Instant Pot Lentil Soup is hearty, full of flavor, nutritious, and a meal-in-one. I call this version “golden” because it sports the current it-food, turmeric, which gives it a golden glow. And it really is a vibrant lentil soup recipe, both looks-wise and taste-wise – it packs a ton of flavor and nutrition. And it’s about the coziest dinner around.
Plus, lentil soup is the perfect thing to make in your Instant Pot – it really is super easy and with that intense cooking environment, the flavors seriously amp up, in record time.
I love this hearty soup recipe, especially for the winter months. Add a crusty slice of bread and it’s the perfect fast, easy, and satiating winter weeknight meal.

Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love this Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipe
- Ingredients
- How to Cook Lentil Soup in the Instant Pot
- Frequently Asked Questions about this Recipe
- More Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipes
- Full, Printable Recipe
- Reader Reviews and Comments
Why You’ll Love this Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipe
There are so many reasons why I think you’ll love this soup.
- It’s fast! This hearty soup cooks for a mere 12 minutes (not including Instant Pot warm-up time), but it tastes like it simmered all day.
- It’s SO hearty. It’s super filling and so satisfying – especially with a hunk of crusty bread alongside.
- It’s healthy. It’s packed with protein and fiber and is 100% plant-based vegan as-is.
But enough from me – this is what other readers like you have said:
- “This soup is so easy to make and delicious! Thank you.”
- “This is the BEST lentil soup ever!! I literally make it once a week.”
- “Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Utterly delicious! Reminds me so much of the Sri Lankan dahl curry we make, yet so much easier and less prep time. I will be making this again and again.”
- “I love this recipe. It’s perfect for not owning any other cooking device other than an instant pot (did that for a bit). I found this recipe is really awesome to take care of older greens (lettuce, spinach, kale etc) and I prefer throwing it all in before sealing the lid. I keep coming back to this recipe and sharing it with my friends and family. Thank you for the deliciousness!”

Ingredients
Instant Pot Golden Lentil & Spinach Soup has a pretty simple list of ingredients, including:
- Brown lentils – these are probably the most common lentils out there; at least where I am, they are the easiest to find. You can also use French green lentils or other lentils but may have to adjust the cooking time.
- Baby spinach – pre-washed makes it so easy to just grab a few handfuls and throw them in
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Thyme and
- Vegetable broth

How to Cook Lentil Soup in the Instant Pot
Start with a six-quart Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker (this one’s just like mine [affiliate link]).
Like many Instant Pot soup recipes, it’s a two-step process. First, you sauté your veggies in a bit of olive oil – onion, carrots, celery, garlic. And include your spices – cumin, turmeric, and thyme – to really amp up the flavors.
Then, you add your broth and lentils, then place the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to high pressure.
Remove the lid after it’s done, stir in the spinach, and serve. That’s it!
For the full recipe, including exact measurements and directions, scroll down to the printable at the bottom of the page.

Frequently Asked Questions About this Recipe
Q: Is this a vegan soup?
Yes! And in the Instant Pot, vegan lentil soup is made extra flavorful because of the pressure cooker environment.
Q: I tried making it and when I went to open the instant pot the lentils absorbs all of the liquid! I don’t know why that happened!
A: Did the Instant Pot seal? I’ve had this happen. I’ve forgotten to make sure my handle is in the “seal” position, or I’ve needed to clean the sealing ring, lid area, float valve, and anti-block shield. Usually one of those things is the culprit.
Q: What size Instant Pot are you using?
A: I am using a 6-quart Instant Pot.
Q: How would you edit this recipe for a 3-quart Instant Pot?
A: I have not tried the recipe in a 3-quart, but as long as you don’t double the recipe, everything should be the same.
Q: Can I double this recipe?
A: I have tried doubling this recipe and while it cooks up just fine, the flavor isn’t quite as nice. I’m honestly not quite sure why that is, but I’m determined to figure it out!
Q: Can I use another kind of lentils?
A: Yes! But be prepared to alter your cooking time and know the outcome may be different than what you see in photos. French green lentils would up the time to about 20 minutes. Split red lentils would take more like 8 minutes but they will dissolve as red lentil do.

Q: Can I freeze this lentil soup?
A: Yes, it freezes beautifully! However, the spinach loses its vibrant color when you freeze it. My suggestion is to freeze without the spinach then add it at the last minute when you warm it back up.
Q: Can you make this in a pot on the stove?
I haven’t tried it that way yet, but I’m sure you can – I’d say it should take about 35-40 minutes?
Q: Is it 12 minutes manual on low or high pressure?
A: High pressure.
More Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Vegan Herbed French Lentil Soup – Loaded with herbs (tarragon, parsley, and thyme) with a squeeze of lemon at the end. Thick, hearty and satisfying!
- Instant Pot Curried Carrot Red Lentil Soup – Another ★★★★★ five-star rated recipe! Split red lentils, carrots, ginger, and curry. This one’s super fast – and full of flavor.
- Instant Pot Lentil Vegetable Soup. A back-to-basics, hearty, yet full-of-flavor lentil soup with green lentils, carrots, celery, and thyme. Delicious!

Instant Pot Golden Lentil & Spinach Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion (diced) (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and diced) (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium stalk celery (diced) (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 medium cloves garlic (minced) (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (+ more to taste*)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (+ more to taste)
- 1 cup dry brown lentils (rinsed well in cold water)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (one 32-ounce box)
- 8 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
Instructions
- Hit “Saute” button on Instant Pot. Add oil. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
- Add the lentils and pour in the broth. Stir.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the release valve is in the “sealing” position. Press the “Manual” button and set the timer at 12 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will warm up for about 10 minutes and then start cooking. After the 12 minutes is up, quick-release by flipping the release valve to “venting” (a little bit at a time at first).
- Once venting is complete, remove the lid of the Instant Pot. Stir in the spinach. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve.
- Keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Freezes well too!
Such an awesome recipe! My only suggestion is to use garlic paste instead of minced garlic, unless you don’t mind the garlic bits
Thanks awesome
Hello,
I’m Jackson, I’m a chef who loves food, I’m always interested in new foods. Instant Pot Golden Lentil & Spinach Soup is great! I just finished them tonight, taste is great and i had a great dinner with my little family. Thanks for your sharing.
Sincerely grateful!
This soup is so easy to make and delicious! Thank you.
This is the BEST lentil soup ever!! I literally make it once a week.
This soup is delicious and easy! My 3 and 6 year old kids love it too. I make it almost every week.
I’m so glad it’s a hit for you and your kids! As the mom of a picky eater I consider it massive praise that your kids love it. Can they talk to my kid?!! Ha. 🙂 Thanks so much for the review.
Has anyone done this with kale instead of spinach?
It’s delicious with kale and an easy sub – no changes needed.
Really easy and very tasty. A quick and healthy recipe. What more could you ask for?!
My picky 1st percentile 3-yr old LOVES this soup, thank you thank you! Sometimes I use frozen chop spinach, sometimes I add garlic powder and/or Trader Joe’s mushroom umami. Usually mix in some EVOO when serving. My puree-diet dad also loves it.
Great soup! I have used frozen spinach in this recipe and my mom loves it! I use an immersion blender to cream it for my mom since she has difficulty chewing/ swollowing after her stroke.
I have also added cut up chicken thighs before closing the IP for a more hearty soup. Super!
Thank you for posting this recipe! Healthy and tasty!
A thick, flavorful soup for fall.
Notes: Since onion & garlic hurt my stomach, I omitted those and used garlic oil instead of olive oil.
I doubled the carrot and celery and added a good dollop of tomato paste, as a previous commenter did. I ended up adding less spinach than called for, just from eyeballing the amount as I stirred it in to where I liked.
I used green (not French green) lentils b/c that was what I had, and let it natural release for a few minutes before manual release while I washed the spinach.
Thanks for this recipe! It’s nice to have something so easy to make in the instant pot and that will chill/reheat well for my lunches.
I have French green lentils on hand. Would the cook time be the same? Thank you!
It should actually be about the same or a little less. I’d go with the same. 🙂 I love French green lentils! I hope you love the soup.
This soup has been a staple for me and my family ever since we came across it 3 years ago, while I was pregnant! I’m sorry I am just now finally posting my comment and rating (finally catching that mommy break). I’d give this soup a 10 star rating if I could! Thank you for sharing this awesome, super flavorful recipe with all of us! My parents – who are NOT vegans and are rather particular when it comes to non-Asian soup– helped themselves to two whole bowls when I made this soup for them. In the end, there simply wasn’t enough to go around! :o)
This review made my day! Thank you so much for coming back and sharing and leaving a rating. 🙂
This has been a long time favorite of my family
Love to hear it! Thank you!!