This flavorful Instant Pot Lentils Soup with Moroccan Spices is a meatless dish that's hearty enough to please vegetarians and meat eaters alike. It's an easy recipe that features healthy lentils, pantry staples, and lots of bold seasonings. Enjoy a hot bowl of mouthwatering stew as a quick and comforting weeknight meal!
Instant Pot Lentils Soup
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💭 Why We Love This Recipe
- Flavorful. A blend of Moroccan warm, smoky spices is the star of this simple but incredibly flavorful Instant Pot Lentils Soup recipe. Called ras el hanout, the spice mix we use is a traditional blend you can typically find in the spice section of most well-stocked grocery stores. The roasted crushed tomatoes also add to the deep flavors in this lentil soup.
- Healthy. The protein in this vegetarian and vegan-friendly dish comes from healthy red lentils. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, the various health benefits of lentils may include that they help to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose, and might even help protect against certain forms of cancer. Along with being high in protein, these nutritious legumes are loaded with fiber, iron, potassium, and manganese. Plus, they are naturally low in sodium and fat. It's always great when you can enjoy foods that are good tasting and good for you!
- Quick and easy. You simply need an Instant Pot and an immersion blender to make this Moroccan-Inspired Instant Pot Lentils Soup. And including prep time, it's ready in just over 30 minutes. This stew is perfect for a fast and satisfying weeknight dinner.
- Great leftovers. Instant Pot lentils soup with Moroccan spices gets even more delicious when it sits for a day or so in the fridge and the flavors really blend together. It can even be frozen for a handy freezer meal.
🔪 How to Make This Spicy Soup
- Sauté. Use the Sauté function to cook the onion and spices with oil in the pressure cooker. This simple step builds the foundation of flavors that help the lentil soup taste incredibly rich, even thought it's nearly effortless to make.
- Cook. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and seal the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on High for 10 minutes. Then do a quick pressure release.
- Blend. For a chunkier soup, use a large glass measuring cup to remove some of the lentils. Use the immersion blender to blend the soup right in the Instant Pot. Return the lentils to the Instant Pot and stir. You can repeat this step until it becomes the consistency you like.
- Season and serve. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve the Instant Pot lentils soup hot.
🌡️ Tips for Storing and Enjoying Leftovers
- Transfer cooled leftovers to a container with a lid, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, allow the stew to cool completely before transferring to an airtight and freezer-safe container. For additional protection wrap that container in a layer of aluminum foil. The lentils soup will keep well for 3 months.
- Defrost soup in the refrigerator overnight or using the microwave.
- For the best leftovers, reheat the Instant Pot lentils soup in a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir frequently and cook until heated throughout.
📋 Recipe Variations
- Make your own spice blend. In a small bowl, combine the following ground spices: 1 teaspoon each cumin, ginger and turmeric, 3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1⁄2 teaspoon each allspice, black pepper, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg and paprika, and 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. This recipe makes about 3 tablespoons.
- Vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Feel free to use your choice of chicken or vegetable broth to make this Instant Pot lentils soup recipe vegetarian-friendly or not.
- Thick or thin soup. In step 4, you can increase or decrease the quantity of the lentils you remove from the pot before puréeing depending upon your desired consistency.
- Use a standing blender. Instead of using an immersion blender, you can transfer the stew, in batches, to a countertop blender. After puréeing, return stew to the cooker. Press Sauté until Less is highlighted and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes or until warmed through.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
- Slices of lemon and fresh chopped coriander (cilantro)
- No knead dinner rolls
- Flatbread, like khobz or batbout
- Fresh green side salad
📖 More Delicious and Easy Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Baked Potato - Fluffy Inside
- Creamy Cheesy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Spaghetti (With the Best Tomato Sauce)
New to Using the Instant Pot? Then check out How To Use The Instant Pot for some handy tips.
📋 Recipe
Instant Pot Lentils Soup Recipe With Exotic Moroccan Spices
The warm and spicy notes of Moroccan cuisine are married with vegetables and nutrient-packed lentils in a creamy, mouthwatering stew. Perfect for cold and frosty days, this stew will please vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1-½ tablespoon ras el hanout Moroccan spice mix
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1-½ cups dried red lentils, rinsed
- 1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted chopped tomatoes, with juice
- 4 cups reduced-sodium ready-to-use chicken broth or chicken stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, sliced optional
Instructions
- Press Sauté on the Instant Pot until Normal is highlighted. When the display says Hot, add oil and heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in ras el hanout and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in carrots, lentils, tomatoes with juice, and broth. Press Cancel.
- Close and lock the lid and turn the steam release handle to Sealing. Press Pressure Cook and adjust the time to 10 minutes. Press Pressure Level until High is highlighted.
- When the cooking time is done, press Cancel and turn the steam release handle to Venting. When the float valve drops down, remove the lid. The lentils and carrots should be tender. (If more cooking time is needed, continue pressure cooking on High for 1 minute.)
- Using a large glass measuring cup, remove about ¼ to ½ of the lentils. Using the immersion blender, purée the stew in the pot until smooth. Return the lentils in the measuring cup to the pot, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with sliced lemon garnish, if using.
Cooks Tips
- In step 4, you can increase or decrease the quantity of the lentils you remove from the pot before puréeing depending upon your desired consistency.
- Instead of using an immersion blender, you can transfer the stew, in batches, to a countertop blender. After puréeing, return stew to the cooker. Press Sauté until Less is highlighted and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes or until warmed through.
- Be very careful when transferring stew, as it is very hot. Do not fill your blender more than half full, to prevent hot stew from spewing out the top.
- Do not use green or brown lentils, as the results will not be the same.
- The soup can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost soup in the refrigerator or microwave. Reheat soup in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
- For freezer storage, measure soup into serving-size portions and label the container.
- Serve with No Knead Dinner Rolls, Flatbread, like khobz or batbout, or a side salad.
- Ras el hanout is a traditional Moroccan spice blend that combines many different spices. It can be found in the spice section of well-stocked grocery stores. You can use it on a variety of dishes made with poultry, pork, beef of lamb. It works especially well when combined with honey.
- Use a ras el hanout blend without added salt.
- If you can’t find ras el hanout, you can make your own. In a small bowl, combine the following ground spices: 1 teaspoon each cumin, ginger and turmeric, 3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1⁄2 teaspoon each allspice, black pepper, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg and paprika, and 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. This recipe makes about 3 tablespoons.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 16gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 163mgPotassium: 826mgFiber: 16gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3520IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 5mg
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