This easy instant pot lentil soup is so full of flavor, especially with the addition of sausage. It’s a tasty, hearty soup that’s more like a meal in a bowl. And this soup takes little hands on time because it’s made in the pressure cooker.
You might also like these spicy Mexican red lentils recipe.
I’ve been really loving my Instant Pot lately. I was looking through the recipe book that came with it and saw how easy it was to cook beans. Pressure cooking is great for lentils too.
Then I remembered a lentil soup recipe my friend Mary used to make years ago. I didn’t have the recipe but I thought it had tomatoes and sausage so I came up with this easy Instant Pot lentil soup.
This lentil soup is one of the best soups I’ve ever made. The broth is so rich and tasty and the vegetables just melt away while the lentils give it substance without being mushy. It definitely could be a meal in of itself. And with the Instant Pot it was SUPER easy.
Ingredients I Used For This Soup.
This soup is full of healthy ingredients. I used olive oil, carrots, onions, celery, canned tomatoes, fresh spinach, mushrooms, 2 garlic cloves, brown lentils, broth, salt, black pepper and Italian sausage.
While I used brown lentils, you could also use green lentils. Also while I used beef broth, you could also use chicken broth. Or you could make it a vegetarian meal but eliminating the sausage and using vegetable broth.
About The Instant Pot
In case you are wondering about the Instant Pot, it’s picture to the right and is a pressure cooker that you can also use to saute, slow cook, make yogurt, cook rice, etc. It’s very useful for making soups, stews and many other things.
Let’s Make Some Instant Pot Lentil Soup!
I’ve added a video at the bottom of this post to show you how easy this recipe is in the Instant Pot.
- Press saute function button on the Instant Pot and get it nice and hot.
- Pour in the oil and then the onion, carrots and celery and saute for 5 minutes to soften them.
- Next add the sausage (without casings) and brown for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir.
- Put on the lid and push the pressure valve to the back to seal.
- Press the manual button for 25 minutes.
- When time is up, turn the valve to venting to quick release the pressure or let it come down naturally.
You Can Also Make It In A Slow Cooker.
You basically make this the same way in the slow cooker. You can either brown the sausage and vegetables a bit first or just throw everything in the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
If you like lentils or just lentil soup, you have to give this recipe a shot. This pressure cooker lentil soup so tasty I wish I would have made more. It’s pure comfort food to me.
By the way, I think it would freeze really well too. So grab a piece of crusty bread and your soup spoon and dinner is served!
If you like soup here are more delicious recipes to try.
The nutrition for 1 serving is: 189 calories
5.1g fat / 22.3g carbs / 8.8g fiber / 12.1g protein = 13.5g net carbs
Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage
This easy instant pot lentil soup with sausage is a tasty, hearty soup that's more like a meal in a bowl. Pressure cooking lentils is one of the best ways to prepare them!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large stalk of celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 5 large mushrooms, chopped
- 4 cups beef broth or stock
- 1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup lentils, dry, green or brown
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 15 oz can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted diced tomatoes work great too)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup spinach, fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Press saute button on the Instant Pot and get nice and hot.
- Pour in the oil and then the onion, carrots and celery and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add the sausage and brown for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir.
- Put on the lid and push the lever to the back to pressure cook.
- Press the manual button for 25 minutes.
- When time is up, push the valve to vent for a quick pressure release or let it come down naturally.
- Serve.
Notes
The nutrition for 1 serving is: 189 calories
5.1g fat / 22.3g carbs / 8.8g fiber / 12.1g protein = 13.5g net carbs
While I used brown lentils, you could also use green lentils. Also while I used beef broth, you could also use chicken broth. Or you could make it a vegetarian meal but eliminating the sausage and using vegetable broth.
If you want to add a little heat, you can try some hot pepper flakes too.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 189Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Libby
Can it be easily reduced in half – I am thinking of getting a 3-quart IP.
Denise
Hi Libby I can’t see why it wouldn’t work but I’ve never tried it. Also you could freeze it. I’ve frozen lentil dishes it’s it’s been fine. Good luck!
Mary
I made this soup tonight with spicy italian sausage and it was a hit with my husband who is very picky! Looking forward to adding this to our fall/winter dinner rotation!
Denise
Hi Mary, so glad you liked this. This is an old recipe that I need to redo. Thanks for reminding me as I really liked it but forgot about it!
Evelyn Syvertsen
Just got an instant pot for Christmas. So far this is absolutely my favorite recipe. My husband is a lot pickier than me and he loves it too. A real keeper!
Denise
So glad you liked it Evelyn! I haven’t made this for awhile and you reminded me how much I liked it. So glad you hubby liked it too.
Carol
Love this soup! It’s quick, simple to make, healthy and delicious. One of my favorites. Thank you!
Denise
Hi Carol, so glad you like it!
Julie Beun
We are so in love with this soup!,
Denise
Hi Julie,
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for coming back and commenting …. I really appreciate it!
Rachel
I made this tonight and added oregano, basil, parsley, all dried and garlic powder (in addition to fresh garlic), plus a little bit of crushed red pepper. The spices enhanced the dish. I also used the can from the tomatoes to add a can of water. It needed more liquid.
Denise
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for sharing your tips! I’m glad you liked it and I’ll have to try the added spices.
Bev
This does look wonderful. From the comments it is. I need to make for a group of people. Can I double the recipe? I have not used my Instant Pot yet and this will be my first time. Thank you in advance.
Denise
Hi Bev, I don’t see why you should have any problem. You just have to make sure you don’t go past the maximum fill line inside your pot. Not sure how big your instant Pot is but if it doesn’t seem to be going higher than that line you should be ok. Good luck!
Kerrigan
Any ideas on how to make this with pre- steamed lentils? I was thinking about adding it after cooking but wasn’t sure how the absorption is affected.
Denise
Hi Kerrigan,
I have never tried this with cooked lentils but here are my thoughts. You are mostly cooking this soup soup to get the lentils cooked so I would say cut the cooking time down to about 10 minutes and then add the lentils. Let it simmer for a few minutes and it should be fine. However I am just guessing. Hope that helps!
Kerrigan
Hello!
Does anyone have ideas how I could alter the recipe with pre-steamed lentils from trader joes? I was thinking about adding them in at the end but not sure how it would affect absorption etc. Thanks!
Jolina
I like how we can make this in our slow cooker too. We don’t have an instant pot (yet!). Also that it freezes well. Perfect for the crisp fall days coming our way!
Denise
Yes you can make this in a slow cooker or just on the stove top if you like!
Marisa Franca
We’ve just recently discovered how much we love lentils. I don’t know what took us so long. Now adding the sausage to the soup I can imagine how rich and flavorful the soup is. We don’t have an Instant Pot yet but I bet I could take your ingredients and just make them in our Dutch oven or even our slow cooker.Can’t wait to make it.
Denise
That would work just as good Marisa! Thanks for stopping by!
Veena Azmanov
Oh I love lentils and sausages and making it in an instant post sounds so perfect. I love how simple and easy this recipe is. The best thing about cooler weather is the soups you get to eat almost every day. I need to try this one soon. Yum.
Denise
I hope you like it Veena! It’s very easy in the Instant Pot.
Gloria
I will be the first to admit I HATE (yes I know that is a strong word) the COLD weather. I am already dreading it…last year it lasted for 6 months!! However, comfort food season in my opinion is one of the most delicious. If I can wrap my hands around a bowl of goodness, it makes me a happy girl. This soup is pefect for comfort food season.
Denise
I love the first snowfall…then it’s down hill from there. 😉 This soup does make it easier!
Ro Ma
Hi Denise,
I just tried this great recipe and both my wife and I loved it (I’m the Instant Pot cooker in my family). It has earned its way onto my VGDA (very good do again) list.
No changes are necessary, but some ingredient alternatives can be considered if not all the ingredients available:
– Kale can be used in place of spinach.
– A mix of mushrooms will work if you don’t have enough of one kind; I used white button, cremini and shiitake mushrooms and they came out just fine. (Using a few extra mushrooms doesn’t hurt.)
– I used beef broth/stock, but I think chicken broth/stock would work in a pinch. (I use the Instant Pot to make my own broths, but store-bought works fine as long as it’s not too salty.)
– I doubled the carrots and celery, which bulked up the soup and tasted great. The extra carrots also provided a boost of color contrast.
– I used mild Italian sausage, pre-ground, which I broke into smaller pieces for cooking. If some of those dining like more heat, offer red pepper flakes on the side.
Thanks again for the wonderful recipe.
Denise
Hi Ro Ma,
Thanks for all the tips! I’m sure my readers (and me) will love to mix it up a bit. So glad you liked it!
Margo
Would it be ok to double this in the Instant pot? Would I just double the cook time? Thanks!
Denise
Hi Margo, I think you use the same cooking time, it may just take longer to come up to pressure because you have more in the pot. However make sure you do not fill over the max line or 2/3rds of the way full. Here’s a good article about doubling pressure cooker recipes. https://www.hippressurecooking.com/how-to-double-a-pressure-cooker-recipe/
Courtney
I made this today and it was delicious. I mean reallllly good stuff!!! Insanely easy to make too!
As an unexpected bonus my one year old slammed her face into it too and loved it!
Thanks so much for this recipe!!
Courtney
Denise
Hi Courtney,
Thanks for taking the time to comment! I’m so glad you liked it and your comment about your baby made me laugh out loud!
Karen
I made this tonight with ground sausage and I added some Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. I also used chicken stock (that I made last week after making a roasted chicken in my Instant Pot). And I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes. It was SO GOOD! I can’t wait to have the leftovers tomorrow!
Denise
Karen,
I’m so glad you liked it! I think the sausage gives it so much flavor. I’ll have to try the fire roasted tomatoes next time.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Erin
Would it be ok if I just sliced the sausage instead of removing the casings?
Denise
Sure. I just like it when it’s more like ground beef but no problem just slicing it.
Danielle
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Great recipe and quick and easy too! I sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top right before serving. Thank you for this great recipe! Loved it!
Denise
So glad you liked it and thanks for taking the time to comment!
Karen
What size of can for the tomatoes?
Denise
Hi Karen,
It’s the regular size 15 oz can of tomatoes.
I’ll go and fix the recipe. Thanks for bringing that to my attention!
I hope you enjoy it.
Karen
Thanks for the quick response! Made it for supper tonight and it was delicious!
Denise
I’m so glad Karen!
Rachel
Are you using dried lentils?
Denise
Hi Rachel,
Yes I used dry lentils. I should jot that down in the recipe.
Thanks for pointing that out!
Jack B.
Hi Denise,
Do you have suggestions for substituting sausage? Would chicken work? We have to watch our sodium intake.
Thanks so much!
Jack
Denise
That’s a good question Jack. To me the flavor adds so much sausage. I think you can use any meat product (ground turkey, chicken, pork, beef) and while you are browning it, add a few more spices that would be in Italian sausage (paprika, pepper, Italian seasonings, cayenne, pepper flakes, garlic, fennel seed) I have a post where I make my own Italian sausage if that helps with the seasonings. Good luck and keep me posted!
Patti
This was fabulous, thanks! I made changes, not having mushrooms or spinach, I used more carrots and onions to make up for less veggies, also chicken stock and split red lentils. Next time I hope I have sausage, but I will say two slices diced quality bacon added to the onion on saute added just a touch of extra flavor.
Denise
That all sounds great Patti! You are making me hungry. I agree that the bacon and onions would add some good flavor. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
Susan G
Delicious recipe! I used some leftover grilled brats, added a cubed sweet potato, used split red lentils, and used chicken stock but did everything else the same. Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Denise
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I love your changes!
Joelle
Did you ever post the recipe for mudjudrah? That sounds amazing!!!! I’d love to know when you do!
Denise
I have not! I will someday though.
Sarah @ Girl Adulting
Yesss, lentil & sausage soup is honestly one of my go-to’s during the winter, but I so often get bored with my own recipe. This looks divine. I love the addition of mushrooms!
Denise
I hope you will give it a try Sarah!
Alison
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it out!
Denise
Thanks Alison! I think you will really like it!
Jonny
Do we just put dried lentils in the pot?
Denise
Hi Jonny,
Yes I just used dry lentils and add them to the pot. The pressure cooker will cook them quickly along with the vegetables.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Kim Tate
Are there any nutrition facts for this recepie? It states low-carb but nutrition facts would be nice
Denise
Hi Kim,
I’m sorry for the confusion but this is not a low carb recipe. Most of my recipes are but this is an older one and I did not do many low carb recipes back then. Here is the nutritional information based on 6 servings and I added to the recipe page too.
Again, sorry if this was confusing in any way. Please let me know if you have any questions.
189 cals / 5.1g fat / 22.3g carbs / 8.8g fiber / 12.1g protein = 13.5g net carbs