You can make these Instant Pot Lentils and get a healthy side dish in about 10 minutes total time!
Simply combine lentils with broth in the Instant Pot, cook at high pressure for 8 minutes, and do a quick pressure release.
How quick and easy is that?!
The lentils are part of the legume family. They exist in many varieties, but the most common are browns and greens. I’ll go over different cooking times for different color lentil varieties below.
Present in many traditional and comforting dishes, lentils are nutritious and delicious, very low in fat, but full of protein, making them an ideal superfood.
Table of Contents
How to make other types of lentils?
I’ve tested this recipe with brown, green, black, and red lentils. Follow this guide to get the perfect consistency every time:
Brown Lentils
Cook for 8 minutes - just as I did for this recipe, since I'm using brown lentils.
Green Lentils
Cook in the Instant Pot for 8 minutes and then do a quick pressure release. Same as brown.
Black Lentils
Cook in the Instant Pot for 8 minutes and then do a quick pressure release.
Red Lentils
Red lentils cook a little bit more quickly. Cook them in the Instant Pot for 5 minutes, and then do a quick pressure release.
How Do You Know When Lentils are Done?
You want lentils to be softened, but not mushy. Usually, lentils take about 30 minutes to cook on the stovetop, but luckily, utilizing your pressure cooker takes the guesswork out of knowing when lentils are done!
Make sure your lentils are not crunchy at all. When lentils are undercooked, they may contain compounds that are hard to digest and could even make you sick.
Not to worry though, these compounds fully break down when cooked, and this recipe will cook the lentils perfectly so you don’t have to worry about that!
How To Serve Lentils?
This Instant Pot Lentils recipe is very flexible. It’s great for meal prep, because you can add these to bowls with vegetables and grains for a complete meal.
You can also serve these as a side dish alongside chicken or beef or check What To Serve With Lentils for 15 delicious recipes.
If you’re a vegetarian, you can mix lentils with vegetables and a light dressing for a warm salad or one that’s served cold. I love lentils with cauliflower.
You can even eat lentils for breakfast. Simply top the lentils with a poached egg for a protein-packed meal.
Any Black Eyed Peas Side Dish would work here as well 🙂 The possibilities are endless!
Health Benefits of Lentils
Lentils have a TON of great health benefits. They are loaded with fiber, so they’re great for your digestion. In fact, just one serving is equal to a third of the daily fiber that is recommended for most adults!
Eating lentils on a regular basis also can lower cholesterol and prevent diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
Depending on which color lentils you have, lentils also offer a variety of antioxidants. So, try to mix up the colors for the biggest variety of health benefits.
Do you Love Lentils?!
If you are into lentils, you should try these delicious recipes:
Instant Pot healthy side dish recipes
If you are searching for simple and healthy pressure cooker recipes, check out these tasty options:
Instant pot lentils
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in the Instant Pot
- Close the lid and cook at high pressure for 8 minutes.
- When cooking time ends, do a quick pressure release.
- Open the lid and serve :]
Everyone at home loved it. Will definitely make it again.
I’m going to add diced green pepper, onion and diced ham to eat over rice.
Great idea, sounds excellent!
Thanks for the recipes Corrie! My husband is obsessed with lentils and I had never heard of them until we got married, so I am always looking for new ways to fix them. This is still his favorite. In your intro you say 8 minutes for brown & green lentils but the recipe says 9 minutes. I'm not sure if 1 minute makes a whole lot of difference, but it's enough to take lentils from cooked to mushy.
Thanks tons!
It's 8 minutes... I fixed it. Thanks you and hope you get a great result next time 🙂