Instant Pot Chunky Lentil Soup

This Instant Pot Chunky Lentil Soup, vegan and packed full of flavour and nutrition, is a favourite in our household. It's so quick and easy to make, especially in the pressure cooker, that it has earned a top spot in my weekday menu rotation. Don't be fooled into thinking this dish isn't 'real food' because it's soup; look closely at all the health benefits that lentils have to offer, and you'll soon realise that this dish punches well above its weight.

Lentils look like tiny grains, but they are actually a legume - seeds that grow in a pod - similar to peas. They are high in protein and good for heart health, as well as being a good source of iron and dietary fibre. Lentils offer good calcium, particularly important if you are vegan and have limited options for calcium intake.

For this Instant Pot Chunky Lentil Soup, I use red lentils, which have had their skins removed. They don't require pre-soaking, cook very quickly, and also serve to thicken soups by releasing starch during the cooking process. I add sweet potato and chick peas to the soup to create the chunky texture and bulk up the nutrition. We like to eat this soup as a main course with crusty or flat bread on the side, as it fills you without leaving a feeling of heaviness, but you could also serve this as a soup starter.

To make this soup you'll need:
(Click here to jump straight to the recipe)

Oil for cooking
1 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
200g red lentils, rinsed
1 tin (400g) chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
750ml vegetable stock*
pumpkin seeds for garnish

And here's what you'll need to do: