Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Carrots and Cumin
Hearty brown lentils, carrots, and tomatoes pressure-cook into a warmly spiced soup, finished with spinach and a squeeze of lemon. Budget-friendly, vegetarian, and even better the next day.
50 mins
6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups Baby Spinach
- 2 Carrots, diced
- 2 Celery, diced
- 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
- ¼ cup Parsley (Fresh)
- 1 can of Tomatoes, diced, 14.5 oz
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 ½ cups Brown Lentils, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons Lemon (Juice)
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 Bay Leaves
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Paprika (Smoked)
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 6 cups Vegetable Broth
Directions
- Select Sauté on the Instant Pot and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the onion softens.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in a ladleful of the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot well to loosen any browned bits; this prevents a burn warning.
- Add the lentils, diced tomatoes with their juices, the remaining broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir, then cancel Sauté.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release the rest.
- Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Tip: for a thicker soup, mash some of the lentils against the side of the pot; the soup thickens as it stands, so thin leftovers with a little water or broth.
