Can I make this Instant Pot lentil soup without sausage?

Yes, this lentil soup is still delicious without sausage. You can also try my recipe for vegetarian u003ca href=u0022https://www.kitchenskip.com/crockpot-lentil-soup/u0022u003eCrock Pot lentil soupu003c/au003e, which includes Instant Pot instructions.

Can I use red or black lentils for this recipe?

No. Both red and black lentils require different cooking times. This soup recipe works best with either brown or green lentils.

Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage

Name: Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 33 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium onion); 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (raw, loose ground meat)*; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 14-ounce can chopped or pureed tomatoes; 2 carrots, finely chopped; 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth; 4 cups water; 2 cups dried brown or green lentils; ½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 small bay leaf

Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage Recipe

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I love cooking lentil soup in my Instant Pot because it cooks the lentils perfectly every time. Instant Pot lentil soup with sausage has incredibly rich flavor and is a hearty and satisfying meal.This recipe makes a big batch of soup, and you can enjoy the leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.

Total Instant Pot Cooking Time: 20 minutes to come up to pressure + 12 minutes cooking time + 5 minute release

Author: Jenny Meier | Kitchen Skip blog
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Soup
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium onion)
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (raw, loose ground meat)*
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 14-ounce can chopped or pureed tomatoes
2 carrots, finely chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups water
2 cups dried brown or green lentils
1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small bay leaf

Optional: Chopped fresh herbs, to garnish the cooked soup (parsley, basil or oregano)

*If you can only find raw Italian sausage links in casings, then simply cut the casings open and squeeze out the sausage meat.

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Instructions

Drizzle olive oil into the Instant Pot. Press the saute button. I like to saute on the "low" setting so the pot doesn't get too hot.
Add the onion, sausage and garlic. Saute, breaking the sausage into small pieces with a spatula or a wooden spoon, until the sausage is barely pink, about 5 minutes. Be careful that the sausage doesn't stick or burn to the pot.
Press "cancel" to turn the saute function off. Add the remaining ingredients: canned tomato, carrots, salt, thyme, bay leaf, broth, water and lentils. Stir well.
Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. The pot will take about 20 minutes to come up to pressure.
When the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for at least five minutes before turning the steam valve to venting. If you turn it sooner than five minutes, some of the soup might splatter up out of the valve, which is a bit messy.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with herbs.

Notes

If you want the lentils to be very soft, then cook the soup for 18 minutes. Cooking the lentils for 18 minutes gives the soup a creamier consistency.

You can use a different type of sausage, but make sure to use raw ground sausage, or even just raw, ground meat. Pre-cooked, sliced sausage won't work because it will overcook in the pressure cooker and it won't add flavor to the soup.

Find it online: https://www.kitchenskip.com/instant-pot-sausage-and-lentil-soup/