This hearty vegan lentil soup is more like a stew and will appeal to the pickiest of eaters!
Every time my parents come to visit, I tend to make the same dishes. My mother usually requests a stir-fry, and my daughter, seeing this special occasion as a opportunity to have her favorite dish, asks for lasagna. Sometimes I cook up a Southern meal of lima beans and greens or a vegetable soup, but the overall theme is simple, basic dishes that are suitable for vegans and omnivores alike.
A couple of weeks ago, my parents were here for a few days and I wanted to cook them something new but with flavors that would be familiar to them. And I wanted it to be fast and easy. So I settled on this lentil soup, which is familiar because it uses the same flavors my mother used in her beef stew. And it’s easy because all of the ingredients go into my electric pressure cooker at the same time and cook/rest for a total of 25 minutes. I added a big salad and my basic cornbread for a hearty meal that all of us enjoyed.
This vegan lentil soup is almost, but not quite, a stew. I used big chunks of carrots and potatoes, and by using a little less liquid, you could make it into a stew, though I like it soupy so that I can dip my bread into it.
I served it in these gorgeous blue and yellow bowls given to me by my brother Bill and sister-in-law Kate. They were made by Kate’s father, Rick Pride, and as soon as his website is up, I’ll link to it so that you can get some of his beautiful pottery for yourself.
Homestyle Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown or green lentils uncooked
- 8 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 pounds large gold or red potatoes cut into large cubes
- 8 ounces mushrooms halved or quartered
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 large carrots thickly sliced
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 vegetable bouillon cubes or 2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon optional (use only if water is used instead of broth)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce coconut aminos, or tamari
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pick over the lentils and rinse well. Put them into the pressure cooker along with the water or broth.
- Start the water or broth heating in the pressure cooker while you chop the vegetables. Add all ingredients to the cooker and stir. Seal the cooker and bring to high pressure. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes for electric pressure cooker or 8 minutes stovetop. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes before using a quick-release method to release the pressure. (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can simply simmer this covered on the stove until the lentils are tender, about an hour; add water as necessary.)
- Check to make sure the lentils and potatoes are tender; if not, cook, covered but not at pressure, until done, adding water if it seems too thick. Remove the bay leaves, and check the seasonings, adding more poultry seasoning and salt, if desired. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if you like.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Enjoy!
This post contains affiliate links. When you buy something through them, I receive a commission that helps support this site. Thanks for your purchase!
Byron
Delicious!! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Newvegan
What kind of mushroom works best with this flavor? Baby portobello?
Susan Voisin
Baby portobello or regular mushrooms—both are good.
Dee
OMG! This soup has WONDERFUL flavor…so nutritious and easy to make. I did use 2 boxes of Vege. stock instead of water. I made copies of this recipe AND saved it in my Cloud….This will be a repeat many times ,for sure.
Sara
This is the one! This is exactly what I want to make! Thanks! I’ll report back how it goes! 🙂
Jill
After hemming and hawing for several years (should I or not buy an Instant Pot), I finally purchased one this week. I want to make this recipe tonight and I’d like to confirm size. Do you use a 6 quart for your recipes? or is it bigger?
I’ve followed you for years and never had a recipe disappoint me. My first recipe was mushrooms berkely (minus the butter). This will be my second.
Susan Voisin
I use the 6-quart Instant Pot for all my recipes, so if that’s what you have, you’re good to go. I hope you enjoy both the IP and the soup!
Davol
This is such a delicious recipe! I even made it low-sodium and it was still delicious, which isn’t always the case with soups.
I also puréed a bit of it in the Vitamix and it made for a wonderful texture.
The simplicity of throwing everything in the cooker is really time-saving.
Susan, thank you for sharing your talents with the world!
Scott
Made this two nights ago with Rancho Gordo black caviar lentils and it was fantastic! Really reminded me of a stew my mom would have made when I was growing up, except with beef. It was a perfect dinner for my WFPB family. Had it with a side of lovely Delicata squash from our farmers market.