Vegan Lentil Soup |Instant Pot-Friendly

This easy vegan lentil soup is chock full of wholesome ingredients and can be on the table in about 30-minutes. It’s a one-pot meal, so clean up is a breeze! I’ve included directions for cooking on the stovetop, Instant Pot, and crockpot.

Brimming with nutritious ingredients, this red lentil soup is perfectly filling and absolutely delicious.

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You’ll love this lentil soup because it’s…

• Satisfying
• Veggie-loaded
• Crockpot compatible
• Instant Pot compatible
• Ready in minutes

How to make vegan lentil soup

A full list of ingredients, measurements, instructions, and a print button can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

This healthy soup is super simple to make, and clean up is fast because it can be made all in one pot.

Begin by dicing up the onion and garlic. If you like, the spinach leaves can also be sliced. I tend to buy baby spinach with small leaves, so I don’t chop it up.

I am often asked what knives I use and recommend for cooking, and my favorite brand is Victorinox Swiss Army Cutlery. Yes, that’s the same company that makes the Swiss Army Knife. These knives come with a lifetime guarantee and are very reasonably priced. I absolutely love mine.

Next, sauté the onion in veggie broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, salt & pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add veggie broth, tomato paste, red lentils, and a bay leaf. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add fire-roasted tomatoes and the liquid.

Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaf, and add the baby spinach leaves. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 1-minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Crockpot and Instant Pot cooking directions:

This is such a versatile soup that it has 3 different cooking options.

Stovetop: The directions for stovetop are detailed above. Basically, you’ll simply saute the onion and garlic, then add the remaining ingredients (except spinach), and simmer for about 20 minutes. Once the soup has finished cooking, add the fresh spinach leaves and allow them to wilt.

Instant Pot: Add all of the ingredients (except the spinach) PLUS 1 cup extra broth to your pot insert. Lockdown the lid and set the release valve to Sealed. This should be cooked on Manual and the timer needs to be set to 7 minutes. Allow for a slow-release for 10 minutes then release pressure. Add the spinach leaves last, while the soup is hot. They should wilt within a few minutes. If they don’t wilt enough, simply heat the soup up for about 1-2 minutes.

Crockpot: Add all the ingredients except for the spinach PLUS 1 cup extra broth to your slow cooker or crockpot. Allow the soup to cook LOW for about 5 hours. Add the greens after the soup has cooked (while still hot in the pot) before serving.

Your Vegan Lentil Soup Questions Answered:

Q: Is lentil soup vegan?

A: Often times it is, though some versions call for meat or parmesan cheese. This recipe is completely vegan though.

Q: Do I need to soak the lentils before making soup?

A: No need to soak the lentils before adding them to this recipe. You can add them straight into the stew.

Q: What do you eat with lentil soup?

A: A garden salad and crusty bread are great sides to eat with lentil soup.

Q: Is lentil soup good for you?

A: Yes, lentils are loaded with fiber and protein, and most lentil soup recipes also add in lots of other vegetables.

Q: Can I use another type of lentils?

A: Red lentils are best for stews because they get nice and creamy and help thicken the stew up. They also cook much faster than other versions.

Other great lentil recipes

• Lentil Shepherds Pie
• Lentil Sloppy Joes
• Lentil Artichoke Stew

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Vegan Lentil Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This easy vegan lentil soup is chock full of wholesome ingredients and can be on the table in about 30-minutes. It's a one-pot meal, so clean up is a breeze! I've included directions for cooking on the stovetop, Instant Pot, and crockpot.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 2.5 cups veggie broth
• 2 (15 oz each) cans chopped fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 tsps. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1.5 cups fresh spinach leaves

Instructions

1. This healthy soup is super simple to make, and clean up is fast because it can be made all in one pot.
2. Begin by dicing up the onion and garlic. If you like, the spinach leaves can also be sliced. I tend to buy baby spinach with small leaves, so I don’t chop it up.
3. Next, sauté the onion in veggie broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, salt & pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add veggie broth, tomato paste, red lentils, and a bay leaf and bring to a boil. Stir well, then lower the heat and add fire-roasted tomatoes and their liquid.
6. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
7. Remove the bay leaf, and add the baby spinach leaves. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for about 1-minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
8. Crockpot & Instant Pot directions below.

Notes

Instant Pot: Add all of the ingredients (except the spinach) PLUS 1 cup extra broth to your pot insert. Lockdown the lid and set the release valve to Sealed. This should be cooked on Manual and the timer needs to be set to 7 minutes. Allow for a slow-release for 10 minutes then release pressure. Add the spinach leaves last, while the soup is hot. They should wilt within a few minutes. If they don't wilt enough, simply heat the soup up for about 1-2 minutes.

Crockpot: Add all the ingredients except for the spinach PLUS 1 cup extra broth to your slow cooker or crockpot. Allow the soup to cook LOW for about 5 hours. Add the greens after the soup has cooked (while still hot in the pot) before serving.

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a small percentage from your purchases at no cost to you. Thank you!

• 
  Arrowhead Mills Organic Red Lentils, 16 oz
• 
  McCormick Smoked Paprika, 0.9 oz
• 
  Farberware Classic Series 11 Quart Stockpot with Glass Lid

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 187Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 12gSugar: 13gProtein: 12g

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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