Description

Learn how to make a nutritious and flavorful Instant Pot lentil stew with our beginner-friendly, step-by-step recipe for the pressure cooker. This stew is loaded with vegetables and uses dry green lentils and can be on the table in about 30 minutes. It’s gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced finely
2 smaller carrots or 1 large (7 oz/200 g), diced into cubes
2 celery ribs (without leaves), diced into cubes
5 cloves garlic, diced finely
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced into larger cubes (220 g)
1 medium zucchini (6 oz / 160–180 g), diced into cubes
2 cups brown lentils, unsoaked
3–4 cups vegetable stock (depending on how thick you like it and amount of veggies)
14 oz / 400 g can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
To finish:
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Garnish: extra parsley on top

Instructions

Prep. Dice all the vegetables and prepare all the ingredients you need for the recipe. You can start with the onions, celery and carrots as those get cooked first, giving you a few minutes to do the rest of the veggies. If using vegetable stock cubes, prepare the stock first.
Sauté. Turn the Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. It should say Normal on the display (this indicates heat level). Allow the bottom to heat up for a couple of minutes, then add the olive oil, onions, carrots and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Press Cancel or Keep Warm/Cancel to stop the Sauté.
Add ingredients. Then add the garlic, spices, salt and pepper followed by zucchini, sweet potatoes and dry lentils (no need to soak the lentils for this recipe!).
Pour in the stock and stir. Add the tomato paste and diced canned tomatoes and stir slightly.
Set & cook. Secure and lock the lid; make sure the pressure handle is pointing to Sealing on Duo Classic. Select Manual/Pressure Cook and adjust the timer to 8 minutes on HIGH pressure. After a few beeps/seconds, the ON sign will come on indicating the pot is heating up and the pressure is building; pressurizing will take about 12 minutes and then the 8-minute timer will begin.
Once the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes. Then use the quick release method to let off the remaining pressure (press the steam knob down or point to Venting on older models).
Finish the stew. Open the lid and stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Taste for salt and pepper.

Notes

Saute time: 3 minutes | Pressurizing: 12 minutes | Cooking at pressure: 8 minutes | Release: 10 minutes natural followed by quick release | Total cooking time: 23 minutes.
Storage: You can store this lentil stew for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or freeze it for up 3 months. Make sure to cool down before storing. Defrost in a fridge overnight or in a microwave and reheat well.
Serving suggestions: Serve as is with a side of crusty bread, dinner rolls or buttered toast; top with croutons; you can stir in some cheese, sour cream or yogurt on top. The stew can also be served over rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa or cauliflower rice/vegetables.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 cups
Calories: 291
Sugar: 7.5 g
Sodium: 600.1 mg
Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
Carbohydrates: 49.4 g
Fiber: 8.5 g
Protein: 15.4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Lentils, Vegetables, Stew, Instant Pot, Healthy