Spicy Lentil Potato Soup

4.82 from 16 votes

This Spicy Lentil Potato Soup is a quick and easy meal that is truly nourishing and full of flavor. To make it, you only need some staple pantry ingredients.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: dinner, lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 244kcal

Author: Agnieszka

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 medium carrots chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed or minced
1 piece of ginger the size of a garlic clove grated
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb small potatoes red, fingerling or both
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry lentils green, brown, black or a mix
5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
¼- ½ teaspoon Cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings

Greek yogurt plant-based such as unsweetened coconut or cashew yogurt for vegan
Honey
Chopped Cilantro

Instructions

Stovetop instructions:

In a pot or a Dutch oven, heat up olive oil and add onion, carrots and celery and cook together for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin and Garam Masala. Stir together and cook until fragrant. Add a splash of water, if needed.
Add tomatoes, broth, potatoes, lentils, bay leaf, salt, pepper and Cayenne. Bring to boil, then simmer for about 30-40 minutes until lentils start falling apart slightly and potatoes are soft.
Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Garnish with a dollop of Greek or plant-based yogurt, drizzle with honey (skip for vegan) and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Instant Pot Instructions:

Start by setting your Instant Pot to "Sauté". Heat the oil and cook together onions, carrots and celery for a couple minutes, stirring often.
Once the veggies are soft, add the garlic and ginger. Then, add most of the the spices and keep cooking and stirring. Don't skip this step! Cooking the spices before adding wet ingredients will add an extra layer of deep flavor. If things start to get too brown, add a splash of water to the mixture.
Now it's time to add all the remaining ingredients: tomatoes, potatoes, broth, lentils and spices.
Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to "Pressure Cook" for 15 minutes at high pressure.5. That's it! Go do something, relax, take a bath, or run errands or go grocery shopping while the soup is practically making itself.
Let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally until the vent is in the off position. Carefully open the lid, stir the soup, taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

You can use brown, black or green lentils to make this soup. I like a combo of different colors.

Serve the soup on its own or with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey and fresh chopped cilantro.

Nutrition