
- 6 (27g) garlic minced, cloves
- 1 teaspoon (2.7g) cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon (0.6g) thyme dried
- 3 (0.4g) bay leaf
- 6 cups (1.5L) chicken stock unsalted
- 2 tablespoons (15ml) fish sauce (can substitute with regular soy sauce)
- 2 (325g) carrot roughly chopped, large
- 2 ribs (161g) celery , roughly chopped
- 14 oz (400g) crushed tomatoes
Garnish
- A dash sherry vinegar optional, or rice wine vinegar
- parsley freshly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat & Render Bacon: Before you turn on the heat, layer 6 slices of bacon in Instant Pot's inner pot. Amy + Jacky's Notes: We're using the preheating heat to render and crisp the bacon. Heat up Instant Pot using "Sauté More" function. Flip bacon occasionally. Once Instant Pot says "HOT" (~12 mins), the bacon should be done. Place bacon on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.
- Saute Onions & Garlic: Keep the flavorful bacon fat in Instant Pot. Add in diced onions, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in minced garlic, 1 tsp (2.7g) ground cumin, 1 tsp (0.6g) dried thyme, and 3 bay leaves. Saute for another minute.
- Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Then fully deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Give it a quick mix.
- Pressure Cook Lentil Soup: Add 2 tbsp (30ml) fish sauce and remaining 5½ cups (1375ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Add in 2 cups (400g) green lentils, chopped carrots, and chopped celery. Give it a quick mix. Layer 14oz (400g) crushed tomatoes on top. Do not mix. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 8 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure. Open the lid carefully. While the soup is pressure cooking, cut bacon slices into bacon bits.
- Season Lentil Soup: Taste the lentil soup, then adjust the seasoning accordingly. For reference, we added roughly 4 to 5 pinches of salt to balance and open up the flavors.
- Serve: Garnish Lentil Soup with freshly chopped parsley and bacon bits. Serve immediately and enjoy!Amy + Jacky's Pro Tip: You can try adding just a bit of sherry vinegar or rice wine vinegar for another layer of flavor just before serving.
Notes
- Prefer green lentils; adjust cooking time for red or yellow lentils accordingly.
- Crushed tomatoes should be layered on top and not stirred to prevent Instant Pot burn errors.
- Fish sauce enhances flavor without making the soup taste fishy.
- Use unsalted chicken stock to better control salt levels.
- Freeze leftovers for convenient meal prep.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable stock and omit bacon, replacing its fat with olive oil.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6- 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 353 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 353kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 42g | 14% |
| Protein | 21g | 42% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 17mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 695mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 1038mg | 22% |
| Fiber | 17g | 68% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 7012IU | 140% |
| Vitamin C | 13mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 92mg | 9% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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