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Katie's Cucina » Recipes » Instant Pot

Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup

Published: Mar 26, 2019 · Modified: Apr 17, 2022 by Katie · This post may contain affiliate links

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Top view two bowls of yellowish soup with veggies in front of instant pot.

Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup is a hearty and filling soup perfect for the cooler months. This soup is easy to make in less than 30 minutes perfect for a quick homemade lunch!

2 bowls of vegetable soup topped with parmesan cheese in front of instant pot with title text.
 
I struggle in the lunch department for myself. My kids always have a fantastic lunch or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the very least. Many days that is exactly what I’m eating or a salad. Both on the boring side, but let’s face it–it does the job. On the day I created this recipe for Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup I was craving comfort.
 
I made this soup on a Monday and ate it the entire week for lunch. Even my veggie loving toddler daughter loved this soup. A win-win in my book. Then I only had to think about what to make for my son for lunch that week. This soup would also be perfect for a cold winter night! I love making a big pot of soup at the beginning of each week and this soup has officially stuck to my soup rotation!
Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup

What type of lentils do you use for Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup? 

For this recipe, I used a harvest blend lentils which is a combination of brown lentils, green lentils, and red lentils. All three of these lentils are great for soups. The green and brown lentils tend to hold their shape a little more where the red lentils and even yellow will break down much quicker. Lentils are one of the most nutritious and versatile plant-based proteins, and perfect for the vegetarian in your life.
2 bowls of vegetable soup topped with parmesan cheese in front of instant pot, carrots, and celery.

Ingredients

  • Olive OIl
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Bell Pepper
  • Autumn Blend Lentils
  • Bouillon Cubes
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Tomatoes
  • Spinach
  • Peccorino Romano Cheese

How do I make lentil soup in the Instant Pot?

I love that the Instant Pot has a “saute” function. This is key when making quick cooking soups. It not only softens them quicker but also brings out the flavor profile. I like to cook the carrots, onions, celery and garlic first in the saute mode. Then add in the bell peppers, seasonings, lentils as well as the liquid a few minutes after the main veggies have cooked. Then, all you need to do is close the lid and let the Instant Pot do it’s job.

Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup

Once the soup is done I add in freshly chopped tomatoes and spinach. They don’t need any cooking time and by the time you’ve stirred the soup and ladled it into bowls the spinach will be wilted and the tomatoes just soft enough you’ll never know that they weren’t cooked in the soup. I also love to give a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top as well as a sprinkling of Peccorino Romano cheese and cracked black pepper.

Here are a few side suggestions to serve with my recipe for Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup:

  • Italian Bread
  • Honey Cornbread Muffins
  • Harvest Quinoa Salad with Pumpkin Yogurt Dressing

Sides to serve with soup

Here are a few side suggestions to serve with my recipe for Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup:

  • Everything Bagel No Knead Crusty White Bread
  • Honey Cornbread Muffins
  • Harvest Quinoa Salad with Pumpkin Yogurt Dressing

FAQ

Can I substitute green lentils for red lentils in soup?

Yes! I use a blend of colored lentils for this recipe; however, you can easily use green or red lentils for this Italian lentil soup.

Do red lentils taste different than green lentils?

Green lentils come in two varieties, they have a stronger earthy flavor than the red lentils. Green lentils, when cooked, remain firm, and will not disintegrate with longer cooking times. Red lentils come in multiple varieties and then to cook faster and ultimately will disintegrate with prolonged cooking.

How much does 1 cup of dry lentils make?

When you cook 1 cup of dry lentils it equals to about 2 ½ cups cooked lentils. Lentils will grow as they cook which increases their volume to about 2 ½ times when cooked.

Tips & Tricks

Here are all the tips, tricks, and substitutions I have found when making this recipe.

  • Saute – You do not have to saute the vegetables, although it adds an additional layer of flavor to the soup.
  • Broth – Instead of bouillon cubes you can use boxes of broth.
  • Tomatoes – If you don’t have fresh tomatoes you can replace for a 16 oz. can of canned diced tomatoes
  • Cheese – You can substitute Peccorino Romano for grated Parmesan cheese.

More Lentil Recipes

Love lentils? Here are a few of my favorite lentil soup recipes.

  • Sausage Lentil Soup
  • Turkey Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup
  • Vegetable Red Lentil Soup with Yogurt Sauce
  • Instant Pot Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

If you make this Italian lentil soup recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

Don’t forget to FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, and subscribe to my email list!

Top view of one bowl of yellowish soup with veggies and topped with parmesan cheese.

Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup

Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup is a hearty and filling soup perfect for the cooler months. This soup is easy to make in less than 30 minutes perfect for a quick homemade lunch!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 242kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil + additional for garnish
  • 2 carrots peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 1 small white onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ½ red bell pepper diced
  • 1.5 cups of autumn blend lentils
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes*
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 ugly tomatoes diced
  • 2 cups spinach chopped
  • ¼ cup Peccorino Romano cheese divided

Instructions

  • Place Instant Pot to “sauté” mode. Add olive oil, carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until instant pot reaches “hot”.
  • While sautéing chop the bell pepper, tomatoes, and spinach. Add the bell peppers to the Instant Pot and keep the tomatoes and spinach to the side.
  • Add the lentils, chicken bouillon cubes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and water to the Instant Pot. Mix well, close lid, and place the valve to “sealing” mode. Turn the Instant Pot off and select “manual” mode. Set the IP for 12 minutes (it will take 10-12 minutes to come to pressure then the count down begins).
  • Once the soup is done cooking let rest for 5 minutes. Using a kitchen towel and insulated pot holder, carefully force the remaining pressure. Carefully, remove the lid, stir and stir in the chopped tomatoes and spinach. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with grated Peccorino Romano cheese.

Notes

  • Saute – You do not have to saute the vegetables, although it adds an additional layer of flavor to the soup.
  • Broth – Instead of bouillon cubes you can use boxes of broth.
  • Tomatoes – If you don’t have fresh tomatoes you can replace for a 16 oz. can of canned diced tomatoes
  • Cheese – You can substitute Peccorino Romano for grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1c | Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 732mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5035IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @KatieJasiewicz or tag #katiescucina!

Disclosure: There are affiliate links present in this post. That means if you click on a link and purchase something. I will receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continuous support of Katie’s Cucina!

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About Katie

Katie is a busy mom of 2 children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don't take hours to cook! She started her blog 10 years ago as a way to help others get cooking in the kitchen.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Miriam

    January 04, 2021 at 3:33 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing! I doubled this recipe and it was perfect. I added a 28oz can of petite diced tomatoes and omitted the chopped tomatoes at the end, also used 10 cups of a mix of chicken broth and vegetable broth instead of the water and bouillon cubes. Will make this on repeat.

    Reply
    • Katie

      January 09, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      Hi Miriam, I’m so so happy to read this that you loved this recipe. I think your swaps were absolutely perfect. Thank you again for taking the time to leave a 5-star comment! It makes my day! 😉

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I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. A busy mom of two children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don’t take hours to cook! My mission is to create easy-to-make modern comfort food for the busy family. (more)

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