This spicy Instant Pot red lentil soup is a longtime favorite for good reason! With dried lentils, brown rice, vegetable broth, and a handful of aromatics, it’s incredibly easy to pull together and deeply satisfying, too! The Instant Pot makes it fast, the spice adds warmth, and the result is a cozy, healthy bowl of soup you’ll want to make again and again.
Spice, spice baby
I'm a big believer in having an arsenal of back-pocket recipes that can be made with just a handful of pantry staples. This Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup is one of them. It's beyond simple, and it's so satisfying. It's actually one of the oldest recipes on this site (originally posted in 2011!) and has become an HNL community fave for good reason!
Dried lentils, brown rice, and vegetable broth are ingredients I pretty much always have on hand. Add in some aromatics and a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, and you've got a satisfying, nourishing red lentil soup recipe.
I love pairing this easy lentil and rice soup with an Air Fryer Grilled Cheese with broccoli (perfect for dunking!), but it's equally great on its own, in all its glorious simplicity, or with a handful of greens stirred in at the end.
Ready in just 22 minutes on high pressure in your Instant Pot, or a little bit longer for a stovetop soup. Either way, you're going to love this red lentil soup recipe.
Let's make red lentil soup together!
Ok, friend, let me show you how easy this is. If you prefer to skip right to the recipe, by all means, use the "jump to recipe" button at the top of this post. Otherwise, join me for a bit of a scroll and we'll walk through it step-by-step.
Step 1: sauté the onions
Whether you're making this soup in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop, it starts with browning your onions. You want to take your time with them, and make sure you cook 'em low and slow to build in that deep flavor.
Once the onions are partly brown, add the garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes and continue cooking for a a few minutes more.
Step 2: add the lentils, rice, and broth
Then, add the red lentils and brown rice, and give everything a good stir.
Then, add the vegetable broth. Stir well, and make sure the lentils and rice aren't sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Step 3: cook the soup!
If you're making this recipe stove top, all you need to do is simmer until the rice is fully cooked.
If you're making this recipe in the Instant Pot, seal the lid and set to 22 minutes at high pressure. Once the pressure cooking cycle is complete let it vent naturally for five minutes, and then quick release the remaining pressure.
👩🏻🍳 A note from Katie: Like all red lentil soups, this one tends to thicken considerably as it cools. If the soup seems too thin when you first make it, have faith that it will thicken with a bit of time.
Also, since red lentil soup thickens so much as it cools, you may want to add a splash of broth or water to thin it out as you reheat your soup.
Spicy Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup (30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ cups red lentils rinsed well
- ½ cup short grain brown rice
- 8 cups vegetable broth or water
- salt to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Using the sauté setting, heat the olive oil.2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Add the diced onion, and sauté, stirring frequently, until onion starts to brown.1 large yellow onion
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté for a few minutes more, until the onion is deeply browned.2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Cancel the sauté function.
- Add the rinsed red lentils, brown rice, and vegetable broth.1 ½ cups red lentils, ½ cup short grain brown rice, 8 cups vegetable broth
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, and seal. Ensure the valve is set to "sealing"
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual / High Pressure for 22 minutes.
- When the pressure cooking cycle is complete, let vent naturally for 5 minutes. Then, flip the valve to "venting" and release the remaining pressure.
- Stir the soup, and season with salt and pepper.salt to taste
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent.1 large yellow onion, 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes, and cook for another few minutes until the onions begin to get a nice deep brown colour.2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Now add the lentils, rice, and the broth.1 ½ cups red lentils, ½ cup short grain brown rice, 8 cups vegetable broth
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cover the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have blown apart and the rice is cooked.
- Taste and season with salt if needed. If you prefer a thinner soup (bear in mind the soup will thicken slightly as it cools) you can add more vegetable broth or water at this point.salt to taste
- Serve bowls of hot soup.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
- Red lentil soup thickens considerably as it cools, so if the soup seems too thin when it first finishes cooking, wait a little bit and see if it thickens with time.
- To re-heat soup, you may want to add a splash of vegetable broth or water to thin it out.
- This soup freezes really well! Freeze in individual portions and re-heat in the microwave or stovetop.
Flo-rida999 says
What's an Instant Pot? Is it a pressure cooker? Apparently lentils contain lectins which are very bad for us - soaking them over 24 hours and rinsing them then cooking them in a pressure cooker nukes the lectins.
Katie Trant says
Yes, an Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker. All plant foods contain lectins, and raw legumes (lentils and beans) contain very high amounts. All you need to do is cook 'em and you're good to go. There's also very little research about the effects of lectins (long term or otherwise) on humans, but a whole lot of fear mongering. Some good, balanced information in this article from the Harvard School of Public Health: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/anti-nutrients/lectins/
Flo says
Thanks Katie - I've been watching Dr Steve Grundy on U tube (he is big on lectins) he also recommends using a pressure cooker + soaking them - would you have a list of food with / without lectins this is a new one for me and I'm now doubting everything I eat....
Katie Trant says
Foods with lectins = all plants. That's all vegetables, all beans, legumes, etc. Basically all the most nutritious foods. Don't pay too much attention to what he's saying - it's fear mongering for profit.
Flo-rida999 says
thanks Katie
Ron says
This is so delicious, it disappears quickly and I never get leftovers. I saw one poster said they doubled it. But, is this possible in an Instant Pot?
Katie Trant says
I haven't tried doubling it in my instant pot so can't say for sure, but I think it depends on the size of your pot! If a double batch would be below the fill line, then go for it!
J says
That was delicious. It was so simple to prepare, I doubled up so there would be plenty to freeze (and am glad I did!).
I like things spicy, so used heaped tsps of chilli flakes, and 3 fresh chillies for good measure. The children said it smelled delicious, so I'm going to have to make a non-spicy batch for them now too.
Thanks again for the recipes. I love things like this that are simple and quick to put together for midweek dinners. Please keep them coming 🙂
Keith H says
Hi again! My twin bro' and I found this very tasty today — I popped in 1tsp of curry paste to boost the depth of flavour a tad. It is certainly pretty satiating stuff, neither of us wanted much supper after downing two bowls each at lunchtime. We are trialling the soup, combined with morning porridge, as part of a slow-release carbs-cum-low fat diet for 2 weeks. Normally, we find red lentils pretty explosive but here, surprisingly, not so much.
Keith H says
Whoops! 'NEITHER of us', not 'EITHER of us', of course! Please correct my text, Katie, as I can't see an edit option...
Angela Reyes says
I love the way you wrote out the instructions on the recipe card at the end of your post. The instructions for each step with the ingredients in gray is so helpful.
Katie Trant says
Glad you like it! I know how annoying it is to scroll back and forth to find the ingredients on mobile, so I've been writing them out by hand for a while but just discovered this handy feature in the recipe card. I'll be using it from now on!
AngelaReyes says
Yeah!
kim says
Fast and satisfying. Really liked the bit of chew the rice added. Did the full tsp of pepper flakes and both kiddos gobbled it down =D Would love to try with IP instructions (please!;).
Katie Trant says
Oh wow, you went DEEP into the archives. This soup is on my list of recipes to update and republish, and I have in fact tested it in the IP once before so that will for sure be happening.