This Instant Pot Lentil Stew has fantastic flavor and is hearty, delicious, and filling! Great to meal prep, make ahead, or batch cook for lunch – this meatless soup is vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free.
This plant-based pressure cooker lentil stew is loaded with vegetables, spices, and dried lentils for a hearty fall or winter meal. Serve with a slice of simple vegan rosemary focaccia bread and a giant spinach side salad, and lunch or dinner is served.
Lentil stew is one of my absolute favorite soups to make, and it couldn’t be easier in the Instant Pot! I always keep a stash of dried lentils in my cupboard (red, brown, green, and black), as they are cost efficient and go a long way. A pound of lentils is around $1-2 (maybe a little on the higher end nowadays!) and can make 8 servings of stew. When I am making a big batch of stew for dinner, this is one of my go-to recipes.
This is a hearty pressure cooker lentil stew that is great for a hearty lunch or a light dinner. It’s filling, delicious, and meat free!
This Instant Pot Lentil Stew Recipe Is
- Warming
- Earthy
- Savory
- Simple to Make
- Vegetarian/Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Great for Meal Prepping
Inexpensive and Affordable Lentil Recipes For Everyone
I love how inexpensive lentil stew is to make! This recipe uses a lot of ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards – most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and healthy meals using a few staples you can rotate.
I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep stocked. And you can check out all my favorite pantry staple ingredients in my Amazon shop here. By stocking up on healthy whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!
What’s In Pressure Cooker Lentil Stew Recipe?
I stock up on healthy pantry staples with Thrive Market – they have a fantastic selection of organic pantry items, natural beauty & home products, and great food finds for a fraction of grocery store prices! You can save 30% off your first order, and get a $60 free gift by signing up!
- Carrots, Celery, Onion, Garlic
- Brown Lentils: I love using brown lentils in recipes like this, because they are heartier than red lentils and keep their shape better.
- Low Sodium Vegetable Stock – I like to use this low sodium vegetable stock for my recipes because it has great flavor… without all the salt. I always use low sodium or no-salt-added broth or stock to start, and then I can add salt or other spices later if needed. Check out more low sodium recipes here!
- Bay Leaves: I always add bay leaves to every bean soup I make… it gives the soup a je ne sais quoi which is savory and delicious! When I lived in California I had laurel bay trees in my backyard, and I used to pick the dried leaves… now I buy these online ?
- Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry. For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
- Diced Tomatoes: I only use no salt added diced tomatoes, these boxed tomatoes are really great to stock up on! I like boxed tomatoes better because they are BPA free and more eco-friendly than aluminum cans. If you try to avoid foods in BPA cans, these are a great alternative.
How Do I Make Lentil Stew in the Instant Pot?
- Add the olive oil, onions, and garlic to the Instant Pot. Set to ‘Sauté’ Mode and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables begin to turn translucent.
- Add the carrots, celery, bay leaves, sweet potato, Herbs de Provence, vegetable stock, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, and dried lentils to the pot.
- Seal Lid, and cook on ‘Pressure Cook/Manual’ (depending on your model) for 15 minutes. When finished cooking allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, quick release the remainder of the pressure carefully.
- Discard the bay leaves. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more salt or pepper as desired.
- Serve hot, with an extra drizzle of olive oil before serving. Enjoy!
Make This Easy Lentil Stew In Your Instant Pot
For all my recipes I use the 8-Quart Instant Pot Ultra, which is larger than the standard models (which are only 6 quart) so I have extra room to meal prep and batch cook more meals for the week. The Ultra model also has some great extra settings like cake baking and yogurt making which are really neat.
I love that everything can cook in one pot, which makes for way less dishes and hands-off cooking. The Instant Pot is hands-down my favorite kitchen appliance, and makes my life so much easier.
Browse through dozens of our Instant Pot recipes here for easy weeknight dinner inspiration!
More Cozy Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love!
Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup Recipe (Vegetarian/Vegan)
Instant Pot Baked Ziti Recipe (Vegetarian)
Pressure Cooker Hummus Without Tahini Recipe (Gluten Free)
Instant Pot Kraft Mac and Cheese Recipe
Instant Pot Noodles with Peanut Sauce (Vegetarian)
Get the Same Recipes For This Vegetarian Lentil Stew Recipe!
As always, if you make this vegan and gluten free lentil stew in the Instant Pot recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipes!
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Instant Pot Lentil Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 carrots sliced
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 1 sweet potato peeled and diced
- 1 14-ounce can No-Salt-Added Diced Tomatoes
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoons Herbs de Provence
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 10 cups vegetable stock
- 1 lb brown lentils dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, onions, and garlic to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Set to 'Sauté' Mode and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables begin to turn translucent.
- Add the carrots, celery, bay leaves, sweet potato, Herbs de Provence, vegetable stock, diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and dried lentils to the pot.
- Seal Lid, and cook on 'Pressure Cook/Manual' (depending on your model) for 15 minutes. When finished cooking allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, quick release the remainder of the pressure carefully.
- Discard the bay leaves. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more salt or pepper as desired.
- Serve hot, with an extra drizzle of olive oil before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Save Money on Groceries & Pantry Staples!
I love shopping for healthy groceries and pantry staples through Thrive Market - they sell healthy organic pantry staples, all natural products, and fantastic food finds (even wine!) at a discounted price. We get Thrive Market boxes every month and love picking out our favorite staples for delivery. Join Thrive Market & get 30% off your purchase & a $60 free gift!Nutrition
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I need the fiber and the protein. This is a good recipe