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This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is loaded with lentils, flavorful vegetables, and shredded chicken. A filling, hearty pressure cooker soup recipe that’s healthy, easy to make, budget-friendly and perfect for chilly winter days!

A white bowl of Lentil soup with vegetables and chicken garnished with parsley and sour cream with a slice of bread. There\'s a white and blue dish towel in the background.

This simple pressure cooker chicken lentil soup recipe is comforting and hearty without being bland! It comes together quickly with mostly pantry ingredients and is the perfect flavorful, filling meal for cold winter days that your whole family will enjoy.

Soup Season is my favorite season! My family loves soups, stews, and chilis this time of the year, and I love how easy and quick it is to throw them together in my Slow Cooker or Instant Pot. My Instant Pot is probably one of the most used appliances in my kitchen, totally worth the money. Cooking lentil soup in the pressure cooker makes it taste like it was simmering all afternoon but it will hit the dinner table in 30 minutes!

Although lentils are loaded with nutrients like fiber, vitamins, protein, and minerals, they are low in calories and contain practically no fat. One serving of my tasty lentil soup contains only about 350 calories but 35g protein and 7g dietary fiber. This will leave you feeling full and satisfied for hours!

An instant pot with lentil soup with a black cooking spoon in it.

How to make Lentil Soup in the Instant Pot

  • This soup keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Store leftovers in airtight container. It freezes well too!
  • If you want to add more vegetables add about 6 cups baby spinach to the cooked soup.
  • You can also leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock to make a vegetarian lentil soup.
  • Or make this lentil soup with sausage (kielbasa for example) or with ham. Add it to the cooked soup and let simmer until the sausage/ham is hot.
  • I like to puree part of the soup with an immersion blender for a creamier texture.
  • Brown and green lentils work best, red lentils lose their shape.

Is lentil soup good for weight loss?

Lentils are low in calories but full of healthy fiber and low in fat. The high fiber content helps to feel full longer.

A glass measuring bowl with lentils, a squash, a bulb of garlic and a white bowl with spices on a marble surface with a white and blue dishtowel in the background.

Do you have to soak lentils before cooking them?

Lentils don’t need to be soaked. Before cooking, rinse the lentils in cold water to remove any dust or debris (some people say they found small stones in their lentils) and then drain them.

Can lentil soup be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze leftovers for another night. Put cooled leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat.

How to make lentil soup in a slow cooker

  • Place all the ingredients (except the topping) in the slow cooker and stir to combine.
  • Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  • Remove chicken and shred using two forks.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream, coriander, and balsamic vinegar.

A white bowl of Lentil soup with vegetables and chicken garnished with parsley and sour cream. There\'s a white and blue dish towel in the background.

Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes?

Close-up of a white bowl of Lentil soup with vegetables and chicken garnished with parsley and sour cream with a slice of bread.

Tools used for Making this Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Instant Pot: This is the Instant Pot I own, I really love it and use it often. It’s so much easier to use than a traditional pressure cooker. There is also a more fancy model that comes with Bluetooth so you can program and monitor the pot from your phone.
Immersion Blender: An immersion blender is perfect to blend soups or other things right in the pot. I use mine all the time!
Chicken Broth: I love the beef, chicken and vegetable version of this Better Than Bouillon! It’s so convenient to have on hand.


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5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Vegetables

This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is loaded with brown lentils, flavorful vegetables, and shredded chicken. An easy, hearty pressure cooker soup recipe that's healthy, easy to make, budget-friendly and perfect for chilly winter days!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp chili powder, optional
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 1/2 cups brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained (300g)
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, (400g)
  • 6 cups chicken broth, (1.5l)
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, (450g)
  • salt and pepper

For the topping:

  • fresh coriander or parsley
  • sour cream or greek yogurt
  • balsamic vinegar

Instructions 

  • Press “Saute” button on Instant Pot and add olive oil.
  • When hot, add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, spices, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
  • Add carrots and celery and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Add the lentils, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Stir.
  • Add chicken to the pot.
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the release valve is in the “sealing” position.
  • Press the “Manual” button and set the timer for 13 minutes.
  • After the time is up do a quick-release.
  • Once venting is complete, remove the lid of the Instant Pot.
  • Take out the chicken and shred it with two forks, transfer it back into the pot, stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Serve topped with 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar (trust me!), sour cream, and fresh coriander or parsley.

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal
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About Julia Foerster

Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch, with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions.

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8 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was wonderful. The spices make it different from most winter soups and stews I make. I love all my soups but I need more variety in flavors, which your recipe provides.
    Thanks for the tip on the balsamic vinegar. That was yummy, and reminded me how a little vinegar livens up borscht.

  2. 5 stars
    Loved loved loved it. I catered to my family’s need (halved the recipe but kept spice measurements the same). It was just fantastic. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!

    1. Thank you, Robin! You should definitely start using it, I love mine so much! Perfect for making soups or stews and I love to use mine for cooking softboiled eggs. – Julia