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Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup with Kale

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Course Appetizer, Dinner Entree, Entree, Soup
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 2 quart container Trader Joe's Mirepoix (or use one onion, 2 large carrots, 5 ribs of celery, chopped up).
  • Olive Oil or oil spray
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups red lentils 
  • 8-10 cups water
  • 1/2 lb kale (or 1 bag - You can substitute fresh baby spinach or frozen chopped spinach, escarole or swiss chard (cut into bite size pieces). 

Instructions
 

Rinse your red lentils well. Put your Instant Pot on the Sauté setting. Add some oil or oil spray and let it get hot. Then sauté the onion, carrot and celery (a classic mirapoix-- which to make it easier I pick it up at my local Trader Joe's) and let it get fragrant.

You can add a cube or two of garlic while you're doing this. Turn your Instant Pot off. Make sure there are no burned bits.

Then add your spices, rinsed red lentils, and 6 cups of water. Turn your Instant Pot on to manual and and set for 10 minutes.

Make sure your knob is set to sealing. A

s soon as it's done, hit the off button.

Release the pressure.

Open your Instant Pot and stir - make sure it hasn't burned and the soup hasn't stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Add 2 to 3 cups of water with the salt and cook for 6 minutes more.

Let the soup sit for 5-6 minutes and then slowly release the pressure.

Optional: Stir in the kale or greens. Serve with some crusty bread or crackers.

    Keyword beef stew instant pot, instant pot lentil soup, instant pot soup, red lentil soup