Instant Pot Red Lentil Tortilla Soup

Dinner Club Diaries
by Dinner Club Diaries
4 Servings
1 hr

Let me get one thing clear: I am NOT ready for fall! I certainly can wait for apple pie and pumpkin spice. But it was a stormy, rainy day here in Michigan for once, and all I had on my mind was SOUP! Tortilla soup is one of my family's favorites, and last year I tried out a different version with red lentils. Such a great addition because it serves as a natural thickener, and adds a boost of protein as well. You can add chicken, of course, but it's totally not necessary in this hearty soup. The best part? The toppings! I love to put out little bowls of sour cream, cheese, scallions, cilantro, and wedges of lime. You can also add avocado and fresh jalapeño which I did not have today. And of course, don't forget a big bag of tortilla chips on the side. Plus, cooking this in the Instant Pot gives you some hands-off cooking time to get other things done while lunch or dinner cooks itself!

Recipe adapted from https://peasandcrayons.com/2017/02/vegetarian-lentil-tortilla-soup.html

Skip adding the cream if you want to keep this soup vegan. Sub in coconut milk, other non-dairy milk, or more broth to thin if needed.

Don't forget all the toppings!

Instant Pot Red Lentil Tortilla Soup
Recipe details
  • 4  Servings
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 45 Minutes Total time: 1 hr
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Ingredients
SOUP
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 med onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomato
  • 1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
  • 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can corn, drained
  • 1 c dried red lentils
  • 1 t cumin
  • 1/2 t chili powder
  • 1/2 t garlic powder
  • 1/2 t onion powder
  • 1/4 t black pepper
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 4 c (1 box) vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 c half and half
TOPPINGS
  • Sour cream
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Avocado
  • Cilantro
  • Scallions
  • Fresh jalapeño
  • Lime wedges
  • Tortilla chips
Instructions

Turn on Instant Pot to lowest sauté setting. Add in 1 T oil. Chop and add veggies to pot as you go: onion, red pepper, jalapeño.
Then, dump in all the rest of the ingredients (except cream and toppings): tomato, green chiles, chipotle, beans, corn, lentils, spices and broth. Stir to combine.
Set Instant Pot to manual for 15 minutes. It may take up to 15 minutes for it to come to temperature, then 15 minutes to cook, then allow it to natural release if you have the time.
Open lid and stir in 1 c half and half, and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.
Ladle into bowls and serve with a choice of toppings!
Tips
  • I would say this soup has medium heat to it. Control the heat by removing seeds and ribs from the jalapeño, or omitting the chipotle pepper.
Dinner Club Diaries
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