Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup with Bell Peppers

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Description

Plant-based eating is my passion and I've recently discovered how much I love lentils, particularly red lentils. Lentilas are protein and fiber rich, filling and taste good hot or cold. I've had lentils in the past but I didn't cook them properly and they were either underdone, overdone, bland or something wasn't right. I started experimenting with lentils in the Instant Pot and discovered they turn out quite well in a short amount of time. Now I'm making them several times a week and always looking for new recipes. I found a recipe I had downloaded in 2009 after listening to an interview on The Splendid Table with Raghavan Iyer where he mentioned a couple favorite recipes, this one, and a potato curry. I made the lentils once and probably did something wrong, so the recipe sat in my binder's Indian section all these years. The version I've made is really wonderful in so many ways. It's really spicy, has great texture, and beautiful color. I've enjoyed it as a soup, with some naan bread, or with a serving of brown rice. I will be making this dish often. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! This recipe is adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer. I've modified it to use the Instant Pot and reduced the amount of oil, salt, and water. I used Bob's Red Mill red lentils.

CategoryBlue Zone Recipes, Instant Pot, Plant-Based Recipes, Vegan

Total Time60 min

DifficultyEasy

Yields5 servings

First of all, check if you have all the necessary ingredients for this recipe. Pay attention to the quantities!

1 cup red lentils
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large green bell pepper
3 Serrano peppers, stemmed, cut in half, and sliced thinly, seeds intact
1 medium-sized tomato, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Next, follow the steps to finalize your dish and finally be able to enjoy it!

Place the lentils in the Instant Pot insert and fill with water to cover the lentils by a couple inches. Gently rinse the lentil and drain the water, repeating three or four times until the water is nearly clear; drain. Add 3 cups water and lock the IP lid. Set to High Pressure for 15 minutes. When 15 minutes are up, allow the Instant Pot to release naturally. While the lentils are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, or less, if desired, in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and chiles and cook for 10-12 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomato, salt (reduce or increase to taste), and turmeric. Pour in 1 cup water. Cook until tomato has softened, 3-4 minutes. When lentils are done and pressure has released, open the Instant Pot and add the pepper mixture. Press the "cancel" button and set the Instant Pot on the "saute" setting, with the "less" indicator. Stir well and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Add the chopped cilantro and serve. This can be eaten with rice or as a soup. Feel free to add more water to make a thinner soup.