Easy Red Lentil Soup with Lemon Recipe - An easy nutritious soup that is easy to put together and so comforting. Dump and stir recipe. Something about this soup really warms the soul. Plant-based protein powerhouse and full of flavors. Perfect weeknight meal and great when entertaining vegans or vegetarians or when you want to reset your body from indulging. Vegan. Gluten-Free. Freezer-friendly. Instant Pot Video Recipe + Stove Top Recipe.

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If you have been following us closely you will know by now that we love making soups (check out our soup recipes) and we also love to use a lot of lentils (recipes) in our recipes. I don't know why it took us so long to share this Red Lentil Soup Recipe when we have been making it all the time.

Why you will love this Easy Red Lentil Soup with Lemon?

Perfect weeknight meal - Easy to put together when you need to put something on the table in less than just 25 minutes from start to end.
Hearty and nutritious - Made with easily available ingredients at home and packed with the goodness of red lentils and lots of veggies.
Reset your body - It's perfect for a nutritional reset after all the weekend or holiday indulging. It's low in fat and calories but high fiber and protein.
Perfect for vegetarians or vegans - This soup makes a perfect starter or a main dish when entertaining vegetarians or vegans. It's delicious!
Vegan, Gluten-free, Plant-based protein.
Freezer-friendly!!!

What are Red Lentils?

Red lentils are a type of a legume. Although unlike other legumes, they are split (the skin is removed so they split naturally into two halves) and cook very quickly. They have the most earthy flavor compared to other lentils and are a nutrition powerhouse.

Are Red Lentils Good for you?

Lentils have been a staple of Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine for thousands of years. Records show that in the Near East, lentils were eaten as far back as 6,000 to 13,000 years ago!

Great source of plant-based protein.
Good source of iron.
Full of fiber.
Awesome for bone health.
Good source of folic acid and magnesium.
apart from the high supply of nutrients, they are dirt cheap and very versatile. A big batch costs only dollars which makes them a great, economic option to add to meals.

Do I have to soak red lentils before using them?

Not necessarily. However if you have the time soak them as it's easier to digest. If not and you need to whip up something quickly, just make sure your rinse them well. For this soup recipe I haven't soaked the lentils as these lentils cook the quickest compared to other lentils.

How to make Easy Red Lentil Soup with Lemon in Instant Pot?

Name: Easy Red Lentil Soup with Lemon Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: bay leaf 1; olive oil 2 tbsp; minced garlic cloves 5; large chopped onion, 1; large chopped carrot 1; celery sticks chopped 2; large chopped tomato 1; homemade marinara sauce or store bought tomato sauce 2 tbsp; dry red lentils, rinsed 1 cup; vegetable broth or water 3 cups; salt to taste; coriander powder 1 tsp; paprika 1 tsp; turmeric 1/2 tsp; lemon 1/2; washed spinach 1/2 cup; cilantro or herbs or your choice to garnish (optional)

Don't have an Instant Pot? No worries. You can find the stove top recipe below. However we do recommend getting on board with an electric pressure cooker. Check out are blog post on Is the Instant Pot really worth it?

If you are a new Instant Pot Owner don't forget to check out our Easy Instant Pot Beginner Recipes and everything you need to know about the Instant Pot says Burn message. What is it, why you get it and how to avoid it?

Now let's get started with how to make Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup. Here is just a gist of the recipe. You can fine the full recipe with the measurements in the recipe card towards the end of the post.

Step 1 : Prepare the ingredients - Wash the red lentils and spinach. Wash and chop the onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes and garlic. Gather the bay leaf, coriander powder, turmeric, paprika, salt, olive oil, tomato or homemade marinara sauce and vegetable broth. Slice the lemon into half.

Step 2 : Dump the ingredients - Select the Saute function of the Instant Pot and pour the olive oil into the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaf and chopped garlic. Give it a stir and wait a minute before you dump in the other ingredients. Now add in the chopped onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, tomato or homemade marinara sauce and vegetable broth. Next add in the spices, turmeric, coriander powder, paprika and salt. Next throw in the homemade marinara sauce or tomato sauce and the vegetable broth. Give it a gentle stir.

Step 3: Pressure Cook - Cover the lid, seal the vent and pressure cook for 5 minutes. It will take about 10-15 minutes for the pressure to build before the soup cooks. Once the timer beeps after 5 minutes, quickly release the pressure. Safely open the lid and throw in the spinach and squeeze half of a fresh lemon and stir again. Simple isn't it? You can either blend it or enjoy it as is like seen in the photograph. Garnish and serve.

How to make Red Lentil Soup on stove top?

Use a large pot and follow Step 1 and Step 2 from the Instant Pot instructions mentioned above.

Step 3 : Cook Lentils - Once the liquid in the pot starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If necessary add more liquid. Lastly after 30 mins, throw in the greens and lemon juice. Stir and serve warm. Blend it or enjoy it as in in the photograph.

How to garnish this Red Lentil Soup?

olive oil
yogurt
herbs
lemon zest is my favorite
chili flakes

Red Lentil Soup Recipe Variations

I can never get bored of this red lentil soup as I keep rotating the flavors.

Indian flavors - I sometimes add curry powder or just garam masala.
Thai inspiration - Add some coconut milk and I love the flavors here.
Mediterranean flavors - Throw in the Mediterranean spice mix and it's a bomb of flavors too.

What to serve with this Red Lentil Soup?

Butter and artisan bread are always a hit.
A side salad of green and your favorite veggies.
Over basmati rice (my personal favorite as I always have rice handy at home, you can find our no-burn rice recipe here).

How to store this Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup in the refrigerator or freezer?

It can easily be refrigerated for upto 4-5 days or frozen for upto 3 months in freezer. Reheat this soup either on stove top, or microwave or using the Saute function in the Instant Pot. Once the soup starts boiling stop heating it. Garnish it and it's ready to be served.

Is it normal for the red lentil to change color after being cooked?

Yes, its normal for the red lentils color to change from red to golden yellow after being cooked.

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MORE INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES

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Easy Red Lentil Soup with Lemon Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

bay leaf 1
olive oil 2 tbsp
minced garlic cloves 5
large chopped onion, 1
large chopped carrot 1
celery sticks chopped 2
large chopped tomato 1
homemade marinara sauce or store bought tomato sauce 2 tbsp
dry red lentils, rinsed 1 cup
vegetable broth or water 3 cups
salt to taste
coriander powder 1 tsp
paprika 1 tsp
turmeric 1/2 tsp
lemon 1/2
washed spinach 1/2 cup
cilantro or herbs or your choice to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup with Lemon Recipe

Step 2 : Dump the ingredients - Select the Saute function of the Instant Pot and pour the olive oil into the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaf and chopped garlic. Give it a stir and wait a minute before you dump in the other ingredients. Now add in the chopped onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, tomato or homemade marinara sauc and vegetable broth. Next add in the spices, turmeric, coriander powder, paprika and salt. Next throw in the homemade marinara sauce or tomato sauce and the vegetable broth. Give it a gentle stir.

Stove Top Red Lentil Soup Recipe