This Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup is vegan and gluten-free. The soup is made with red lentils which are a variety of lentils with a salmon color.
I love making soups for dinner when the weather is cold, I get to use up lots of vegetables and they are so warming and filling! Making soups in the electric pressure cooker makes like so much easier.
They are so easy to prepare and cook in minutes, other varieties are brown, green, yellow, and black lentils.
The pasta was added for a heartier soup, you can leave it out if you prefer.

What Kind Of Pasta Do You Use In Red Lentil Soup?
We used dried gluten-free elbow pasta that is cooked directly in the soup. Make sure to get a sturdy pasta that cooks for at least 5 minutes on the stovetop.
If you are in doubt that the texture of your pasta will hold up?
You can cook the pasta separately according to the package directions and add it to the finished soup. This will prevent you from having overly soft or mushy cooked pasta.
Are Lentils Good For You?
Lentils are packed with nutrients, they are healthy and filled with dietary fibers which are both soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fibers are great for a bowel movement, they prevent constipation.
Lentils contain a great source of magnesium, iron, zinc, and folate. They are a good source of protein and complex carbohydrates.
What Do I Need to Make My Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup?
- Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Carrot
- Italian Seasoning
- Red Lentils
- Pasta
- Vegetable Broth
- Salt
- Cayenne Pepper

How To Make Instant Pot Vegan Red Lentil Soup?
- Press saute mode on a 6-quart instant pot. Add oil for one minute until hot. Saute onion until soft, about two minutes, then add garlic, celery, carrot, Italian seasoning and cook for one minute.
- Add the red lentils, pasta, water, vegetable broth, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Press Cancel/Off then close the lid. Turn the valve to Sealing. Press Manual/Pressure Cook and set for 6 minutes.
- When finished cooking, quick-release pressure safely. Open the lid and stir, season with salt if needed, garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Can I Make This Soup On The Stove Top?
Absolutely, saute the onion, garlic, celery, carrot with oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
Add the lentils, water, vegetable broth, salt, and cayenne pepper.
Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until tender.
Pro Tips For Making Red Lentil Soup
- You can substitute the Italian seasoning for your favorite herb blend, herbs like oregano, thyme, basil, and parsley are great.
- Substitute the vegetable broth for 2 vegan bouillon plus 6 cups water.
Looking For More Delicious Vegan Instant Pot Recipes?
- Instant Pot Vegan Chicken And Dumplings
- Chili Mac And Cheese
- Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- Black-Eyed Pea Curry
- Vegan Split Pea Soup

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Categories
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Vegan
- Course: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
(Per serving)- Energy: 212 kcal / 886 kJ
- Fat: 4 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Carbs: 31 g
Cook Time
- Preparation: 10 min
- Cooking: 6 min
- Ready in: 31 min
- For: 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 medium carrot, shredded
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup red lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 1/2 cup pasta, I used gluten-free
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Press saute mode on a 6-quart Instant Pot. Add oil for one minute until hot. Saute onion until soft, about two minutes, then add garlic, celery, carrot, Italian seasoning and cook for one minute.
- Add the red lentils, uncooked pasta, water, vegetable broth, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Press Cancel/Off then close the lid. Press Manual/Pressure Cook and set for 6 minutes.
- When finished cooking, quick-release pressure safely. Open the lid and stir, season with salt if needed, garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Can I make this without putting the pasta in?
Yes Franca, cook in a pot on the stove top
This looks so beautiful and rich in health
Appreciate your generosity of sharing these free recipes!!
My pleasure Leslie, have a great day!
❤️ I’ve made this recipe and two others (vegan chili Mac n cheese & vegan chickpea salad) from this blog. All three have been spectacular!
Jackie, thank you for your feedback, I’m so happy you are enjoying my recipes.
Just discovered this Blog last week and have already made two soups/stews. I’m making this recipe for the 2nd time! My 23 year old son loved it so I am making him his own batch to have for lunches. Thank you.
Sharon, I’m so happy you found my website and that you are and your family are enjoying my recipes, thank you very much for sharing your feedback with us.
I have made this several times now. I love it on my WFPB eating plan. I do not use oil to sauté which works just fine. It tastes great the next day as well. One of my new favorites in the instant pot. ❤️
Ginger, that is so awesome. I’m so happy you enjoy it. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
Wow, this soup is delicious! I’ll be making this one a lot this winter! It’s a bit spicier than I like, so I’ll just cut the cayenne in half. Oh, and I didn’t have Italian seasoning so I used Greek seasoning instead. It was still wonderful. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this and it was very delicious! Could I substitute with another variety of lentils?
Irene, I’m happy you enjoyed it. No, i wouldn’t recommend you substitute with another lentil using the recipe because red lentils cook faster than brown, green or black lentils. The cooking time and amount of liquid would need adjustment, the pasta would end up being overcooked. However, I do have an Instant Pot Lentil Soup https://healthiersteps.com/recipe/instant-pot-vegan-lentil-soup/ recipe using the other varieties of lentils.
Hey how would I make this without the instant pot? Is it supposed to be a creamy consistency?
This cooks up pretty fast on the stove, it cooks in about 30 minutes. It is up to you how creamy or thick you want it to be.
This soup is so delicious!! I love your recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Charlene, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
This is the first ‘Healthier Steps’ recipe I’ve tried – excellent!
Penny, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Hopefully, you will try many more!