Make this delicious and authentic tasting Simple Lentil Soup Recipe with just a few basic ingredients. It’s quick and easy to make in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
Why This Simple Lentil Soup Recipe Is The Perfect Dish For Dinner
This crazy, utterly ludicrous, totally ruthlessly efficient, and ultimately surprisingly authentic tasting Indian dal recipe in quite typical of my cooking style. Minimal ingredients, maximum flavor. So now you have no excuse to not eat healthily.
You may be appalled when I suggest that you use canned Rotel to make a traditional Indian dal recipe, but you’ll just have to #trustUrvashi on this one. I assure you that it comes out tasting more authentic that you could possibly believe. And if you can make the same amazing tasting Lentil Soup Recipe with far less effort than traditional methods, why wouldn’t you?
Thanks to your “set it and forget it” Instant Pot , you can make a wonderfully tasty one-pot lentil recipe for your family with very little effort. This easy yet delectable Instant Pot soup recipe is hearty enough to be served as a main course or can be served as an appetizer along with other Indian dishes .
So what are these three ingredients?
- Lentils (any type of split lentils)
- Rotel or canned or fresh tomatoes with green chilis
- Turmeric.
That’s it! other than that, it’s just water and salt and off you go.
If you’re looking for a vegan Instant Pot recipe, you’ve hit the jackpot with this Simple Lentil Soup Recipe. Enjoy a full-flavored Instant Pot lentils recipe that’s effortless and only takes a handful of ingredients to make. Now let’s get cooking…
How To Make This Simple Lentil Soup Recipe
Follow these instructions to make this simple vegetarian recipe :
- Combine. In the Instant Pot , combine Rotel, lentils, water, salt, and turmeric.
- Cook. Close the lid. Select PRESSURE COOK and set the pot at high pressure for 30 minutes. I know this sounds like a lot, but the tomatoes do retard the cooking a little and you want a smooth, creamy dal at the end of this. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes and then release all remaining pressure.
- Serve. Serve with rice, naan, tortillas—whatever you want. After all, if we can make dal unconventionally, we can also eat it with unconventional accompaniments!
What Do These 3 Ingredient Lentils Taste Like?
So every child in India gets fed some version of this very plain rice and lentils dish. My Grandmother called it Varan Bhat in Marathi (varan means plain dal, and bhat is rice).
Normally when you make dal you’d add a lot of different spices to it. But for little kids, you sometimes just want to feed them something bland but full of protein.
So that’s when a lentils dish like this one comes in handy. So if you ask me how it tastes, it tastes like comfort food and childhood to me. Very much like this Khichadi , it’s something adults might eat when you’re a little under the weather.
It is also often made as a complement to other spicy dishes like Chicken Vindaloo or other well-spiced rich dishes, as a calming influence on your stomach.
Do You Have To Soak Lentils Before Cooking Them?
Another wonderful thing about this Simple Lentil Soup Recipe is that there’s no need to soak the lentils before cooking them. As a matter of fact, you really don’t need to soak lentils before cooking them no matter what lentils recipe you cook up.
Though soaking lentils can help reduce the cooking time when using traditional cooking methods, there’s no need to do so when using a pressure cooker to cook them. The Instant Pot can cook up yummy lentil recipes with no soaking step required!
What Goes With Lentil Soup?
Serve this Simple Lentil Soup Recipe with these tasty side options:
- Naan bread
- Basmati Rice
- Air Fryer Chili Cheese Toast
- Amchoor Potatoes
- Indian Cabbage Slaw
Tips And Tricks For Making Varan Bhaat
- Normally you’d use onions, garlic, ginger, oil, cumin, etc. But no. We won’t be doing that here. You can, of course, use 1 cup of fresh or canned tomatoes and some mild green chiles if you prefer.
- Whatever you do, do not use the Hot version of Rotel. I did that. Even doubling the dal after that didn’t help to make it more edible!
- One thing you really, really must do is add a lot of ghee on top of the lentils and rice! Click here if you don’t already know how to make your own ghee for a 20-minute failproof ghee recipe.
- The milder taste of this makes it a perfectly family-friendly recipe.
- Do not skimp on the 30 minute time. Tomatoes retard the cooking and you want a soft, mushy dal.
- You can use any split lentils to make this dal.
- Download a printable here on the different types of dals.
- Refer to this post to understand how to make perfect lentils in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
Looking For More Lentil Recipes? Check These Out!
- Indian Chana Dal Fry - Enjoy a complex range of flavors from a simple dish.
- Instant Pot Langar Ki Dal - The most flavorful way to combine and cook two dals in your Instant Pot!
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup - A beautiful vegan lentil soup.
- Instant Pot Moong Dal Soup - A delicious traditional Indian soup.
- Dal Makhani Creamy Lentils - Smooth, creamy, spicy, and hearty.
- Indian Dal Soup - Deliciously smooth and savory.
- Pressure Cooker Rice and Dal - Indian comfort food made easy.
- Red Lentil Soup - Good for you and so very easy to make.
- Easy Instant Pot Pinto Beans for savory, tasty, and fast Mexican-style beans
Simple Lentil Soup Recipe | 3 Pantry Ingredients
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 can Rotel , 10 ounce mild or original
- ▢ 1 cup chana dal , split yellow pigeon peas or split garbanzos
- ▢ 2.5 cups Water
- ▢ 1.5 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Turmeric
Instructions
- In the Instant Pot , combine Rotel, lentils, water, salt, and turmeric.
- Close the lid. Select PRESSURE COOK and set the pot at high pressure for 30 minutes. I know this sounds like a lot, but the tomatoes do retard the cooking a little and you want a smooth, creamy dal at the end of this. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes and then release all remaining pressure.
- Serve with rice, naan, tortillas—whatever you want. After all, if we can make dal unconventionally, we can also eat it with unconventional accompaniments!
Tips And Tricks For Making Varan Bhaat
- Normally you’d use onions, garlic, ginger, oil, cumin, etc. But no. We won’t be doing that here. You can, of course, use 1 cup of fresh or canned tomatoes and some mild green chiles if you prefer.
- Whatever you do, do not use the Hot version of Rotel. I did that. Even doubling the dal after that didn’t help to make it more edible!
- One thing you really, really must do is add a lot of ghee on top of the lentils and rice! Click here if you don’t already know how to make your own ghee for a 20-minute failproof ghee recipe.
- The milder taste of this makes it a perfectly family-friendly recipe.
- Do not skimp on the 30 minute time. Tomatoes retard the cooking and you want a soft, mushy dal.
- You can use any split lentils to make this dal.
- This dal cooks for 30 minutes under pressure. This means that you can make brown rice Pot-in-pot, but not white rice, right alongside the dal. Check out my youtube video on how to do pot in pot cooking and subscribe to my channel while there.
- Download a printable here on the different types of dals.
- Refer to this post to understand how to make perfect lentils in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
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Simple Lentil Soup Recipe | 3 Pantry Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 can Rotel 10 ounce mild or original
- 1 cup chana dal split yellow pigeon peas or split garbanzos
- 2.5 cups Water
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
Instructions
- In the Instant Pot , combine Rotel, lentils, water, salt, and turmeric.
- Close the lid. Select PRESSURE COOK and set the pot at high pressure for 30 minutes. I know this sounds like a lot, but the tomatoes do retard the cooking a little and you want a smooth, creamy dal at the end of this. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes and then release all remaining pressure.
- Serve with rice, naan, tortillas—whatever you want. After all, if we can make dal unconventionally, we can also eat it with unconventional accompaniments!
Tips And Tricks For Making Varan Bhaat
- Normally you’d use onions, garlic, ginger, oil, cumin, etc. But no. We won’t be doing that here. You can, of course, use 1 cup of fresh or canned tomatoes and some mild green chiles if you prefer.
- Whatever you do, do not use the Hot version of Rotel. I did that. Even doubling the dal after that didn’t help to make it more edible!
- One thing you really, really must do is add a lot of ghee on top of the lentils and rice! Click here if you don’t already know how to make your own ghee for a 20-minute failproof ghee recipe.
- The milder taste of this makes it a perfectly family-friendly recipe.
- Do not skimp on the 30 minute time. Tomatoes retard the cooking and you want a soft, mushy dal.
- You can use any split lentils to make this dal.
- This dal cooks for 30 minutes under pressure. This means that you can make brown rice Pot-in-pot, but not white rice, right alongside the dal. Check out my youtube video on how to do pot in pot cooking and subscribe to my channel while there.
- Download a printable here on the different types of dals.
- Refer to this post to understand how to make perfect lentils in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
Simple Lentil Soup Recipe | 3 Pantry Ingredients https://twosleevers.com/simple-lentil-soup-recipe/
Make some of the best Instant Pot Rice and Grains recipes that are both delicious, and work every time with this list! More than 49 how to, main courses, and even rice dessert recipes.
Water to Rice Ratio for Instant Pot Rice
For basmati & Jasmine Rice, 1c water + 1 cup rice. 4 mins HP, 10 mins NPR
1 cup brown rice + 1 cup water: 22 mins HP, 10 mins NPR
1 cup arborio rice + 1.5 cups water: 5 mins HP, 10 mins NPR minutes + more liquid after cooking
1 cup sushi rice , 1.25 cups water, 10 mins HP, 10 mins NPR.
1 cup black rice + 1.5 cups water: 22 mins HP, 10 mins NPR + more liquid after cooking
1 cup red rice + 1 cup water: 22 mins HP, 10 mins NPR
1 cup glutinous rice + 4 cup water: 20 mins HP, 10 mins NPR
1 cup Wild Rice Blend + 1 cup water: 22 mins HP, 10 mins NPR
Want more information on how to make perfect rice in the Instant Pot? Check out my complete guide on Perfect Pressure Cooker Rice !
Can’t Remember All That Rice Info?
Don’t worry! I made a free printable cheat sheet you can print off and keep in the kitchen - get it here !
Instant Pot Rice and Grains Recipes
Learning how to cook rice in your Instant Pot is more than just knowing the rice to water ratio for each type of rice . Each type of rice cooks differently, like Jasmine rice , Basmati rice , brown rice , etc. I also have some of the best quinoa recipes , farro recipes millet recipes , grits recipes , polenta recipes , and couscous recipes .
Sweet Coconut Rice Recipe | Instant Pot Narali Bhat
How to Make Perfect Instant Pot Rice
If you’ve been scouring the internet for how to cook Perfect Pressure Cooker Rice, you’re in luck. Learn how to make white rice, jasmine rice, black rice, brown rice, and arborio rice in your Instant Pot.
Perfect Instant Pot Brown Rice
This very simple recipe for Instant Pot Brown Rice in your Instant Pot may well make you finally put away your rice cooker, and start using your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker to make perfect rice each time.
How To Make Perfect Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
Get perfect Instant Pot Jasmine Rice every time with this simple and foolproof method. Learn how to make jasmine rice quickly, easily and with less effort than other methods!
How To Make Perfect Instant Pot Basmati Rice
If you’re looking for the perfect method to make Instant Pot Basmati Rice, you’ve come to the right place. Learn how to make basmati rice quickly, easily and with less effort than other methods!
Instant Pot Barley and Lentil Pilaf
This Barley and Lentil Pilaf is the perfect vegetarian side dish you never knew you needed in your life. It’s savory, crave-worthy and super easy to make in your Instant Pot.
How To Cook Quinoa (Instant Pot, Stovetop & Rice Cooker)
Learn just about every method on How To Cook Quinoa in one convenient place! Plus learn everything you could want to know about quinoa.
Instant Pot Cajun Dirty Rice
Maybe I should call this not-so-dirty rice since I didn’t use chicken livers. But even with ground beef, this Instant Pot Cajun Dirty Rice tastes so good, that it is likely to become a family favorite once you make it.
Instant Pot Quinoa Salad With Salmon
This Instant Pot Quinoa Salad With Salmon is a delicious and nutritious meal that’s so very easy to make. Thanks to the Instant Pot, this recipe will be done before you know it!
Instant Pot Mexican Rice Recipe
Make my Mexican Rice Recipe (or Arroz a la Mexicana) in your instant pot or pressure cooker in just one easy step! It’s very easy to make and it taste way better than prepackaged Mexican rice!
Pressure Cooker Rice and Dal
Pressure Cooker Rice and Dal is Indian comfort food made easy. Once you learn how to make rice and dal at the same time in your Instant Pot, putting together a nutritious dinner will be easy as—well as rice and dal!
Jamaican Peas and Rice
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Instant Pot Ground Beef & Rice Shawarma
This recipe for the Instant Pot Ground Beef and Rice Shawarma is what happens when you come home tired after 4 long days of driving, everyone is hungry, there’s almost nothing in the fridge and you need to cook dinner for 5 people.
Basmati Rice Pilaf
This Basmati Rice Pilaf is a great Indian rice side dish that’s full of flavor! And thanks to your Instant Pot it’s done in under 30 minutes!
Khichadi Rice and Lentils
Make this Khichadi Rice and Lentils recipe in your Instant Pot to create the ultimate Indian comfort food! This recipe is super tasty and vegetarian and vegan friendly!
Nigerian Fried Rice
When you read the word “fried” you immediately think popping, hot oil, and crispy, crunchy food. However, this Nigerian Fried Rice actually isn’t fried at all. In fact, it’s a quick and tasty dinner or side dish idea.
Instant Pot Wild Rice Pilaf
This Instant Pot Vegetarian Wild Rice Pilaf is the perfect savory rice side dish for your next meal. This dish is rich with flavor and is loaded with delightful veggies.
Instant Pot Hapa Rice with Sprouted Brown Rice
A simple and delicious sprouted brown rice recipe made quick in the Instant Pot!
Instant Pot PIP Beans and Rice
Easily make pot-in-pot beans and rice! Less than 30 minutes from when you started, you have rice and beans. How cool is that?
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
Use your pressure cooker and make the best Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe you’ve ever had! It’s warm and spicy and makes the perfect comfort food.
Instant Pot Indian Pilau
Make a delicious and authentic Indian Pilau easily and quickly in your Instant Pot! Peas and carrots with rice have never tasted so good!
Instant Pot Pork Chops and Rice with Vegetables
For the days you’re tired and hurried, here’s a 30-minute Instant Pot Pork Chops and Rice and Vegetables recipe that requires almost no effort. Tender pork chops, comforting soft rice, and veggies your kids will actually eat.
Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice
Make lovely cumin-scented, Cuban inspired Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice in a fraction of the time of traditional methods! One of the best black bean recipes you’ll make in your Instant Pot.
Instant Pot One Step Hainanese Chicken Rice
One-step One Pot, Less than 5 ingredients, and you’ve got some pretty authentic tasting Hainanese Chicken Rice from your pressure cooker.
Instant Pot Lebanese Lentils and Rice
Lebanese Lentils and Rice or Mujadara recipe is a one-pot, one-step dish, that uses the Instant Pot to make this classic comfort dish.
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Make an authentic Maharashtrian Masalé bhat in your instant pot or pressure cooker. Goda Masala Recipe for a special spice mix included to make your own fresh spices for this rice.
Instant Pot Sabzi Polo | Persian Herbed Rice
Make a perfect Persian Herbed Rice in your pressure cooker. This is a super simple, and very flavorful Instant Pot Sabzi Polo recipe that goes well with just about any meat or vegetable–although traditionally you’d have it with grilled fish.
One Pot Lebanese Hashweh Ground Beef and Rice
Lebanese Hashweh combines ground meat and rice with pine nuts, allspice and other spices to make a wonderful side dish, or a flavorful stuffing for chicken or turkey.
Instant Pot Mexican Ground Beef Casserole With Rice And Beans
This Mexican Ground Beef Casserole With Rice And Beans is a super family-friendly meal that you’re going to love! Make it quickly and easily in your Instant Pot.
Farro Risotto With Butternut Squash
This Farro Risotto With Butternut Squash gives you the savory and sweet flavors of fall in one delightful dish! Make this risotto easily in your Instant Pot with minimal effort!
Instant Pot Cranberry Kasha Pilaf
This vegan Cranberry Kasha Pilaf is a perfectly sweet, tart and delicious dish that makes a great side or main dish, especially around the holidays. It’s quite easy to make in your pressure cooker, and it’s crazy delicious!
Caldo de Pollo
This Caldo de Pollo recipe, or Mexican chicken soup, is a deliciously warming soup that’s bursting with Mexican flavors! It makes a great appetizer course to a Mexican dinner or as a main course.
Instant Pot Chicken Biryani Recipe
Once you make pressure cooker Chicken Biryani, you will never go back to making it any other way. Easy, redolent with mint and spices and very easy, this will be the best biryani your Instant Pot has ever produced!
Instant Pot Kacchi Lamb Dum Biryani
This is an easy recipe where the lamb and rice cook together in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker to give you a one-step, authentic lamb biryani that will rival any you’d had at a restaurant.
Instant Pot Vegetarian Paneer Biryani
Fantastic, and supremely easy Instant Pot Vegetarian Paneer Biryani is an easy, authentic, kid-friendly, vegetarian dinner in under 30 minutes.
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If you’ve been looking for an Instant Pot Dolma recipe, this Instant Pot Unstuffed dolma casserole is the one you need. It’s a great way to make dolmas-without actually having to roll up each grape leaf individually.
Kashmiri Yakhni Pulao
Kashmiri Yakhni Pulao is full of delicious spices like garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and they all come together beautifully in the chicken. The rice is cooked separately in the chicken broth at the end, making it much more flavorful than plain white rice.
Instant Pot Chicken Congee
Simple and easy Instant Pot Chicken Congee is such a comforting dish on a cold day–or really any day at all. A few simple ingredients in your pressure cooker and you have a great recipe that you can personalize and vary to your heart’s content.
Instant Pot Chinese Sticky Rice with Sausage
This pressure cooker recipe for Chinese Sticky Rice with Sausage recreates the classic dim sim Lo Mai Gai in one step, using your Instant Pot.
Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao
I was fortunate enough to be asked to do a guest post on for a friend, and I choose to make a Pressure Cooker Kheema Pulao that was posted today!
Barley Pilaf With Mushrooms
This Barley Pilaf with Mushrooms is so delectably savory that you’ll wonder why you’ve never made it before! It’s the perfect side dish for most everything!
Instant Pot Arroz Con Pollo
This Pressure Cooker Arroz Con Pollo recipe is a simple chicken and rice dish that is bound to make the whole family happy. It’s a delicious Mexican recipe that’s bursting with flavor and is crazy addictive, so be prepared to make this dish on a regular basis.
Instant Pot Polenta
Stop wasting your time stirring that polenta and use this easy Instant Pot Polenta recipe. Try this one-step pressure cooker polenta for a creamy, delicious side dish!
Instant Pot Tamale Pie
An Instant Pot Tamale Pie recipe that you can make on a weeknight without fuss. It has all of the taste of tamales but done in under an hour. Lower fat, efficient, and fast.
Instant Pot Risotto With Shrimp
Make a perfect Instant Pot Risotto With Shrimp in your Instant Pot in less than 30 minutes from start to finish, with no stirring involved!
Black Rice Pudding
This very simple recipe for Black Rice Pudding may very well make you finally put away your rice cooker and start using your Instant Pot! It’s wonderfully sweet and super simple to make.
Instant Pot Quinoa Pudding
This Quinoa Pudding, or Quinoa Kheer, is an Indian dessert made with quinoa, milk, and sweetened condensed milk for sweetness. This delicious Instant Pot Dessert is only four ingredients with optional add in’s that comes together in less than 15 minutes!
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One of my favorite international desserts is Pakistani Zarda Sweet Rice. It’s as beautiful as it is delicious. I spent a lot of time trying to simplify this recipe so it was all done in one step. I literally made this pressure cooker Zarda four times before I was happy.
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Kheer is an Indian rice pudding made by boiling rice, milk, sugar and other various tasty ingredients into a delicious pudding. Though it’s typically boiled on a stovetop I’ve opted for the Instant Pot because, you know, convenience.
Instant Pot Cranberry Millet Porridge
Warm your soul with this deliciously spiced Instant Pot Cranberry Millet Porridge. It’s a simple recipe that’s a perfect way to make millet porridge without all the fuss and babysitting for traditional millet porridge recipes.
Arroz Pina Colada
This Arroz Pina Colada is a one-step recipe: cook the rice, add the milks, you’re done. Because you know, I’m either lazy or efficient, I’m never sure which.
Now you have a ton of the best Instant Pot rice and grains recipes to try. I hope you find some new favorites, or a simpler way to make old favorites! Make sure to Pin this on Pinterest or share it on Facebook so you don’t lose it!
