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!
What type of lentils do you use for Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup?
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.
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:
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
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.
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.
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!
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Instant Pot Italian Vegetable Lentil Soup
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
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Miriam
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.
Katie
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! 😉