Instant Pot Oil Free Lentil Soup Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)

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What’s better than a piping hot bowl of soup on a chilly fall day? This Instant Pot oil free lentil soup is a fantastic and simple recipe to meal prep or make ahead, perfect for batch cooking during these cooler months. I love the fantastic flavors in this recipe: Italian spices, hearty lentils, sweet root vegetables, and a hint of balsamic vinegar for a little tang.  This cozy lentil soup is the perfect answer when you don’t know what to make for dinner.  A simple and healthy dinner that’s ready quick!

• Onion
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Celery
• Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. I love this bright and flavorful Italian season mix which brings this amazing dish to life.
• 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 🙂
• Aged Balsamic Vinegar: I use this aged balsamic vinegar glaze because it has a really great flavor and a thick consistency perfect for drizzling in this soup.
• Green Lentils: also called French lentils or puy lentils, these small legumes hold their shape when cooked, making them a heartier and sturdier lentil than brown or red. I love the texture of green lentils.
• Potatoes
• 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 haven’t read about the dangers of consuming foods stored in BPA cans, head over to Nutrition Facts to read more.
• Reduced Sodium Vegetable Stock or Bouillon: I love this low sodium vegetable base for my recipes because it has a great flavor and is lower in sodium. I only develop my recipes with low sodium ingredients so the ingredients shine.  You can always add salt to a recipe if it needs it, but it’s almost impossible to take it out!  By starting with a low sodium broth or bouillon, you can build bright vibrant flavors and add more salt later if needed.
• Spinach
• Parsley
• Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: I like to use a pink Himalayan Sea Salt in my kitchen, which has more natural minerals than plain processed table salt.  It’s fairly inexpensive, so I’d recommend this salt if you’re looking for an easy way to level up your spice pantry.
• Tellicherry Peppercorns: Like the salt, it’s amazing the flavor difference you can get with really good tellicherry black pepper.  Amazon has a generic brand tellicherry peppercorn which is the same price is buying pre-ground, and has a million times more flavor… so I use these really great tellicherry peppercorns, which I would definitely recommend. 

Meal Prep Lentil Soup For the Win!

This oil free vegan lentil soup is the perfect recipe for healthy homemade meal prep.  I am a huge fan of meal prepping, batch cooking, and making recipes ahead.  I love the convenience of cooking once and being able to enjoy healthy homemade meals during the week when I don’t have time. There’s a whole section of TheHerbeevore.com dedicated to my favorite tried & true meal prep recipes.  With just a little planning and prep, you can have a week’s worth of recipes ready in the time it would take to make one portion.  Just batch cook, divide into individual containers, and place in the fridge or freezer for later!  I also made a list of my favorite meal prep products on Amazon that I use weekly. They make cooking easy peasy.

1. In the instant pot, add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, salt, tellicherry pepper, italian seasoning, bay leaves, balsamic vinegar, lentils, potatoes, diced tomatoes with juice, and vegetable stock. Seal lid and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes.
2. Once instant pot has finished cooking, carefully quick release the steam, taking care to avoid the steam vent while releasing.
3. Stir in the spinach and fresh parsley. The heat from the soup will wilt the spinach.  Serve with a thick slice of baguette and enjoy.

As always, if you make this vegan and gluten free oil free lentil soup 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 recipe recreations!

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