Smoky Lentil and Potato Soup {Pressure Cooker or Stovetop}
Don’t discount this humble pressure cooker lentil potato soup – packed with flavor (that smoked paprika!), it is amazingly delicious and super simple!
There is literally no way to photograph and make lentil soup look as good as it tastes. But let me tell you, this smoky lentil potato soup is delicious, and it won over even my toughest skeptics.
Brian walked in from work the night I made this for the first time, and instantly, his face froze in skepticism.
I get it.
This isn’t the prettiest dish on the food market. And I don’t know what it is about lentils, but every time my family sees them on the menu plan (I swear, I’m going to start hiding the menu plan as to avoid preconceived notions), there’s a bit of moaning and groaning.
I happen to love the humble little legume, but it’s often a tough sell for the fam, especially if the entire dish is meatless.
So Brian walks in, looks skeptical (but is smart enough to know that if he utters even one naysaying word in front of the kids, those impressionable young souls, he’s sleeping on the couch for a month), and sits down at the table with a slightly sardonic smile on his face, saying “mmm, lentil soup, yum” while giving me the side eye.
You probably know where I’m going here. This simple lentil potato soup, with all the delicious flavor that smoked paprika (so key to this recipe) brings, was a smash hit.
Not only with Brian, but the kids loved it. Honestly, they loved it.
And I’m not going to lie: it’s sooooo ridiculously hard in these situations when, in the end, everyone is vying for seconds, for me not to gloat or offer a little lecture about quick assumptions or just adopt a very smug expression on my face for at least a day and a half.
I held myself back (this time).
My whole point is, this lentil potato soup is amazing! Not only does it cook for a short three minutes in the pressure cooker, but the flavor is incredible. And never fear, stovetop instructions included below!
The lovely red lentils basically melt into the soup while cooking so the end result is a thick, naturally creamy soup that is hearty, wholesome, and tasty.
A couple FYIs:
1)I have a beloved Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) which is what I have used to make this soup; a stovetop pressure cooker (this is the one I have) or other electric model would work just as well. I’ve written more details about the ins and outs of pressure cooking here. And if you are interested in more pressure cooking recipes, I have a list of favorites here.
2)I found the red lentils in my grocery store’s bulk bin section; they are similar to these red lentils on Amazon, if you need a visual. These are the brown lentils I use.
This soup is going to be on repeat during the colder months ahead, especially since the leftovers are even better the next day (although still not pretty, JBHH*).
*Just Being Honest Here
What To Serve With This:
Fluffy Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls or My Favorite Cornbread
Sliced cheese (sounds weird, but it’s delicious with this soup)
One Year Ago: Amazing Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake {Egg-Free, Easily Gluten Free}
Three Years Ago: Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon
Pressure Cooker Smoky Lentil and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped yellow or white onion
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
- ½ cup diced carrots, about 2 medium carrots
- ½ cup diced celery, about 2 stalks
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (I do not peel but you can if you want)
- 1 cup red lentils, sorted and rinsed (see note)
- 1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed (see note)
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
- 8 to 10 ounces kale or spinach, chopped (optional but delicious)
Instructions
- In a stovetop or electric pressure cooker, heat the oil (use the Sauté function in the Instant Pot). Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, and cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Add the cumin, paprika and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add the potatoes, lentils and stock or broth.
- Secure the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at 3 minutes on high pressure. Quick release the pressure, unlock the lid, and stir in the kale or spinach, if using.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper (very important!) and serve. The soup will thicken a bit as it cools.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: sent to me by a MKC reader, Laura A., similar to this recipe at Eat Within Your Means
206 Comments on “Smoky Lentil and Potato Soup {Pressure Cooker or Stovetop}”
This is weird. I cook red lentils for 9 minutes in the instant pot. It’s ready in 3?
Yes
Delicious winter soup. I like the combination of the two kinds of lentils. Tossed in two leeks from the fridge too.
This was delicious! What size Instant Pot are your recipes written for? Just need to know how to gauge volume for my 3 Qt. Thanks!
Hi Marcia, I test all my recipes in a 6 quart instant pot.
I have a 3qt instant pot, for this recipe I cut the lentils, potatoes and liquid in half and leave the veggies the same. I also add 2 links of Trader Joes sweet Italian sausage. Super yummy, family fav.
This was soooò good. Will definitely make again.
This was so easy to make and very yummy! We had it with your no knead sour dough bread. Perfect meal!
Can I use pasta instead of potatoes?
If yes, how many cups?
You could try (I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how it will work out). The amount really depends on the size and shape of the pasta.
Wow! This recipe was amazing. I was very skeptical when I saw the pressure cook time was 3 minutes, and I was tempted to increase the time, bit I’m glad I didn’t. The lentils were cooked perfectly, and still had substance to them.
With other lentil recipes, I’ve overcooked and decimated the lentils and wound up with a bowl of mush, but not with this one. Also, it’s nice that it didn’t call for diced tomatoes or tomato sauce for a change—the flavor is lovely. I did peel my potatoes and I’m happy I did. Thank you!
This was so delicious! I did it on the stove top, and it was definitely ready between 35 – 40 mins. Great way to use up some veggies I had in the fridge.
Really enjoyed this. Saved it!
Delicious! My husband, who doesn’t usually like lentils, approved of this recipe. I only had red lentils (I’m almost positive my package said pink, but I don’t have it any more…maybe they’re the same thing). I cut the potatoes smaller, and did 2 min at high pressure and it turned out perfect!
This is absolutely fantastic. I ended up using panchratan dal (five types of lentil in one) and it is so good. Made it twice. First time 3/4 recipe cause I didn’t have enough stock and full recipe second time. My Indian in-laws absolutely loved it. And it may be even better as leftovers!
This was delicious. Made just as written, using 6 oz frozen spinach. Kids thought it was too much, I think it is perfect.
I’m determined to try this again because I have that much faith in MKC! The kale I was using had a funny flavor. (Sidenote: I don’t buy organic, but every once in a while when I end up using organic produce, it has a weird taste. Does that mean I like the taste of pesticides? I hope not!) The soup was also competing with Rachel Ray’s Hungarian Lentil soup which is my son’s favorite. But I’m going to do this again! I feel like the potential was there even if it didn’t hit a home run tonight. I served it with MKC’s whole wheat dinner rolls as suggested and they were a HUGE hit!!
Anyone else think organic vegetables taste funny?
We loved the soup and will make it more.
I freaking love this soup. My mom has made it for the past couple of years, and I decided I couldn’t go my first year at college without it (that’s how good it is!). She thinly slices kielbasa sausage and adds it in with the vegetables to make it a bit more hearty, and its absolutely delicious. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
WOW! This was so good and so quick! The ONLY change I made was adding more veggies. Will not be eating canned lentil soup again.
There seems to be both a HOT and a SWEET smoky paprika. Which one do you prefer in this soup?
I use sweet or smoked paprika.
On Amazon they have both sweet smoky and hot smoky. I know you like Penzy’s. Thank you for clarifying.
I also read this that might be helpful, or it might just make it more confusing. Growing up I thought that paprika was just a garnish for potato salad and deviled eggs. I have learned over the years how wonderful it is in cooked dishes and that the “heat” factor increases the longer you cook it!
Very good recipe. I did add some lemon zest and lemon juice. Cilantro when I served. Thank you for sharing.
This soup is DELICIOUS! I make it often.
Very good. Made per the recipe with two exceptions. I used sweet potato vs white potato and all brown lentils because that’s what I had on hand. Honestly, the best lentil soup I’ve made. Family enjoyed it!
I wouldn’t have been tempted to try this except for the rave reviews. It’s delicious and so quick in the instant pot. It was well worth tracking down the red lentils. The smoky paprika makes it taste like there is gambit bacon on it. I will definitely be making again and again.
My husband declared this a keeper! My seven year old said it was her favorite soup! Thank you for yet another excellent recipe!
It tastes like it has bacon in it with out the bacon!
This is my favourite soup ever. I followed the recipe as written, using the stovetop method and choosing to leave out the greens as I knew I was going to freeze a good portion. This soup is perfect on a cold winter night, and beautiful in its simplicity. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
This is absolutely delicious! I received an Instant Pot for Christmas, and this was my first recipe in it. Will definitely be in my weekly rotation!
I LOVE this soup!!! My mom decided for Christmas this year to just have soup, appetizers, and desserts. She designated me as the soup maker and I chose this (I have made it once or twice before). Most people have other obligations on Christmas and had already eaten, but tasted this and wanted to eat a little there and take some with them. Needless to say, I managed to sneak out of there with a small bowl, but everyone else snatched up the rest! It was a hit!!
I do think I doubled the carrots and celery as I like more veggies – also I couldn’t find red lentils and just used brown but I can’t wait to try it with the combo!!
Thanks for the recipe!!
I LOVE this soup!!! My mom decided for Christmas this year to just have soup, appetizers, and desserts. She designated me as the soup maker and I chose this (I have made it once or twice before). Most people have other obligations on Christmas and had already eaten, but tasted this and wanted to eat a little there and take some with them. Needless to say, I managed to sneak out of there with a small bowl, but everyone else snatched up the rest! It was a hit!!
I do think I doubled the carrots and celery as I like more veggies – also I couldn’t find red lentils and just used brown but I can’t wait to try it with the combo!!
Thanks for the recipe!! Also, I cooked it for about 5-6 minutes in my instant pot. 3 was not quite long enough, but I have different settings than mentioned here.
I dont have instant pot. Wonder can replace to crock pot?
Make this last night for the first time. Great recipe! Even my fiancee loved it and he is picky. We did add chicken sausage and make it a perfect dish for us. Printing and putting it in my cookbook for later. Thanks!
This is SOOOO good! Made it for the second time yesterday and love it even more than the first….husband too! Used all green lentils as that’s what we had on hand, increased the spices a bit plus added a can of fire roasted tomatoes as the man loves them. I’m sure it’s great as is but it’s hard for me not to tinker a bit with soup! : ) Thanks so much…healthy, vegan, rich and flavorful. Heaven!
I’m an Instant Pot newbie. This was my second recipe (Bean Quinoa Chili was the first) and it is great. And SO easy. Thanks so much. My freezer is filling up with grab and go lunches!
Absolutely divine recipe!!! My husband is not a fan of soups but he loved this one! I cooked is stovetop and used all brown lentils. I also added some sausage!!! Definitely a new favorite !!!
This is the absolute best soup! It is stick to your ribs, and delicious. I even made it on a very hot, sticky day, and still loved it. Thank you for this fabulous recipe. I only had brown lentils, but my husband is not a fan of red, so I used all brown. Still delicious!
This is really good and easy to make. But the brown lentils were still hard and I had to cook it on the stovetop after, which overcooked everything else.
Great!!! We substituted chard from the garden, added a small zucchini and more smoked paprika. Tried to make into more of a stew with just 6 cups liquid (for dehydrating) but needed more when I added the chard. Making two more batches to dehydrate!
I’m about to make this wonderful sounding recipe (in a new Instant Pot) and am inclined to add kielbasa as some have suggested. My question is: should that go in after everything else is done, or throw it in with the lentils? Thx!
Made this for dinner tonight. INCREDIBLE. I doubled it for my 8 quart Instant Pot. Amazing that 3 minutes at high pressure perfectly cooks everything. This is our new favorite soup. Thank you so much for sharing!
This is my go to make ahead lunch. Make on Sunday divide up and i am ready to go. Recipe is excellent as is but works great if you want to add a couple extras as well. My 3 teenagers love it with or without adding sausage. That is saying something. Thank you for this deliciousness!
Making it again today – adding some sliced chicken/apple sausage to please my carnivore, and I have some sitting in the fridge staring at me. I had already saved this in my AnyList recipe file with 5 stars! 🙂
Have collected many lentil soup recipes over the years, this one is the best of them all. The only one I will make from now on. It’s exceptional! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the great recipe!! My family loved this!!
This was just delicious!
This soup was amazing. I did add some double smoked sausage and a splash of liquid smoke. Outstanding.
So I almost never comment, BUT this soup is amazing! I find it addictive! I could live on this and yes that smoked paprika adds a wonderful flavor. Never used it before but it won’t be the last time.
I just had to stop by and tell you that this has become one of my favorite recipes. I make it at least once a month (which is a lot for us!) and no one complains about it. I cross my fingers for plenty of leftovers because I can eat it every day and never get sick of it. Thank you!
I made this as a “take-in” lunch for a bunch of vegetarians, and it was a huge hit! Not being vegetarian myself, I don’t exactly have a bunch of tried-and-true vegetarian recipes to fall back on, so I (even more!) appreciated knowing that I could count on any recipe that you recommended to be a winner. Thanks again for your hard work making this terrific site and sharing your great talent with us all!
Made this for dinner tonight! Pure comfort food. . . whole family liked it. Super healthy, super tasty and super easy! Thanks Mel!
Has anyone tried this using russet potatoes? That is what I have on hand.
I always make it with russet and it’s delicious.
I have made this a couple times now. Always a hit here. Since I dont ever have smoked paprika on hand, I make bacon bits in the instant pot.. set those aside and use a bit of the bacon oil to saute everything in. Once done I top it off with the bacon bits for that smokey taste. I have never not made it with bacon!
yummy!
I used lentils I had on hand regular brown to use them up. Halved the recipe and did stove top since I don’t have pressure cooker.
didn’t change a thing and this recipe is delicious as is.
now let me grab a bowl go back to my tv show and get cozy with my soup on this blustery day.
thx for sharing!
Total hit! Fam got an Instant Pot for xmas, this was our second recipe. I used green lentils rather than brown as that was what I had on hand and added sliced kielbasa but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The flavor is amazing! The green lentils didn’t hold up as well as the brown, mostly melting into the broth but still excellent. Make a note though that if you want lots of whole lentils that brown is the best choice. My folks want this on the menu at least once a month and I couldn’t be happier. We’ll be using your instant pot recipe section a lot, but then I’ve been using your recipes a lot since I first found you! You’ve become a household name in our house! 😉
This recipe turned out perfect!! The only thing I added was lemon juice and turmeric. I just got my Insta Pot today and was craving lentil soup. I couldn’t believe how quick I made dinner and how amazing it tasted! Even my picky 5 year old and loved it! Thank you!!
Can you use a crock pot?
Could definitely experiment!
I Mack this soup all the time.
This took my instant pot 24 minutes to reach pressure Did it take yours foreverrrr?!
What size Instant Pot do you have?
Of course. It has to get all the contents hot enough to create pressure. The plus is that it’s unattended time and you can do something else, like play with the kids, take the dog for a walk, or sit down and have a glass of wine.
I made this stew/soup last night. My pressure cooker time was a heavy 3 minutes, meaning four or maybe five and it might have been too much as the Yukon gold potatoes and lentils (green and red) were really soft. So soft the potatoes practically creamed into the soup making it thick and creamy. I added baby bella mushrooms in with the lentils and potatoes. With the kale I added a green zucchini and a can of diced tomatoes. Kosher salt at every turn. I used a vegetable stock to keep it vegan. This was really good. Next time I’ll watch the pressure cooker time more closely.
I made this in a traditional stove top pressure cooker.
Wow! This was tasty! I used a lentil trio because I couldn’t find just red lentils at the store. Still amazing!
Great cold weather soup! Thanks for the awesomeness!
This soup is FABULOUS!!! We have gotten on board with lentils. Thanks for another delicious recipe Mel!!
Made on stovetop didn’t take long and it’s delicious! Will make again.
Fantastic
I only had orange lentils. Worked great.
I didn’t have spinach so I added chopped cilantro at the end. Delicious. Will be in my vegan soup rotation from now on.
This soup is delicious!! My three- and one-year-olds are gobbling this down for lunch with me! I made it on the stovetop and used 2 cups of green lentils (I was really surprised how expensive red lentils were at my grocery store!). Since I was cooking for young children, I let everything get softer than I normally would. I ended up taking out some of the potato chunks, mashing them and returning them to the pot to make it thicker. So yummy! Will definitely make this many times again!
Such a fantastic dish to throw together when you have no time! Packed with flavor and veggies, it is truly comforting. I don’t have a pressure cooker, so I cooked it on the stovetop and kinda left it there too long so the lentils overcooked, but still tastes amazing. I would recommend cooking it the day before as the flavors become even better by then!
This soup is amazing!
After reading few reviews, I decided to adjust the time to 6 min, but it was too long. The lentils (red and brown) became baby food like but the flavors…oh my! I had 3 bowls!
Next time I’ll follow the recommended time of 3 min and I’m sure it will be perfect 🙂
I did put bay leaf in too and only 1 tsp cumin.
Thank you for this recipe, it’s a keeper for sure!
I made this for dinner the other night and it was a definite hit. I used red and brown lentils and added fresh spinach at the end, delicious! I’m a big fan of smoked paprika and it really does make this dish.
Made this tonight; wonderful recipe! I added a splash of balsamic vinegar to each bowl which adds the perfect tang. Thank you for this quick, healthy, tasty recipe!
I just made this and while it was delicious, on the stove top (no IP), there was much, much too little liquid. I had to add an additional 4 c. of water and it was still really quite thick for soup. More like a stew. I will keep making it, but I would add to the notes for stove top, the liquid needs to be increased significantly – or maybe I had really thirsty little lentils!! Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback, Rebecca!
So delicious. I used 4 cups of vegetable broth and 4 cups of “No-Chicken” broth (chicken substitute for our vegetarian family). A dash of liquid smoke because I couldn’t find smoked paprika in the local market. I also put in 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for little kick, and a dash of cider vinegar.
We have this soup with home made-flatbreads that I make with your recipe. Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes!
Excellent soup! I doubled the onion, potato, carrot and celery, added bay leaves, liquid smoke and Liquid Aminos, because I didn’t have smoked paprika.
To me, it felt like eating “health food,” which is a-ok because that’s exactly what I’m trying to eat right now. It was very yummy health food, though there was a little too much spinach, even for me. I’ll probably make it again and add more potatoes and carrots.
This soup is amazing! Easy and tastes awesome.
First time making a lentil soup in the Instant Pot. This recipe was delicious! I added a couple of andouille smoked sausages and browned them a bit with the vegetables. I also ended up using a full cup of celery and a cup carrots rather than the suggested 1/2. I pressure cooked for 5 minutes, did a quick release and this seemed about right. I also added a bit of kale in the end, but I think next time I’ll just add it in the beginning.
SO yummy! And easy to tweak with what you have!
Wow! This definitely lived up to the hype! Divine! Hubby thought so too and he isn’t the biggest soup lover. He’s already talking about the next time we make it and how healthy it is. I also added liquid smoke alongside the smoked paprika.
So I like to tweak recipes a little. I used this recipe as a base. I substituted 2 large sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. Used half vegetable stock half chicken stock and instead of cumin I put in about 1 tsp of mild curry powder. Also added some smoked garlic chicken sausage. It was AMAZING!! My whole family loved it! Including the picky toddler. I will definitely be making it again!
please add calories to your recipes please !
A lot of fitness trackers will convert the recipe for you. Mel does enough work for us already! Try MyFitnessPal.
I plan on making this soup this weekend. It sounds so good. I’m wondering from the picture it looks like there’s sausage in it. But I don’t see it in the ingredient list.
No, there is no sausage in the soup.
I thought the same thing; looks like sausage in the picture 🙂
WOW! This is one of the best soups I’ve ever eaten. So satisfying and hearty. My whole family loved it. Not ususally the case. Two thumbs up!!!
The back story: I just got myself an Instant Pot in November and had used it a handful of times, but not to its full potential. I then started a new assignment (different location) at work and found myself at the local cafe buying their lentil soup at $4.50 per 12-oz cup, which is ridiculous. The soup was good, but I figured I could do better with my Instant Pot. Google directed me to this recipe and the rest is history.
I just made this soup today and it will be in my regular rotation! I added a shallot (just because I love shallots), and next time I will add a bay leaf during the cooking time. I also stirred in flat leaf kale.
I love how hearty and thick it is. It’s almost like a chowder, but vegan! Absolutely wonderful, and probably great over rice too.
Thanks!
Could I use liquid smoke in place of the smokey paprika? I already have liquid smoke and regular paprika. Can’t wait to try the recipe!!! I love lentils!
That sounds like a great workaround!
I added liquid smoke AND smoked paprika. Yum! I love my soup to taste like it was made over a campfire.
Hi just wondering how much liquid smoke you added for this??? Thanks so much !!
Thanks, yet again, for another awesome recipe. It was so tasty! I served it with toasted and buttered slices of “artisan” bread. My mom & husband kind of fought over the leftovers. Always a good sign, right?!
Loved this soup! Easy and flavorful. I added Kielbasa sausage and it went well with the spices and other ingredients.
I have some red lentils but am having a hard time finding brown lentils….wondering if I could sub in canned lentils for the brown, thanks!
Could definitely try – canned lentils will cook MUCH faster so I worry a bit about them breaking completely down, so you might decrease cooking time.
I am so glad you posted this on facebook today as I saw it and knew that would be dinner plans. It is a humble but delicious soup!
What would you say the serving size is on this ?
The servings are right above the recipe title…this serves 6. 🙂
A quick and easy recipe for a healthy delicious meal.
Loved the soup!! I made this recipe on the stovetop. I didn’t have celery on hand (this was an impromptu cooking session) so i used white cabbage finely diced and sautéed with my onions and garlic on low heat. I used whatever lentils were in the cabinet (I will try the red next time). I added more of the smoked paprika and cumin to taste and also a bit of thyme. Salt and pepper at the end. For the final touch, I used my stick blender for a few pulses just to give the soup a creamier incorporated texture – no a lot of blending, mind you. Kale added the finishing touch. Perfect!!
I made this today using a bag of frozen lentils, and it is amazing. I didn’t think I liked lentils, but here I am. So good, thank you!
I made this today in my instant pot at school (everything was ready to just hit 3 min). I started a tradition last year of bringing my co workers soup on a particularly busy school day before the holidays as my Christmas gift instead of giving treats to everyone. Last year I made your potato soup. This year I’ve been eating much healthier and decided to make this lentil soup. I’ve been awakened to lentils this year. I was worried people would shy away from this soup, but it was a huge hit, very satisfying, and many wanted the recipe! The smoky aroma filled the halls today and the flavor was amazing for how simple it was. I was sad there weren’t leftovers! Thx Mel! My fellow teachers thank you too.
Your coworkers are certainly lucky! Glad this soup was a hit!
Great dish!!!! I did not use the cumin..did not want Mexican flavor….just smokey paprika …I had some smoked turkey wings that I added to the pot. 5 bay leaves for an extra punch. I added some umami (powdered Mushroom mix from http://www.nuts.com) and some bone broth powder. Only used French lentils (green) and added two hot peppers from my friends garden. After I dished up my serving, I added Maldon salt and black fresh ground pepper to taste. For the final and I believe the best part of the dish, I added a teaspoon of white truffle oil to my dish. OMG!!!! will be making this often. Could be vegetarian with mushrooms caramelized instead of smoked turkey wings. The white truffle oil put it over the top in flavor. It felt and tasted like a 5 star soup dish from a top restaurant.
Loved this soup!! The only thing I’d do differently is wait until the end to add the salt and just add to taste. The broth I used must’ve been quite salty, so I probably didn’t even need to add the teaspoon of salt suggested. Nonetheless it was still turned out great and I’ll be making this again!
I agree! Mine came out a little salty as well.
This is such a keeper! Made it for the second time today. I need a simple meal for family arriving the night before Thanksgiving. This soup and a salad will be a perfect light and healthy holiday eve dinner and comforting after a day of travel for my family. There’s something about the combo of cumin & smoked paprika that makes it taste rich like there’s bacon in it, but I do this completely vegan with vegetable broth and even a water saute on the veggies – so no oil. Delicious!
Delicious!!! I used the sweet potatoes and it made all the difference. Loved what the smoked paprika did for the flavor. This was done stovetop.
Loved it. This is my second time and it’s a hit.
Unfortunately, not a win for us. All was well until the cumin made an appearance. Next time will make without.
Great recipe! The only thing I’d recommend changing, just from my preference, is double the amount of lentils. I like my lentil soup…well…lentily. Also, DO NOT use lentils du puy without extending your cooking time by 4-5 minutes, which will make it mush…so just don’t use french lentils. Past that, wonderful recipe, I approve 100%!
A perfect 5/7.
I have not made this yet, but it looks great! If I were to eliminate the potatoes, how much lentil would I need to add to “back fill”? Thank you in advance!
I’d probably double the amount of lentils.
This was really tasty. I used sweet potatoes, green lentils and 10 oz. of kale, which I put in before I started cooking. I cooked it on manual for six minutes. I didn’t find that it needed any additional salt. I might try a little spice next time. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks for sharing.
This was really tasty. I used sweet potatoes, green lentils and 10 oz. of kale, which I put in before I started cooking. I cooked it on manual for six minutes. I didn’t find that it needed any additional salt. I might try a little spice next time. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks for sharing.
I am cooking it in a normal stove. Help, anyone?!
Delicious! The whole family loved it. We kept it vegan with a low sodium veg broth. Also we omitted the oil and water sautéed in a bit of water, adding more as needed to prevent sticking. We will definitely make this again 🙂
Can this be made with green lentils? Thanks
Anna
Yes – the cooking time might be slightly different, but they should work just fine.
I tried it that way the first time. I had to cook it an extra 5 minutes to get the lentils cooked all the way, which “mushified” everything else. You could probably parboil them a bit first, though, then make the recipe as written.
Hi! How many servings would you say this recipe yields? I’m planning on serving it to 8 adults. I’ve made it before but can’t remember! It’s so yummy! And I can’t remember if I doubled it. I have a 6 at Instant Pot. Can it be doubled? Thx!!
I would say it feeds between 4-6 adults, depending on appetites :).
I made this soup over the weekend…OH MY GOSH…i cannot believe the flavor with so few spices!!! I used Penzey’s smoked paprika and cumin…absolutely fantastic…I will make this again and again…I added yolk-free egg noodles because my potatoes for some weird reason went black in the fridge overnight…I had parboiled them thinking to save time…anyhow the noodles are a great sub!! thanks for this recipe and you are right…that smokey paprika is key…next time I will just simmer the potatoes in the pot…I did it stovetop style and I just love it…
so easy to make and Delicious! thanks
Can this be done in slow cooker?
I haven’t tried it that way, but you could certainly experiment. I would try cooking on low for 6 -8 hours.
I can’t get enough of this soup!
Made it with adding a couple of sliced http://www.aidells.com/product/5 sausages, past prime mushrooms and a bit of cauliflower, but otherwise just as is. I put the kale in with everything else since it was a bit tough (Lacinto) and after 3 minutes let it natural release for 15 minutes. All lentils were tender – just the carrots were a bit mushy, I can’t wait for leftovers since most soups benefit from a day or two in the fridge! Get the best smoked paprika you can since some are kind of bland. Found mine in the bulk jars at HEB!
I absolutely loved this soup and have made it a few times. It’s very easy to add variations such as sweet potato or use black eyed peas (for New Years). Always turns out amazing. My kids love it as well!
Delicious. Lentils needed a few minutes more ( red lentils were fine, brown undercooked.) I halved the recipe, used 1/2 hot and 1/2 sweet smoked paprika and added a minced chili . Used home made stock and it didn’t need more salt than called for in your recipe. Thanks for posting!
I made this tonight, but used diced butternut squash instead of potatoes. It was delicious! We will definitely have this again.
I just made this and it was delicious.
Just made this, it’s delicious! I used green instead of brown lentils since that’s what I had on hand. Really good, can’t stop eating. 🙂
Wow. Just wow. I have made this soup FOUR TIMES since Christmas. Yup, it’s just that good. Thanks, Mel!
THANK YOU MEL!!!! This soup was loved by the pickiest of eaters in my family!
This has very quickly become one of my favorite recipes. I have made it per your recipe once, then another time I made some adaptations based on what I had/lacked. I’ve used a ham bone plus added diced ham, omitted celery because we didn’t have any, and discovered we were out of cumin so replaced it with adobo seasoning; nothing could go wrong with this recipe. So so so delicious, simple, and warming. Love!
So happy you love this, Darci!
LOVED it!!!!! I think it was even more over the top delicious because it looks so unassuming! Thank you, THANK YOU for another amazing soup!!!!
I love the instant pot recipes so thank you for posting them! Do you know, if i half the recipe, is it still 3 minutes? and in general (if you know), if i want to half an instant pot recipe, would the cooking time be less or the same?
Generally speaking if I halve a recipe or double it, I don’t change the cooking time.
I am WFPB & try to do SOS free so this was easy to adapt for me & I’m always looking for a new IP recipe! At the end, I thought it needed something so I added a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes. Delish! Maybe I’d do diced next time. I’m adding this to my go-to recipes! Thanks!
My husband got me an Instant pot for Christmas! ❤️ This is the first recipe I’m going to try. It sounds like I won’t be disappointed. I have smoked paprika in my cupboard thanks to your pork tenderloin recipe. I think I’ll throw in some kielbasa too.
Thank you, thank you! My 35 year old son said ” seriously, this soup should get an award!” I did add kielbasa and I only had brown lentils. No red lentils to be found in our grocery stores. Also, I made my own chicken bone broth.
Mine is just sitting and waiting to be eaten!! I also made the chicken bone broth….little extra nutrition. Can’t wait to dig in!!
This was yummy! The kids unfortunately didn’t like it, but the parents did! I couldn’t find brown lentils, so I used green and cooked for 6 minutes. I think next time I switch the ratios of cumin and smoked paprika. I love that this is vegan if made with veggie broth too!!!
I adore this soup. I’ve made it twice. I have two sons who are vegans so it is perfect. They loved it. I don’t have a pressure cooker. It turns out just great on the stove top but I make sure to keep temperature low so it doesn’t stick. The second batch I have kept all for myself cause I’m worth it. Great lunches for work and great cause I’m eating less meat also. Thanks for awesome recipes once again!!
I forgot to say that I used all red lentils cause that’s all I had in the house and it was super yummy and creamy.
Hey Mel, I don’t have a pressure cooker… is there a way to make this in a pot? If so, how long would I need to cook it for?
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, try this on the stovetop: follow the directions, sautéing the vegetables in oil and adding the rest of the ingredients, except the kale or spinach. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and let cook for 35-40 minutes (maybe longer, just keep an eye on it), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Stir in the kale or spinach, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
I just posted and have a few things to add….I used a cast iron enamel pot on the stove to cook. Put in coconut oil – added vegetables and spices – added water – added smoked turkey wings. Cooked for about 60 minutes on low with a heat distribution metal pad under the pot….only stirred about 4 times as the metal pad kept even distribution of heat. As soon as lentils and vegetables were cooked – I removed them and continued to cook the smoked turkey wings in the broth until they fell off the bone. This is a very good recipe. I just had my second bowl of it for dinner.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! The brown lentils weren’t done after 3 minutes in the pressure cooker, but after 3 more minutes it was just about right.
I will definitely be making this again!
This was delicious! We had it with grilled cheese and roasted broccoli. The 2 and 4 year olds loved it! Thanks for all the amazing recipes! I am thinking about freezing the leftovers, any thoughts on that?
Go for it! I bet it will freeze great.
It freezes great!
I’ve known about lentils for FOREVER but hardly ever come across recipes for them… so there are always some languishing in my pantry. I have basic lentils and a bag of French lentils that I’ve never tried. They are much smaller and almost black, but their cooking instructions are identical to the green lentils. Based on previous comments, I think I’ll double the time under pressure and see how it goes. (Fortunately, my family likes mushy vegetables in soup if that overdoes it…).
Just made this this morning in about 20 minutes, including chopping time. It is delicious! I just love my IP and so glad you include IP recipes in your lineup. Keep ’em coming!
Mel, You are my number one source for recipes. I have celiac disease and I am able to use your recipes without too much fuss. I love everything you make and your recipes are so easy! This soup, like so many of your recipes, was absolutely delicious and required no modifications. Thank you for sharing your ideas with the world.
Thank you, Daphne!
Mel this was wonderful! Perfect for a cold evening when we needed something for dinner unrelated to Thanksgiving! As usual you gave me a winner!
I made this last night and it was so easy and delicious! I love the smokey flavor! My family loved it too. The amazing-ness that is smoked paprika was unknown to me before I started following your blog and now I can’t believe I ever cooked without it!!
I’ve been wanting to use my pressure cooker more often and we love soup in this house. I made it last night and it has been moved to the “make again” section of my recipe files. The only change was adding some cut up ham. I used the optional kale too because, well, KALE!
Yes! I have a habit of adding everything in the produce section to lentil soups and over complicating a simple, healthy dish. I left yours alone (stovetop method) and I’m glad I did. Delicious, hearty, and the smoked paprika may have even convinced my meat-loving in-laws there was some in this soup. Thanks again for another great recipe.
Mel, I love brown lentils but have not been able to find them. Where did you get yours?
I use them to also make awesome lentil tacos. I’ve even gone to special stores, and asked if they have brown lentils, and they say yes, but they end up being the green ones, which do look a bit brownish. But, being a lentil lover, I know the difference 🙂
Also, have you put up anything from your BYU classes and I’ve just missed that?
Thank you!!
Hey Janet – hmmm, I’m not necessarily a lentil expert, so maybe the ones I’m using are actually green? Although they don’t take quite as long to cook as the green ones. I linked to the ones I’ve bought before on Amazon…but my local Winco also carries them in the bulk section. The BYU Women’s Services department put the handouts up on their website but I haven’t done a recap yet! Hopefully soon!
Hi Mel, I’ve loved your site for years, but never comment (possibly laziness!!) But I must thank you for this recipe!! After recently becoming vegetarian but feeling overwhelmed as the rest of my family still love their meat, I needed a few recipes that suit everyone without feeling guilt that they’re ‘missing out’. But this soup was so stinkin delicious everyone gave it 10/10, even my so-picky-he’s-almost-anorexic son. Thank you for continuing to make my life in the kitchen more enjoyable.
Thank YOU, Natasha!
Had this for dinner tonight and it was quite tasty! Made as directed except I must have used the green lentils (My package just said “Lentils,” and they looked greenish brown.), so I had to add more cook time in the pressure cooker. I just redid the 3 minutes, and that cooked them up well enough. I really liked how the soup had a smoky flavor without using meat. My husband and 4 kids liked it, too. My husband said if he were in a dire situation like a prisoner of war camp or backpacking for days on end and were fed this, it would be like heaven.
Made it this morning for dinner this evening. I added 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage. The couple bites I tasted were delicious! Sure to be even better this evening. Thanks for the hint on the red and brown lentils. I really like how the red lentils added body to the soup. I made your curry lentil soup last week and it’s interesting to see and taste the difference. Both are yummy!
You were right, it’s not pretty, but it sure is good! I just recommended it to all my soup loving friends. I’m going to try this as a crockpot freezer meal. Throw everything together in a bag and freeze. Pop it into crockpot and away you go! I’m guessing it should work well!
I made this last night and loved how simple it was to throw together. I threw in some smoked sausage and I’m glad I did. It was a great addition. Thank you for the recipe Mel! Most everyone in the family liked it. If you like lentils, here’s another yummy winter soup/stew.
http://www.food.com/recipe/carrabbas-sausage-and-lentil-soup-162864
I add 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes and 1 tsp of the other herbs.
Soup in the instant pot is my very very favorite thing to make! So quick and convenient. I’ll even do creamy soups and simmer the milk/flour after the soup cycle. Love it!
I cracked up at your description of Brian’s hesitation, but that he knew better than to say something. My husband does that ALL the time. I know “the look” too well. Then it really is SO hard not to rub it in or lecture when it’s good.
Oh perfect! We have a bag of lentils in our pantry that we bought to make lentil soup, but I couldn’t find a credible recipe that I trusted! Glad you just posted this!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
3 minutes cook time!!!!!! Wow!!!! I’m so into that! Can’t wait to try it! Love my IP! Love you, Mel! Thank you!
You’re once again my hero!!! I was looking through your site yesterday as I was trying to find a recipe to use up my lentils and potatoes. This recipe couldn’t be more perfect for my mission to clean out the pantry!!!! Thank you!!!!
Looks wonderful–thank you. We will make it today, pretending it is cool enough for soup in Arizona! I have my vegetarian daughter living here for a few months, and wondered if you can sort your recipes into a vegetarian tab? You know, in your free time. 😉 I don’t plan on cooking vegetarian all the time, but would love to once or twice a week. I tried just sorting through your search engine, and some possibilities came up, but not as many as you have. And thank you for this great resource–you save dinner around here all the time! You and your website are always on my list of favorite things!
I have a meatless category here:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/category/meatless
Hope that helps!
Anyway this could be changed up for a slow cooker?
I’m certain it could – I just haven’t tried it. I’m guessing 7-8 hours on low?
Made this tonight and everyone loved it except the 13 mo old! So fast, so good! My husband thinks he hates lentils because he didn’t like them when he lived in Peru. But so far he likes your lentil soups. Any more recipes you can share to justify my buying them in bulk?! And thanks for saving my life/dinner tonight. My plans crashed and I needed something fast. This was perfect!
Glad you liked it, Stacey! I’ll see if I can drum up any other beloved lentil recipes.
Love the idea of lentils, potatoes and smoked paprika! I’ve never cooked with red lentils before, how would this be with all red (no brown) lentils?
Haven’t tried it like that, but I have a feeling it’s pretty adaptable.
I love lentils and smoked paprika. Sometimes I just see it in my cupboard and want to smell it! I can’t wait to try this, although I’m sure my daughter would prefer another meal. Lentils are a hard sale for her too. Question as well; I attended your event at BYU and in the last session you mentioned you had a word document with all your instant pot recipes and tips. I asked you about it and you said they’d lost it on the WRC blog, but they posted everything else, and not that. Can you email it to me? If so, that be great. If not, no worries, I will still read your blog, I promise. Thanks!
Hey Brianna – I’m still trying to get it into a format that I can share; I’ll definitely share really soon!
Thank you!
Where would I find the Vegan Instant Pot recipes?
I’ve got a lentil soup mix (Bob’s Red Mill, I think), but I’m going to use this to make it more interesting! Many thanks.
So the green lentils are also cooked fully in 3 minutes? I make this recipe often: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/30-minute-pressure-cooker-chicken-lentil-bacon-stew.html with green lentils and after the 20 minute cook time, they’re still pretty chewy. Sounds delicious though! I’ll have to try it out.
Thanks for your note, Rebecca. I’m glad you brought up the green lentils. Because I only used brown and red, I took out the option for green lentils (it was in the original recipe). You are right, of all the lentil varieties, green lentils take a lot longer to cook, and since I haven’t used them, I’d rather people stick with brown and red so it works out. 🙂
I actually just used green lentils (all I had) and being dubious about potatoes and lentils cooking in three minutes, (newbie lol), I extended mine to 5 minutes. Came out great. It is so delicious! Thanks for this recipe!
I will have to try this! I add smoked paprika to my salsa and it’s magical. I’m sure it’s great here too!
This has two of my favorites in it, lentils and potatoes. It looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it.
Brown food is never pretty, but it is always delicious! Can’t wait to make this, lentils are one of my favorite ingredients to work with. Thank you.
I think Brown food is pretty. Brown means flavor and richness!
Looks delicious. Does it have sausage in it? It looks like it in the picture but isn’t in the recipe.
No, it doesn’t have sausage in it, but that would be a very delicious addition!
Looks good Mel, just a quick question as I’ve never cooked with lentils before. Are they dry, like beans? If so, I’m guessing they don’t have to be soaked before hand.
Yes, they are dry like beans! But no, they don’t always have to be soaked. I never do unless I’m sprouting them and that’s a whole different story. They should be widely available near the rice in any grocery store.
I thought the same thing and was just about to ask. Looking closer, I think the mysterious sausage-lookalike is the backside of a red potato. 🙂
Oops, that was supposed to go on the comment below. Ha!
Ooooh, lentils are my favorite. I am excited to try this version of lentil stew! I make it very regularly through the fall and winter, and my kids like it more and more each time. You are right, it is such a visual thing. When they see lentils, they’re like, “NOOOO!”, but then they eat 2 bowls each. I originally ate lentils when I was an exchange student in Spain; my host mom made them very frequently. She always added chorizo to her stew, so now at home I always add kielbasa or whatever kind of ring sausage I am in the mood for. I’ll probably use meat with your recipe as well, just because I know that helps in getting my boys (big and little) to eat it. Thanks for sharing a new version of lentils, and I am excited to try them with smoked paprika. P.S. I bought an Instant Pot because of you, and I love it. Add that to the list of kitchen things I have bought because of MKC LOL!
Photographing soup can be so tricky!
I’ve never tried the instant pot yet. You’ve got me intrigued! Dinner in 3 minutes sounds perfect!