I shared this Instant Pot Lentil Soup recipe nearly two years ago, and it’s been one of my top-most-visited (and top-rated!) recipes ever since. Instant Pot Lentil Soup is the perfect thing to make in your electric pressure cooker – it really is super easy and with that intense cooking environment, the flavors are seriously amped up.
If you received an Instant Pot from Santa, read on for the honest thoughts I was having about mine after I got my own a couple of years ago (along with a handful of tips and tricks). And then break out the lentils, spices, and spinach because this Instant Pot Lentil Soup recipe will be the perfect thing to make first! Add some crusty bread – and a green salad if you like – and you’ve got a seriously comforting wintertime meal.
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Well, we bought an Instant Pot (finally!) a few weeks ago, and as my friend Laurie says, there’s a definite learning curve. While I am growing to really like this herkin’ new appliance that we have exactly zero counter space for, I have to say it is not the most intuitive to operate. Either that, or I’m really dumb. (I suppose it’s a bit of both).
I’ve finally figured out how to both saute and use the manual feature. I’m not sure what the difference is between the manual feature and all the other buttons on there; I tried some of them without much luck.
I have figured out that “On” means it’s warming up and then a number on the screen means it’s actually starting to cook and it’s counting down the minutes left. And then the next number on the screen, which apparently says “LO” and then has two numbers on the right, shows it is done cooking and is now on low heat to keep the food warm. The number then counts back up.
Naturally.
I’ve also come to terms with the fact that “instant” it is not. Yes, actual cooking time for some items like dried legumes is faster – but sometimes you also have to account for sauteeing (right in the pot, which is nifty), and then there’s the warm-up time, which is usually about 10 minutes, plus you need to add the depressurizing time AFTER it cooks if you’re making a recipe that needs it. My guy and I have decided that the “Instant Pot” should actually be called the “Hands-Off Pot,” because while it may not be the fastest ever, it is definitely zero-maintenance once the lid goes on.
Hard-boiled eggs? All they’re cracked up to be, for sure – the peel, indeed, comes clean off with hardly any effort. (I share all about how to make hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot here).
Rice cooks up like a champ – a little bit faster than stovetop (yay!) and pretty perfect.
Steel cut oats in the Instant Pot are the bomb. I love how creamy they come out, and I don’t have to keep stirring them.
So, bonus! And then we have this Instant Pot lentil soup with turmeric and spinach and goodness and light (hint: so good).
Here’s where the Instant Pot really shines, because while it’s not necessarily intuitive (for me) – or truly instant, for that matter – it does take whole, healthy ingredients and squeeze the most flavor it can out of them. This Instant Pot lentil soup cooks for a mere 12 minutes (not including warm-up time), but it tastes like it simmered all day. Basically, I LOVE THIS SOUP. And, once you know your way around the Instant Pot, it really is super easy to whip up.
I call it “golden” because it sports the current it-food, turmeric, which gives it sort of a golden glow. This really is a vibrant lentil soup both looks-wise and taste-wise – it packs a ton of flavor and nutrition and it’s about the coziest dinner around.
So my take on the Instant Pot? Overall, it’s a yes. Get one, but keep your expectations in check and know there’s a bit of a learning curve. And then make some of this lentil soup.
FAQs about this Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipe
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 other lentils other than brown 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!
If you try this recipe, please leave a rating! And, if you find it share-worthy – which I hope you do – please share. Tag #kitchentreaty on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, and don’t forget to check out my other recipes!

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!
Quick question. Once you Press the pressure cook button and set the timer to 12 minutes, the IP says “on”. Your instructions say to cook the lentils for 12 minutes. Does this mean 12 minutes from the time that the IP says on?
Hi Karina, no, while the IP says “on” it is warming up. Then, once it seals, the number displayed will be 12 and it will count down. That’s when it’s actually cooking. Personally I don’t find the display all that intuitive – I have had the same questions! 🙂
Does this freeze well? It looks yummy!
Hi Stefanie, yep, it freezes perfectly!
Delicious! I used green lentils and it came out perfect. Thank you!
5 star!
This recipe is awesome and delicious! I have tried the exact recipe in the Instapot AND traditional stove top pressure cooker. It turned out great both times! My family loves it especially my almost 2-year old girl. I do recommend to ADD BABY spinach at the end.. it definitely enhances the flavour and adds that mild sweetness!! Awesome recipe and thank you for sharing <3!!
I’m so glad your family likes it – and happy to know it works in a stove-top pressure cooker too!
Can you use green lentils instead of brown?
Yes – if they are French Green lentils, I’d suggest adding about 10 minutes on to the cooking time.
Thanks for this recipe! I made it last night to rave reviews. I added a sweet potato (my kids love anything with sweet potatoes) and had to cook it for an extra 5 minutes as the lentils were still a little crunchy (probably had to do with the lentils I had, not the recipe). It was just what we needed to warm us on a frigid winter night!
When you set it to 12 minutes on manual, is that low pressure or high pressure?
I have a Crock Pot Express which does not have a “manual” button. Which setting would you suggest using instead? Meat maybe or soup??
Thanks!
Hi! I have the crockpot express also. You can select the beans/chili setting and then decrease the time by pushing the “-” button. YouTube reviews on there crockpot for more tips. That’s how I found out about it. Best of luck! I absolutely love mine 😍
I just used the soup button and adjusted the time, on my Crock Pot Express, it worked fine. But the instructions say,”select Beans/Chili and adjust the pressure and cook time as desired. I also added red and orange sweet peppers.
I just made this tonight and it was sooooooo tasty! I doubled the recipe and the cooking time and it turned out wonderful!
Beth, do you think there was enough room in there to triple the recipe?
Hi Amy – I don’t recall!!! Apologies but my memory is not the best. My guess would be yes bc that would be about 12 cups of liquid, right?
Beth, did you double the recipe and the time to 24 min and the lentils were fine – not too mushy and it was still tasty? I know the comments under her recipe says she doesn’t advise doubling the recipe because the taste just isn’t the same. Thank you for your feedback!
Hi Jie – It has been a minute since I’ve made this recipe. I don’t recall them coming out mushy – and I don’t recall doubling the time. If I were to double the recipe again, I would start with the time she has and if it didn’t work, I would add more time to cook for longer. I know that doesn’t help too much but hopefully it works out!!
First time making soup, very tasty thanks!
I added kale instead of spinach , turned out great.
My IP doesnt have a manual button. It has a pressure cooker button with low, med and high pressure setting. What setting would I use?
Would you freeze without spinach and add that later?
I’ve frozen it with spinach but you definitely lose that vibrant green. So it’s possible and it’s fine, but adding it later is a great idea. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m trying it for the first time and it smells delicious while it cooks in the Instant Pot (IP). I agree with you about the IP not being intuitive nor instant. It’s a great marketing ploy. Even so, I enjoy it.
I recently received an I.P for Christmas 2017 and have been thinking about all the ways to use it before opening the box… I had thought of a similar recipe to yours, and started searching the internet for anything similar to get a rough idea of portions as the box is still closed… I found your recipe first and stopped searching… It is exactly the base I was looking for!!!
I of course modified your recipe… One, I didn’t have celery on hand. Two, I really wanted to add coconut milk and butternut squash, and three, I only had frozen spinach and chicken stock…. I used 3 cups of chicken stock, 1 can of full fat coconut milk, ½ a small butternut squash. I added the steamed spinach at the end and it all turned out like stew… So I warmed up 2 more cups of chicken stock. It turned out perfect for my liking.. ok it was a little bland for me… But for my 5 and 3 year old it was perfect. They devoured their bowls and they aren’t the most adventurous kids in the eating department. Today is day one of leftovers and I swear the flavours have marinated more and it is an amazing soup!
I know your recipe as is would be amazing. Thank you for sharing your experience and your delicious dish!!! It is going into my recipe box for sure!!!
All the best to you and your family! A new follower, Anna
I love the addition of coconut milk! I, too, can’t help but adjust every new recipe I try. 😀 I hope you love your new Instant Pot! I really have grown to love mine and use it all the time. Thanks so much Anna!
I also loved this recipe and used Anna’s suggestions with some additional spices since I own about 100, yes I am a spice freak lol. I added some garam masala, cardamon powder and coriander powder. I think I will just slurp this up now it is so tasty. Thank you for posting the original recipe and all the little additions tips from everyone.
My second time making this soup, delicious! I used french green lentils this time around, using the same 12 min cook with aBout a 25 min natural release. ..perfectly cooked! Thanks for sharing. This recipe is going on the Favorite list.
Maybe the 25 minute natural release is key. For me the lentils were still a little hard at just 12 minutes. The base and seasoning are very good. I did supplement the spinach with kale which I think made it a but bitter. Currently I’m recooking for another 12 minutes.
This will b3 my first try at something with lentils in it…..Can I use orange lentils…..is what I have in th3 cupboard right now.
If they’re split red lentils, the result will be a lot different – more of a mushy texture. But probably still delicious!
Hi! The first time I made this on my pot I used the red split lentils and ended up with a delicious lentil porridge 😅. I still ate it 😋. I lowered the cooking time to 10 mins but the lentils still disintegrated. Maybe even less time is needed? I’m making another batch now with green lentils but will attempt the red split lentils again in the future. Report back if you have success please!
Made this recipe tonight. Added Italian sausage without the casing and diced sweet potatoes. 12 minute cook time, came out great. Thanks for the recipe!
If I add potatoes to this would I need to add more time??
Hi Megan, I don’t think so. My only concern would be that they might actually be a bit mushy because they might cook too long. Please report back on how it goes!
For those of us who prefer a natural release or at least a 10-minute natural release before manually venting, how would you recommend we adjust the cooking time of this recipe? I tried to avoid quick release unless it’s necessary for the ingredients such as certain vegetables that you’re trying not to overcook. I don’t find that to be a problem with lentil soup recipes generally. Thanks 😊
Hello!
Is it 12 minutes manual on low or high pressure?
High 🙂
I haven’t tried this yet, but want to thank you for your comments about the “Instant Pot.” I bought one used and have been so confused about the instructions I thought maybe I had missed something, literally and figuratively. I also had realized that the cooking times in the recipe book included with it are misleading because they don’t include the warm-up time. I like it so far, but don’t think it’s nearly as great as other people seem to think. It’s nice to know it’s not just me. I look forward to trying this recipe!
Oh it is SO not just you! 🙂 I hope you love the recipe.
We’re not vegan, but we loved this soup. My daughter, who claims to hate Indian food, loved the spices. I didn’t point out to her that the spicing is very similar to a lot of Indian food.
I’m going to make a non-vegan version today, browning some spicy turkey sausage to go into the soup first and using homemade bone broth.
Thank you!
I’m new to the instant pot.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Thanks!
I came across this recipe from a random google search for lentil soup…tried it and added some chicken sausage with feta and spinach that I bought at the Amish market. It was SO delicious! The lentils were perfectly cooked, and the flavors with the spices were just right. I cannot wait to make this again!!
Great, easy to follow and enjoyed by my non-vegan family — a true success! I added in fresh ginger and a few extra colorful veggies for an amazing meal. My spouse asked to print recipe on our menu board, a true keeper. Looking forward to trying more of your offerings. Thrilled to have a vegan meal my entire family will eat. Thank you!
This is a must try this weekend. I just recently purchased My Duo Mini and have only done quinoa, rice and barley. Looking forward to making this! Was wondering if I could swap out some of the chicken broth for a small can of diced tomatoes? The coconut milk swap out has Me thinking of adding that and some curry powder somewhere down the road. Always like to find a good sturdy recipe and make variations on occasion.
How long do I cook for 1 lb lentils
What a good jumping off point! Made this but *of course* there were alternations. A whole large yellow onion, 2 carrots, a parsnip, maybe 1.5 c celery, 4 toes of garlic, a large sweet red pepper, a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 1+ tsp turmeric, 2+ tsp cumin, 1+ tsp a blend called Moroccan Spice I’d bought when delirious, a tsp of salt and some grindings of black pepper, four-ish cups of strong homemade chicken stock, three stems of fresh thyme. Out of brown lentils so used red ones. Insta-pot for 16 minutes, rapid release, added three cups of de-stemmed beet greens and stirred. Topped each bowl with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a teaspoon of a chimichurri-sh pesto I’d made. It was a warming sort of dal/vegetable porridge and we devoured it.
Beet greens + chimichurri! Yum! 🙂
Just bought my IP today and kicked off with this soup, and it is FANTASTIC. Thanks for sharing the recipe and your experiences using the pot. This was a great intro post.
So glad you like the recipe! Enjoy your Instant Pot. I feel like I got a rocky start with mine but I love it now!
This soup is a hit for our whole family including a 1 & 8 year old! Super easy to throw together and I freeze small portions for lunches.
Love that the kids like it too! 🙂 Thank you Kelley!
Will the same amount of ingredients be used for a mini instant pot? I am finding plenty of recipes for IP but the size of the pot is not mentioned.
I heard hard you have some amazing salad dressings where can I find those
It’s delicious! My non vegetarian family loved it!
This recipe was delicous!! Little effort to make! I doubled the recipe and added sweet potatoes. Perfect to take to work for lunches. Thanks for posting!
I love this soup! I used 3/4 teaspoon of salt instead of 1 teaspoon because my vegetable broth was not low sodium. I had fresh cabbage in frig so I chopped 1 large cabbage leaf & sautéed with the onions, carrots, & celery (many years ago a chef told me he added cabbage to almost all of his soups). Even though I didn’t have spinach to put in, this soup came out so delicious! Next time I will double the recipe because my husband and I ate so much of it there is not enough for a second meal. Thank you so much for the recipe. It was spectacular!
This is a delicious recipe, thank you! I just had one question – I don’t have a manual button on my IP so should I be using the soup button or the pressure cook button? I have been using the pressure cook one but the soup always comes out like stew
Yes, the pressure cook button. It is a pretty thick soup, but if you prefer it a bit thinner, you might splash in a bit of extra broth. 🙂
I love your description and instructions for the IP! This would have been very helpful for the weeks I stared at it in fear before finally using it. 🙂 This sounds amazing. I’m going to try it this weekend!
I’ve always made lentil soup with my slow cooker on low, which was always an overnight affair.
I have a new IP, and looked for ideas from someone who made it successfully this way.
Yours was the recipe I decided to try, and wow! Scrumptious Lentil Soup in about a half hour. Thanks for starting me off on making great soups!!!
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Would like to make a big batch of this delicious soup for a crowd. Do I just double all the items on the recipe? Didn’t want to take a chance without knowing definitely, thank you.
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe – I just made it while my vegetarian sister was visiting and we both loved it! And it was so quick/easy! Definitely a keeper!
I doubled this, but kept the cooking tome the same; subbed chicken bone broth for the veg stock; and added 1.5# of cubed ham steak (which I browned in the IP before the veggies); added spinach and baby kale; and served it with a GF baguette. It went over very well in my family of five (11yo twin boys and 10yo daughter) and we only had enough for one adult to eat firunch tomorrow 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe idea; so glad I stumbled upon your site!
Can you leave this on keep warm for 2 hours before eating without issue?
This lentil soup was so scrumptious!! thank you!!!
This is easily one of the best IP recipes I’ve ever made, and it’s become a huge favorite in our house. I have a bag of small lentils, can I sub them for the large? How would I adjust the cooking time?
Hi Robyn! I’m so glad you like the recipe. It really depends on the type of lentil. Split red lentils take hardly any time to cook at all; French Green take quite a bit more. Brown lentils are somewhere in the middle. If they’re much smaller, I’d maybe reduce the cooking time by a couple of minutes to start. It’s hard to ruin this soup so even if they’re a bit overcooked it should all be delicious.
This soup was so delicious!! I want to double the recipe next time. Would the instant pot cooking time need to be more than 12 minutes? Thank you.
We had the GOLDEN LENTIL & SPINACH SOUP tonight and it was delicious. Next time I’ll be making a double batch. My husband had seconds. Thank you for a wonderful soup recipe.
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! I halved the amount of salt and used regular (not French) green lentils instead of brown, and it was absolutely delicious – the whole family loved it. Easy to follow and easy to make.
So glad you liked it! Thank you for the review. 🙂
I only had green lentils but it turned out sooooo good I’m amazed by how quick, easy, and delish this is!!! Thanks for the recipe!
Can I make this recipe with canned lentils instead?
The lentil and spinach soup is to die for!! I did add a small a.ount of diced tomatoes as well as a little curry powder. So yummy.. Thank you.
Love those additions! Thanks Jennifer! 🙂