Instant Pot Mediterranean Lentil Soup
May 04, 2017, Updated Jan 22, 2018
Instant Pot Mediterranean Lentil Soup is packed with tons of flavors and comes together in less than 30 minutes! Vegan & gluten-free.
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Instant Pot Mediterranean Lentil Soup is comforting, flavorsome, vegan & gluten-free. Made in the instant pot, this soup comes together in less than 30 minutes.
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It’s pretty hot where I am right now so I don’t know how exactly I feel about sharing a soup recipe today. But if you ask me, I am always up for soup. Whether it’s 100 F outside or 40 F, soups are on my dinner menu throughout the year. This Mediterranean Lentil Soup is one of my absolute favorites. It’s super easy to make, packed with flavors and is also vegan! And the best part is that the version that I am sharing with you today is made in the Instant Pot!
Do you guys like Mediterranean flavors? I love it! Maybe because it’s quite similar to Indian food in so many ways or maybe because it’s just plain delicious 😉 Either way they have tons of vegetarian options which is one more reason why I love it. It’s something we definitely eat once a week. We have this little Mediterranean cafe near our place and we usually get the lentil soup with a side of pita and baba ganoush or hummus for a quick dinner. It’s so delicious and so satisfying. Since we love the soup a lot, I also make it quite often at home. And this time I thought of using my Instant Pot to make the whole process extra quick!
Mediterranean food is pretty flavorful, just like Indian food. So we have lots of spices and herbs going on here – cumin, coriander, sumac, parsley and mint. I would strongly recommend to not skip any of these especially Sumac.
Sumac has a sour taste and it’s widely used in Mediterranean cooking to sprinkle over salads, kebabs etc. before serving. It’s also used in dressings and rubs and it imparts a wonderful flavor to this lentil soup. I would have added some fresh parsley here but since I didn’t have it in my refrigerator the day I made this soup, I opted for dried parsley and garnished the soup with fresh cilantro.
There’s this amazing persian restaurant in Seattle and they serve the lentil soup mixed with little rice and it’s so good. You can do the same. If you think the soup isn’t filling enough, just add little boiled rice to it and then you have a complete meal in itself! Serve this instant pot mediterranean lentil soup with a side of your favorite bread and enjoy!
Method
Press the saute button on your Instant Pot. Wait till it gets hot and then add olive oil to the pot. Once oil is hot, add chopped onion and saute till it becomes light golden brown in color. (use yellow onion if possible, I only had red so used that)
Add chopped garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground sumac, red chili flakes, dried parsley, pinch of sugar and dried mint flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add water (or vegetable broth) and give a stir.
Add the lentils and also add salt and pepper. Stir to mix. Close the Instant Pot and set valve to sealing position.
Cancel saute mode and press “Manual” button on your IP. Adjust the timing and set it to 8 minutes on high. Once 8 minutes are up, wait for 5 minutes and then do quick release.
Stir the soup, add lime juice.
Serve the instant pot mediterranean lentil soup with a side of pita bread!
* Garnish the soup with fresh parsley or cilantro.
* Add more water for a thinner consistency of soup.
* You can make this soup on the stove top too, it would take around 20-25 minutes for the lentils to cook till softened.
Instant Pot Mediterranean Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1 medium yellow or red onion use yellow preferably
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 3/4 teaspoon dried mint flakes
- pinch of sugar
- 2-2.5 cups water or vegetable broth I used water
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- juice of 1/2 lime
- parsley or cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Press the saute button on your Instant Pot. Wait till it gets hot and then add olive oil to the pot.
- Once oil is hot, add chopped onion and saute till it becomes light golden brown in color. (use yellow onion if possible, I only had red so used that)
- Add chopped garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground sumac, red chili flakes, dried parsley, pinch of sugar and dried mint flakes.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add water (or vegetable broth) and give a stir.
- Add the lentils and also add salt and pepper. Stir to mix. Close the Instant Pot and set valve to sealing position.
- Cancel saute mode and press "Manual" button on your IP. Adjust the timing and set it to 8 minutes on high. Once 8 minutes are up, wait for 5 minutes and then do quick release.
- Stir the soup, add lime juice.
- Serve the mediterranean lentil soup with a side of pita bread!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Instant Pot Mediterranean Lentil Soup
I would like to make this soup to feed about 20 people. My 6 qt instant pot will obviously be too small. Can I cook this in a large pot on the stove, and how do I adjust for the ingredients and cooking time?
Hi Tony, it depends if you serving this as a side of I would use 3-4 cups of lentils. You will follow the same instructions, multiply everything accordingly. and cook lentils in the pot until they are soft and cooked. You will probably need more water since water evaporates when cooking on stove-top.
I toast a little naan and a delicious meal!
I’ve made this one 2-3 times so far and it’s been consistent. I make a little extra and freeze it for later as well.
glad to know Tom!
First recipe made w my new Instant Pot. Really good!
I made this once and my husband and I both loved it. We were sad there were no leftovers! If we double (or triple) the ingredients, do I need to adjust the cooking time?
cooking time will remain same
Can i make this in the Ace Nova blender
sure but I don’t have that blender and I don’t know how it works.
Made this today. Thank you for the excellent recipe, delicious. Didn’t have lime so I used lemon and it was fine. Other than that, prepared as prescribed
What can I use to substitute the sumac? This sounds amazing.
lemon pepper
I loved this! I can’t eat sumac so I added a little lemon zest before cooking. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Hi Manali, I was wondering if this soup freezes well ? (it looks like it does, but i thought to check). Many thanks!
It should. Unfortunately no personal experience here since I am not a lot into freezing but it should be okay!
Great recipe, I have made this several times. The only thing I modify is lemon instead of lime. Thanks for this!
Good recipe! I didn’t have the sumac, mint, yellow onion (used sweet onion) red pepper flakes (used a few dashes of Tabasco) and it still turned out great! I’m saving it!
Just found this recipe today and made it for lunch. Delicious! I usually make a Lebanese crushed lentil soup, so this was a nice variety to try. Made exactly as suggested, used vegetarian boullion instead of water and only had prepared lime juice. Wish I had doubled the recipe, we ate every spoonful!
This is probably the absolute best lentil soup I’ve ever tasted, let alone made. Much better than my favorite Lebanese place’s, and their lentil soup is amazing! Will definitely be making it again!
Thank you so much for this DELICIOUS recipe!! I made it and loved it! So easy and quick. Also, just wanted to say that I have your instant pot cookbook and its amaaaaaazing ❤️
Welcome Manal 🙂 and thank you, so glad to know you enjoy my cookbook!
HI MANALI LOOKS GREAT. ARE THOSE WHOLE RED LENTILS OR SPLIT RED LENTILS. MY WIFE WANTED ME TO ASK YOU. THANKS AGAIN LOOKS GREAT!
GARY & DOREEN
Hi Gary, these are split red lentils
Can you make this on the stovetop as I don’t have an instant pot.
yes you may..cook the lentils for 20-25 mins until done
Hi. Can you make this with yellow split lentils (chana daal)? The Lebanese restaurant in our town uses yellow split lentils. Thanks.
Yes you can make it using chana dal. However chana dal would take around 10-12 minutes to cook so you will have to increase the time.
This is my most favourite lentil soup! I have cooked it multiple times already. I cook it in a simple heavy pot and it is great. Love the sumac addition!
glad you like it Kristina! 🙂
I love soups and especially the red lentil soup, I toss a peeled, diced apple in my soup near last five minutes of cooking time… delish!! Nadia G
Fantastic flavor and consistency. I’ve got a few ‘favorite’ vegan lentil soup recipes, but this immediately leaps to the front of the pack for me. I think it all starts with the spice blend, which has some perhaps unexpected components (I’m looking at you, Sumac, Mint, and Coriander). And then I used a vegetable broth for my liquid (Better than Bouillon), which I think that added some umami. When I had my first taste I thought I did something wrong, because the lentils had lost any form and shape. They were sort of incorporated into the broth, almost like a puree. Sure enough, when I researched red lentils a little, people said they’re more delicate than green lentils. Some pressure cooker sites discouraged using lentils in pressure cooker recipes. At first, in view of these findings, I thought I might later this fantastic recipe by replacing the red lentils with green lentils and then cook it for perhaps another 8-10 minutes. However, as I continued to enjoy my first batch of this soup, I realized that I actually really liked having the red lentils incorporated into the broth. From my viewpoint, it makes for a really nice texture. It may be that intact lentils would be good as well, but I personally won’t change the recipe because I like how this exact recipe balances out to such a nice finished product. An ‘A+’ recipe as far as this longtime vegan cook is concerned : )
those spices give this soup such a wonderful flavor, isn’t it? 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it Josh!
HI there! Wanting to try this – did you use canned lentils or soaked dry lentils?
Thanks,
Sue
Hi Susan..I used dry lentils but they were not soaked..These are red lentils and they cook pretty quickly in the Instant Pot..no need to soak!
This was great but note that it only makes 2 servings!? I made some basmati rice and put a few scoops of soup on it per person and served with fresh crusty bread and we fed 4 of us!
I just made this soup and it is phenomenal. The flavours blend so well together. I am sorry I didn’t double or triple batch it. I definitely will next time. Thank you Manali for sharing this recipe!
I am so glad to know that Lisa! 🙂
Delicious recipe!! I didn’t have sumac so I just used some fresh lemon instead! Would double or triple the recipe so that I could have leftovers or serve more than 2 people as a main dish. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Grace! 🙂
I tripled the recipe and used green lentils because that’s what I had. We’re having a hot spell so don’t want to heat up the kitchen, but nursing a cold so want soup. This came out delicious but the lentils came out a little overcooked I think because I didn’t rescue them from the quick release quick enough, or perhaps green lentils cook different. I don’t have a lot of experience with lentils,nso don’t know. Will be using this recipe in the future! Oh, and I added chopped carrots.
Yes quick release helps! But I am glad to know you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I was wondering what restaurant in Seattle you mentioned? I live not far from Seattle and am always up to try new places. Im also excited to try this recipe.
Hi Jena, I am talking about Petra in Seattle, its one of my favorites 🙂
Delicious soup! Very fragrant and spicy, but not a hot type of spicy. It was tasted more similar to lentil soup served at Mediterranean restaurants than any other recipe I’ve tried. I used lemon pepper as a substitute for ground sumac (which proved impossible to find in my metro area!). Next time I will double or triple the recipe – this made enough for two of us each have a large bowl and have a small bowl leftover.
I am glad to know that Molly 🙂 I like the addition of lemon pepper, bet it tasted great in the soup!
Do you think I can use green lentils instead? I have a lot in my pantry but no red lentils.
you can use green lentils, I am just not sure if they would cook in the same amount of time.. give it a go and see!
This looks delicious and similar to a favorite at a local (East Coast) mediterranean restaurant. Would like to know if you have suggestions for multiplying this recipe to feed 6-8 people or more for leftovers 🙂 Using 8Q IP Thanks!
You can mulitply it 4 times..use 2 cup lentils and around 6 cups water..3 times all the spices.. less if you don’t like heat..should work! cooking time should still remain same…maybe add a minute or two if you are not too sure..
This was s probably one of the best soups I’ve ever made in my life. Thank you for sharing!! I’m going to double or triple the recipe next time 🙂
glad to know 🙂
I wish I would have tripled this recipe. It is so good!
Thank you,I am glad you liked!
We just traveled to Seattle a few weeks ago and tried Petra! We have been looking for a recipe for their red lentil soup. We LOVED it and want to go back there just for the food. 🙂 Thanks for posting. Excited to try this!
Yes we love Petra too! hope you like the soup, add little boiled rice to the soup to make it more like Petra 🙂
Which is the Mediterranean cafe in Seattle?
The one near my place is called Garlic Crush..my favorite restaurant in Seattle serving Mediterranean food is Petra!
Garlic crush is our favorite and wanted to replicate it.. I have tried so many versions of it and was not very successful. Tried your recipe and it turned out good.. thanks Manali!
Welcome Gowri, glad you liked it. This soup is closer to the one we get at Petra!
I love Mediterranean flavors and this soup would be most welcomed on a day that’s 100 degrees or 20, which, by the way, it was 35 this morning! So bring on the lentil soup!
Those instant pots sure make cooking quick! This soup looks lovely and since it’s still rainy here, it’s another soup day for us!
Omg what is this
I love that you made this in an Instant Pot! It’s still dark and rainy here so we are still loving soup recipes!
I don’t have an Instant Pot but I could use my pressure cooker! I love soup year round and this looks so delicious Manali!
I am too, always up for the soup! Your lentil soup looks very creamy and comforting.
What a pretty soup, Manali! I’m debating on whether to get an instant pot or not, so I think I need to after seeing this recipe. Looks delicious!
Get one! You will love it – especially if you love soup!