Nothing satisfies like a good hearty soup on a cold winter night, and our Instant Pot Chipotle Lentil Soup is up to the task. The chipotle chile powder gives this soup just the right amount of heat for the family (but you can add more if you like it hot), and it’s ready in a snap with a 7-minute cook time in the Instant Pot. Freezes beautifully for meal prep and is perfect for leftover lunches. Bump up the nutrients even more without adding carbs by serving with plain or cilantro-lime cauliflower rice.
Print
Instant Pot Chipotle Lentil Soup
Instant Pot Chipotle Lentil Soup
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: About 10 Cups 1x
Ingredients
- 7 cups homemade or unsalted vegetable broth, divided
- 1 16-ounce bag dried large green whole lentils, rinsed and drained*
- 1 14 to 15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes (unseasoned), with liquid
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bell peppers, chopped (red, yellow, and/or orange)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp dried cilantro
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder (this is ground chipotle chiles, not regular chili powder)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges for serving
- Optional for serving: Sliced avocado, coconut yogurt or full-fat coconut milk, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded vegan cheese, cassava tortilla chips, cilantro-lime cauliflower rice.
Instructions
- Combine all spices in a small bowl and set aside. Rinse and drain the lentils and let colander sit in the sink. Prep all vegetables, keeping them separate.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté and add olive oil. Once hot, add onions and stir as needed, cooling until translucent and beginning to brown, 3-5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and sauté another 2 minutes, stirring as needed. Add garlic and bell peppers, cooking just until garlic is fragrant, about a minute.
- Turn Instant Pot off and add one cup of the broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze, then add spice mixture and tomatoes (with liquid) and stir.
- Add remaining broth and lentils. Stir again, cover Instant Pot and set to Manual/High for 7 minutes. Vent manually as soon as cooking time ends.
- Once the pin drops on the Instant Pot, remove the lid. *Since these are whole lentils cooked under pressure, most of the husks will be at the top of the Instant Pot. That’s cool and we want to keep them – they’re packed with nutrients. Use a slotted spoon to skim the top later of lentil husks and vegetables into a large measuring cup. You’ll want to skim off about 2 cups with a bit of broth. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth, then return to the measuring cup.
- Stir the Instant Pot and you’ll see that the lentils are mostly intact and whole – because the husks kept them that way. Split lentils would be mostly mush at this point, so use whole green or brown lentils, red will not hold up at all. We digress.
- Scoop 2 more cups of vegetables with a bit of broth into another measuring cup and process until smooth. Return pureed soup from both measuring cups to the pot and stir to combine. Marvel at the deliciousness you’ve created…but keep it together. We’re almost done.
- Divide into 1 to 1 1/2 cup servings and serve with lime wedges. If those servings sound small, we assure you, this stuff will fill you up and keep you going for hours. Trust. Top with sliced avocado, coconut yogurt or a drizzle of full-fat coconut milk, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded vegan cheese, cassava tortilla chips, etc., as desired.
Notes
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days. Freeze in airtight containers up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating. Okay to microwave by the bowl, to reheat larger portions, heat gently on the stove.
Total time does not include pressurizing time.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Soup
- Method: InstantPot
- Cuisine: Vegan, Plant-Based
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 to 1 1/2 cup
Keywords: LENTIL SOUP, INSTANT POT SOUP, CHIPOTLE LENTIL SOUP, INSTANT POT, VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, PLANT-BASED, SOUP, SOUPS, WINTER SOUP, HEARTY SOUP, MEATLESS, GLUTEN-FREE, GRAIN-FREE, HEARTY SOUP
