Instant Pot Lentils
Learn how to cook lentils in Instant Pot with the no soak method! Super easy Instant Pot Lentils (Pressure Cooker Lentils) Recipe that makes perfectly tender & evenly cooked lentils. You'll enjoy this soul-soothing, hearty, flavorful side dish or tasty sauce over rice or pasta.
- Prep time
- 18 min
- Cook time
- 42 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups (400g) split green lentils
- 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2 (0.5g) bay leaves
- 2 (228g) carrots (, roughly diced)
- 2 ribs (209g) celery (, roughly diced)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) ghee or unsalted butter ((vegan option - olive oil))
- 1 pound (454g) smoked kielbasa sausage (, sliced (omit if vegan))
- 1 (240g) onion (, roughly diced)
- 1 (70g) shallot (, roughly diced)
- 6 cloves (18g) garlic (, roughly minced)
- 14 oz (400g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon (2.7g) cumin seed (, ground)
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce ((you can substitute it with regular soy sauce))
- A dash balsamic vinegar ((optional))
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1
Brown Sausage: Press “Saute” button to “Sauté More” function to heat up Instant Pot. Wait until “HOT” appears on the screen (~8mins). Add 2 tbsp (30g) ghee or unsalted butter in Instant Pot. Add in sliced sausages, then saute for 5 minutes.
- 2
Saute Onions & Garlic: Add in diced onion and shallot, then saute for 3 minutes. Add in minced garlic, 1 tsp (2.7g) ground cumin, and 2 bay leaves, then saute for another minute.
- 3
Deglaze: Pour in ½ cup (125ml) unsalted stock, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Give it a quick mix.
- 4
Pressure Cook Lentils: Add in 2 cups (400g) green lentils, diced carrots, diced celery, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, and 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce. Pour in 3½ cups (875ml) unsalted stock, then give it a quick mix. Layer 14 oz (400g) crushed tomatoes on top of the other ingredients in Instant Pot - do not mix!With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure 10 minutes + Natural Release 10 minutes. Open the lid carefully.
- 5
Thicken & Season: If desired, stir & thicken the lentils with the "Saute More" function. Taste & adjust the seasoning accordingly. *Pro Tip: For reference, add roughly 1 - 2 pinches of salt to open up the flavors & season properly.
- 6
Serve: Garnish lentils with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. You can serve these tasty lentils as a side dish, main dish, or serve them on top of rice or pasta. *Pro Tip: You can add a dash of balsamic vinegar for another layer of flavor. Be sure to first taste test with a small portion in a separate bowl to see if you like this flavor profile before adding it to the whole pot of lentils.