This Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup is my all-time FAVORITE! It can be made in an Instant Pot pressure cooker, slow cooker, or on the stove, for an easy and crazy tasty soup everyone will love!
Cue the jazz hands, people! Today we’re making a luscious, flavor-packed, rock-your-face-off vegetarian tortilla soup.
After much deliberation (ok like 5 seconds) I decided the marriage of my Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup and Lentil Veggie Chili would make the most delightful union.
Obviously I was right (otherwise we would be talking about kale chips or spinach salads today) and I’m so stupid excited to share this one with y’all today!
Wait! Back to the recipe! It channels the flavor of my go-to tortilla soup perfectly, with the added bonus of extra veggies, extra legumes, and a swirl of creaminess that makes this easy, every day dinner soup feel like a luxurious indulgence.
As for the leftovers, yowza! I’m happily scarfing a leftover bowl of this Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup while typing this, seriously! The flavors mingle and jingle and it’s just plain magic.
You should totally plan on snagging a bowl to take to work/school the next day and another to pair with a cheesy quesadilla for dinner. You can even stash a bowl or two in the freezer for heat and eat “fast food” without the fuss OR the sketchy ingredients.
It’s also a great use for rescuing all those broken tortilla chips at the bottom of the bag. Instead of tossing those crispity crunchity crumbs, use them as a tasty soup topper!
Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup
This easy peasy recipe yields 6 cups of deliciousness. That’s enough for 6 side-dish sized servings or 3 big bowls! Pair it with your favorite Mexican main (anything from tacos to enchiladas to burritos) or a fresh salad for a delicious dinner that won’t disappoint.
Meal prepping? Make it in advance and enjoy for lunches or dinners all week long! It’s FABULOUS the next day and oh so flavorful!
Vegetarian :: Vegan Option :: Gluten-Free :: Freezer-Friendly
Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup
This uber easy and crazy flavorful Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup can be made in a pressure cooker, slow cooker, or on the stove, making it one of our favorite make-ahead soup recipes!
Recipe yields approx, 6 cups of soup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 tsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper diced
- 2.5 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth if needed)
- 15 oz canned tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup mild or medium salsa verde (or your favorite salsa!)
- 1 TBSP tomato paste
- 15 oz can black beans (drained + rinsed)
- 15 oz can pinto beans (drained + rinsed)
- 1 cup corn (fresh, canned, or frozen)
- 3/4 cup dried red lentils
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream* (optional - see notes)
- salt and pepper to taste
Pile on the toppings!
- crushed tortilla chips (my favorite!)
- shredded cheddar or mex-blend cheese
- sliced or diced jalapeños
- chopped red onion
- pico de gallo
- sliced avocado
- fresh cilantro
- sour cream or greek yogurt
Instructions
- Below are the electric pressure cooker and slow cooker instructions, see blog post below for directions to make this bad boy on the stove.
- First, chop your veggies and measure out the ingredients.
- Next add everything but the heavy cream your toppings.
- This includes bell pepper, jalapeño, corn, lentils, black beans, pinto beans, broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salsa verde, and all your herbs + spices. Toss them in and set IP to high pressure for 15 minutes. Walk away; FREEDOM!
- Allow natural pressure release.
- Stir in the cream, add all your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
SlOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:
- First chop your veggies and measure out the ingredients. This will make everything super easy to toss together!
- Next add everything except the heavy cream and toppings.
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours, until dried lentils are cooked through and veggies are tender. My soup was perfect after 5 hours on high.
- Swirl in the cream, add all your favorite toppings, and dive in!
Recipe Notes
* In place of the heavy cream, feel free to use half-and-half or cream cheese. Skipping the cream? No problem! This recipe can be made without it - let your tastebuds be your guide.
For a thicker soup, feel free to add some corn tortillas (torn into pieces) to the soup or simply swirl crushed tortilla chips into the soup after serving!
Feel free to adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking. The soup can be thinned with a little broth or tomato sauce if desired or thickened with extra cream or beans/veggies! If you add a lot of extra liquid, consider amping up the spices a smidge to compensate. You can also make this as mild or as spicy as you'd like. As written it's on the medium side. The type of salsa used, jalapeños, and cayenne pepper will control the heat factor.
Want it super chunky? Feel free to add extra beans and veggies! Simply amp up the seasoning as needed depending on how much extra goodies you add to the pot.
A NOTE ON SALT AND PEPPER :: I leave salting the dish to the end to prevent over-seasoning. Depending on the brand and type of broth, tomatoes, and beans that you use, the sodium content will vary. I usually don't add any salt until the end once I am able to taste the soup.
Pressure cooker recipes always leave out the details so here's a breakdown of what you can expect time-wise: About 13 minutes to come to pressure plus 15 minutes cook time and 15 or so to release pressure. You won't need to be anywhere near your kitchen for this all to partake, the Instant Pot will handle it all and switch to warm once it's done. So fabulous right? For the slow cooker, simply set a timer and you're good to go.
Estimated nutrition facts below calculated before optional cream + toppings.
If you get a chance to try this tasty vegetarian lentil tortilla soup, let me know! Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation!
special diets and swaps
VEGAN CHEFS
Skip the cream and the cheese and you’re good to go
T-REX CHEFS
Use chicken broth if needed and you’re 100% welcome to add chopped or shredded chicken to this BUT promise me you’ll still add all the veggies and legumes too? Deal?
optional stove-top soup instructions
Bring a large pot to medium heat and add a drizzle of your favorite cooking oil. Sauté your onion until edges are golden, then add your bell pepper, jalapeño, and corn. Cook until peppers are tender, approx. 5 minutes.
Next add veggie broth, tomato sauce, salsa verde, beans, and spices; stir to mix. Let mixture come to a boil and add your dried lentils. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes.
The longer you let it cook the more pronounced the flavor will be. Feel free to cook a little longer if time permits, up to you! Lastly swirl in your cream. All that’s left to do is scoop out a bowlful, pile on the toppings, and face-plant into this tasty vegetarian lentil tortilla soup!
reader favorites
- Broccoli and Cheese Soup (Instant Pot + Stove Top)
- Spicy Sriracha Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw
- Cheesy Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Instant Pot Black Bean Dip
- Vegan Lentil Chili (Instant Pot + Slow Cooker)
Sydney
No store around me carries red lentils and I’m making this for dinner tomorrow. Can I sub for regular lentils?? And if so do I need to change anything?
Jenn
Hey Sydney! If you’re using a slow cooker you’ll only need to add 30-60 minutes to the slow cook time and some extra liquid you should be good to go! For the Instant Pot it likes to freeze up with a burn message because the green/brown lentils soak up a lot more liquid and take longer to cook. LMK which method you’re going for and we’ll figure something out! xo
Christina Kuhn
Thank you for this recipe! It is so cold where I live right now, and I needed something yummy like this to keep me warm..this is an AWESOME recipe. I made it earlier and my husband and I sat under a warm blanket, watched a movie, and had this wonderful meal…yummy!
Star
Hi do you have a recipe for the salsa verde you use. Is there an alternative that you can put in instead? (In uk)
Jenn
Hi Star! I have a recipe here: homemade salsa verde but you can also use your favorite red salsa too! xoxo
Melissa
Thank you! This was excellent!!! Love your writing and the recipe was fantastic! My guests gushed over the soup and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Jakitta S.
This was DELICIOUS! like the BEST vegetarian soup/chili I’ve ever had! I’m not a vegan or vegetarian but my goal is to eat less meat and more veggies. I didn’t miss the meat at all in this recipe I’ll definitely be making more of your recipes!
Jenn
So so happy to hear it Jakitta, thank you! I’m excited to hear what you try next!
Deborah
This sounds yummy. What size instant pot did you use to make the recipe? I have the mini instant pot and I am wondering whether I will need to cut the recipe in half.
Jenn
Hi Deborah! I used a 6 QT. Halving the recipe should be perfect for the mini if the max fill line gives you enough space! xo
Allison Cornett
Do you really use 14 cans of 15oz tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes?
Jenn
lol I’ll change the wording if it helps! it’s a 14-15 oz (so any size between 14 and 15 oz) can. Just the one.
Georgette
I made this tortilla soup in my crockpot, absolutely delicious! We are vegan so no cream used and subbed vegan cheese as garnish. This will be my go to recipe when we need a comforting, delisious meal!
LaTasha Duncan
I LOVE how you added the preheat/come to pressure time. I’m new to using electric pressure cookers and was so confused. Sounds delicious, will be trying.
Kellee
Made this last night for my vegan daughter. It turned out delicious! I added a can of diced green chilies and put a couple of corn tortilla in it, which helped it thicken nicely. Didn’t add cream because of the vegan, but it was still wonderful. Served with vegan and regular sour cream, cilantro, lime, green onions, tortilla strips, cheese, and avocado. Will make again! Thank you!
Jenn
So happy y’all enjoyed it Kellee, thank you! Loving the addition of green chilies and tortilla too – delish!
Lyss
I was skeptical about this soup (skeptical about a lot of things vegetarian), but it was DELICIOUS! No lack of flavor here. I will be making this again. Thanks for sharing!
Jenn
Yay!!! SO SO happy to hear it Lyss! Thanks!
Leslie
Hubby and I made this recipe tonight in a vegan version. We are plant based and oil free (WFPBNO) and it was super easy to adapt. I have lots of leftovers to take for my lunch at work this week, yum!
Jennifer
My family is vegan, but this recipe is totally adaptable to our plant based lifestyle. I made it for dinner last night and it was delicious! I chopped some fresh red onion, purple cabbage, and avocado to add to the top and even had a little vegan “cheese” to sprinkle on the finished product. It was so yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Marie
Easy & Delicious!!!
Maribel
This recipe looks amazing! Just bought an instant pot and I’m excited to use it!
Can you tell me what kind of lentils and how much to use? I don’t see that listed anywhere on the ingredients.
Thank you!
Jenn
So excited for you to try the recipe Maribel! You’ll use 3/4 cup uncooked dry red lentils — you’ll want the thin reddish orange lentils (not the green/brown ones that take much longer to cook and need extra liquid)
Maribel
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Shaily Shah
THis is the 2nd time i made this. Everyone loves this soup. Very easy and turns out delicious.
Cindy
My daughter has recently become a vegetarian. I made this tonight in my instant pot and she and her friend LOVED it. They are college students, and were thrilled with this dinner. My husband loved it too! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe.
Jenn
This was delicious! My carnivorous clan scarfed it up. I made the slow cooker version. The house smelled wonderful & multiple bowls were consumed. Totally adding this to our dinner rotation!!!
Megan
I made this tonight for a group get together and it was a hit! I may have to make it again tomorrow night. 🙂
Jenn
Woot woot! Thank you Megan!
Carole Payne
Can’t tell you how much we enjoyed this soup recipe. I most appreciated all the options for cooking this soup that you provided. I have an old fashion pressure cooker, so I added all the ingredients to the pressure cooker with an addition of 2.5 cups of vegetable broth. I cooked the soup for 15 minutes and let it rest for 15 minutes before opening the pot up, per your instructions and the soup was ready. This is a busy time of year and to have a delicious meal on the table in under an hour was wonderful. Thank you again for sharing this soup recipe with us. And Merry Christmas!💕
Safia
This recipe looks absolutely Amazing, and I’m making it tonight, but I have a question, Can I add tortellini to it?
Jenn
Yes absolutely! I wouldn’t put tortellini in the Instant Pot — just cook it on the side in boiling water for 7 min or as directed on package and add it after. For slow cooker you can add it in towards the last 10-15 min of cook time or cook on the side and add in. Hope that helps! Enjoy!
Jackie
So yummy and easy to make
Maddy
Yum! Just made this tonight and it was a huge success. Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
Emily R in Modesto
Great recipe! We left out the heavy cream and it was still fantastic. Thanks for sharing it. 🙂
Cindy Gordon
This is SO good! I made it this week and added in a can of coconut milk instead of heavy cream! Turned out great! YUMMMM
Jen
This was absolutely amazing! I am so happy that there are leftovers, I can wrap them in a tortilla for lunch tomorrow. I was so happy to see that the ingredients are part of our pantry staples, and it will be easy to throw in celery and carrots if I’m out of peppers. This is definitely going to be part of our weekly rotation. Thank you!
Jessica
This recipe is definitely a keeper! It’s so easy to put together and is a great alternative to chili. Leftovers are delicious (and there was enough to feed my family of four for dinner, plus two generous lunch helpings for me) Next time I’ll play around with the seasonings a little to make it just a little more flavorful, but I like that, as written, it wasn’t too spicy for kids.
Amy Marie
This is incredible! My husband eats nothing but red meat and junk food and potatoes and he devoured this. Fabulous Tex mex flavor and so hearty. I doubled the cumin and chili powder and used chix broth. Served w cheese, chopped cherry tomato and yes tortilla chips. Love this!
Erin
Made this tonight. Family loved it!! Definitely going into our weekly rotation. Thank you!! I tried to give it 5 stars but it wouldn’t let me. Sorry!
Jenn
The stars need their coffee clearly lol! Thank you Erin! I’m so glad you and your family loved the recipe.
Tammy Anderson
So good! I made the stove top version and added about 2 tsp. of cumin. Will definitely add to my rotation of homemade soups.
Andrea
This is so good does anyone know how many weight eatchers points this is?
Danielle
Just wanted to say I am so glad I found this recipe! My daughter and I are both picky eaters, so it’s hard to find meals that all 3 of us in my family will eat. This has become a staple, being made at least every other week. My husband adds in some extra heat to his bowls, and my daughter puts it on a tortilla shell and eats it like a burrito! We all really love it!!
As for tweaks, we use chicken vs veggie broth, sweet peppers instead of green/red, salsa verde, and we do add the cream. I also sometimes put in a splash of lime juice.
Jenn
Yay!!! Thank you Danielle! So glad y’all are loving it and the burrito hack is GENIUS! xoxo
Rajvi Gemawat
Thank you for this recipe!!! Tastes amazing and was so easy to make!!
Jenn
So glad you enjoyed it Rajvi! xo
Wendy
I have made this so many times! And shared the link/recipe with about 20 people. This is hands down fantastic. Making again tonight. Thank you!!
Jenn
Thank you Wendy!!! So honored it made repeat status and I’m so grateful you’ve been sharing it with friends!
Paula
For a vegan option, you can also use cashew cream (1/2 cup soaked cashews, drain, put in blender with 1/2 c to 1 c of water depending on desired thickness, blend on high until smooth).
This recipe is amazing! I love it and it will definitely be in my recipe book forever!
Jenn
Love the addition of cashew cream Paula! Thank you!
Tina
What’s a good veggie broth (brand) that you use? Can’t wait to make this!
Jenn
So excited for you to try the soup Tina! Pacific Foods’s vegetable broth is one of our favorites and most stores carry it.
Nichole
This exceeded my already high hopes. It was DELICIOUS!! I will definitely make it again and again!
Jenn
Yay!!! Thank you Nichole!
Carolyn
This was perfect for a cool fall night. Thank you!
Jenn
Woooot! So happy to hear it Carolyn! xo
Donna Bonne
This was amazing!!!! We had a late, big lunch and needed something lighter and healthier for dinner. This was perfect and leftovers will be great for lunch this week. Thank you!
Jenn
I’m super stoked y’all enjoyed it! Thanks Donna!
Kelly
Just made this for the first time and it was AMAZING! I’ve been a vegetarian my whole life and always wanted tortilla soup, but none were ever vegetarian.
Jenn
Thank you Kelly! I was seriously stumped that vegetarian tortilla soup was never really a thing so I just had to make one! We can’t stop making it now! xoxo
Kathy
Sounds delicious! Question – did you use the Soup setting on the IP? I’ve used mine mostly for rice and I’m not completely with the difference among all the settings. I wonder if the setting used could be the reason some people have had with burning. Apologies if the recipe tells which one to use and I missed it when reading it.
‘
Jenn
Hey Kathy! I try to write all my recipes with the manual setting. For this recipe, you’ll the IP to “High Pressure” for 15 minutes. I believe the soup button has a 7 minute high pressure cook time. The main culprit of the dreaded BURN message in the IP is usually altering a recipe’s ingredients. Reducing liquid measurements is a big one as well as using a longer cooking lentil (green/brown) in place of fast-cooking red lentils. LMK if you have any questions and I’d be happy to help! xoxo
Kathy
Thank you! I made it tonight and it was great! My pressure was still releasing after 26 minutes, so I went ahead and released it myself. I’ll definitely be making this again!
elisabeth
love it!!! made this in the slow cooker with a little less broth and more lentils so it would be thicker.. swapped whole jalapeno for a bit of hot sauce to keep it more mild, and skipped the cream. with pepperjack cheese and tortilla chips on top – YUM!! definitely will make this again.
Dene
I made this today and it’s delicious. My husband had 2 bowls.
Carolyn M
This is probably my favorite go to recipe of all time now. The flavor profile is amazing and I’m already making it for the third time! It is healthy and hearty/comforting, yet at the same time doesn’t have that heaviness comfort food can leave. Thank you for posting!
Melody
Can I use can lentils ?
Jenn
I would drain and rinse them first and you should be good to go! You can probably reduce the cook time from 15 minute to 10 minutes as well since the canned lentils will already be cooked. xo
Greg
Hey! I just made this amazing soup for the millionth time. We love it!! Before I posted some additions I made and now I have another suggestion. I found the 15 minute cook time in the Instant Pot left the green and red peppers and the corn too mushy. So this time I threw in everything except the peppers and corn and cooked for 8 minutes, then a quick release. Then I added the peppers and corn and brought it back up to pressure and cooked another 7 minutes with a natural release. It’s perfect, the corn and peppers are still soft but not mushy. I love this soup!!
Jade
This soup is a family favorite, I use chicken broth instead of veggie broth and I blend up the salsa and tomato so my kids will eat, They love it every time!
Julie
This is one of my all time favorite soups now. I make it every otherweek and love it with ALL the toppings. I use Ripple vegan half and half. It turns out amazing!!!
Rosemary
Wonderful recipe! Used the slow cooker and was rewarded with a soup that couldn’t be beat! I was invited out the following day and would have much preferred to stay home and partake of this soup. Many thanks for the recipe and the instructions!
Amanda
Made this, vegan style, and damn it’s good! She’s right in that it gets better as the week goes on, (if it lasts that long!) I personally don’t add salsa, and don’t feel it needs it! I also just use water, and there seems to be plenty going on here for flavor. With chips and avocado? SO good!!!
Kristen
Just made this on stove and it is heavenly! I live alone and can’t wait to portion out in containers. I thought I’d miss meat but not at all. Added a little chipotle chili powder and lime juice but really wonderful recipe. It’s gonna be a staple. Thank you!
JEANNETTE
This is truly my favorite soup! I love that it’s spiy and I love that it’s vegetarian and since I live alone, I love that I can freeze it. I sound ‘over the top’, but it is so good on so many levels. Thank you so much!
Lisa J
This recipe was amazing! I added some cream cheese at the end instead of the cream and loved it. This is a definite do again, and I might try doubling the spices too. Reminds me of a chicken tortilla soup I have at a local restaurant for which I have always wanted the recipe! Definitely could see adding some shredded chicken to this too.
Melinda Samaniego
Made this on the stove yesterday and it was so good! Will definitely make again. This recipe is a keeper!
Jordan
I made this tonight in the Instant Pot and used green lentils. I read through some of the comments and saw comments about it burning. I added an extra cup of broth and it came out awesome! The Instant Pot wasn’t done naturally releasing pressure after 15 minutes, so I just quick released the rest. I made no other changes and would definitely recommend the recipe as is, but holy shit Greg’s alterations sound delicious! Husband is a vegetarian and we always have trouble finding meals that are filling without being all veggies or pasta. I just found your website and this recipe hit the spot! We will definitely be putting this in our rotation. Can’t wait to make more of your recipes!
Greg
This soup is amazing! I’ve made it 3 times now. I did add and swap some stuff to make more and give it some more Mexican sabor. I used 3 cups of my homemade veggie broth and doubled the dry spices except the cayenne, I swapped the garlic powder for 3 big minced cloves of fresh garlic. I used a large onion and added a red bell pepper with the green one. Also increased the corn to one 15 oz can. I added one can of garbanzo chickpea beans, I tsp of oregano, one bay leaf, a few dried peppercorns, and a dried chili arbol. After cooking I stirred in some low fat cream cheese, juice of half a lime, and some lime zest. Cool, fridge and eat the next day with a squeeze of lime, Mexican queso fresco, tortilla chips, avocado, and cilantro on top. My friend from Mexico gives it 2 thumps up!
Jenn
Love these zesty additions Greg and I’m so honored you’ve been making it on repeat! Woot! The queso fresco and garbanzo beans need to happen next time I make it – yum!!!
Frances
Loved this, perfect. Will make often Thank you
Kelly
Absolutely obsessed over this soup! It was one of the first meals I made in my instant pot when I first got it. I have shared it with many of my instant pot loving friends as well.
Kolbi
Okay so this recipe is a HUGE hit and I share it all the time! Cooking right now as I type this, in fact.
Everytime I make this soup in the IP, I end up burning the bottom and then needing to transfer it to the stove. Wondering if there is something I’m doing wrong?
Any help is appreciated!
Jenn
Hey Kolbi! So stoked you’re loving the soup! A few things could be contributing to this! Too thick of a mixture due to adding extra ingredients or more of something listed above. Even something as small as adding green/brown lentils in place of red lentils (which are very thin and cook faster plus soak up less liquid) can burn ze soup in the IP. Overfilling the pot (doubling the recipe or adding additional ingredients) is also a huge culprit. You mentioned it happens a lot, are there small changes/swaps/additions you tend to make to the recipe each time? Let me know and I’m super happy to help troubleshoot, as this recipe for sure has enough liquid to prevent you from having to transfer it every time and I’d love to make your life easier! 🙂 Chat soon – and thank you Kolbi! xo
Frances
I thought this looked good and it was terrific. I think this is a favorite soup. Only change was doubling the spices and adding dried oregano also. Very impressed with the recipe,
Brittany
Phenomenal!! So easy and so flavorful! We skipped the heavy cream but did everything else. Amazing. This will be a go to on a regular. Also easy for food prep.
Monique
This recipe is on our family’s go-to list. Its filling just in its own and freezes well, so you can pack it as individual servings and pull them out of he freezer for an easy lunch or dinner any time.
Bethany
This soup looks amazing! I could go for a big bowl right now!
Melissa
Got my InstaPot yesterday and this was my first recipe. I’ve had multiple “burn” error messages and just kept stirring and scraping stuff up from the bottom. Didn’t seem to affect the taste, it was absolutely scrumptious. Reading the other comments about “burn” messages helped. Not sure what I did wrong, for once I actually followed a recipe, but I’m sure there was some “fudge” factor in my measurements. Still, it was really delicious so I gave it 5 stars.
Jenn
So glad you enjoyed it Melissa, thank you! Chunky soups, chilis, curries, etc… are one of those things that can make the IP go wonky with that dreaded burn notice if even a single ingredient is off (it’s maddening, I tell ya! lol) so I’m glad you stuck with it! Too much of the thicker ingredients or less of a water/broth/liquid ingredient can make things go a little batty. We’ve also noticed that regular brown/green lentils vs the red lentils in the IP can soak up all the liquid.
Again I’m so glad you stuck through it and hooray for your first IP recipe! So excited you chose mine! I’m stoked for you to try a bowl of the leftover soup tomorrow – gah! SO GOOD the next day!
Mzima
My 6 year old said this is the second best food she’s ever tasted that’s not a dessert. Thank you! We cooked it together and made it with mild red salsa and no jalapenos. We omitted the tomato paste and used roasted diced canned tomatoes. Topped with sharp cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and avocado. Delish!
SS
This smelled insanely good at each step! Thank you to the reviewer who suggested Rotel tomatoes instead of salsa. The soup tasted as good as it smelled and didn’t need the cream but I only had one issue- so many beans! You really have to like beans to like this soup. I don’t mind beans in my food but the proportion was off for me. The lentils completely dissolved and made the soup creamy which is great but I wanted to be able to feel their texture. I would say this is more like a very tasty vegetarian chili. I really enjoyed the flavors so I might try this out with chickpeas instead of the beans. Thank you for an easy and delicious recipe. I just wanted to be honest in case someone else had similar tastes.
Joye
This was so good! I would never have thought to use the red lentils for thickening. You could not even tell they were in there. I used regular salsa as I didn’t have salsa verde on hand but can’t wait to make this again with the green salsa.
Val
Wondering if this would work with dried green/brown lentils…. they are larger than red lentils, but are currently in my cupboard.
Jenn
Hi Val! The only issue I’ve come across with the brown/green lentils is that they take longer to cook and need a lot more liquid. They soak up a lot of the broth and can burn in the Instant Pot if they soak it all up. I haven’t had a chance to see exactly how much extra this recipe needs but I’d say at least a few more cups of broth, which would also require a little more seasoning as well to cover any dilution. If you get a chance to experiment for sure let me know! Flavor-wise this recipe would be just as glorious with the standard lentils! 🙂
If you’re using the slow cooker method then the green lentils are perfecto! They may need a bit extra time to cook and a smidge more liquid but won’t run into the same issues as the IP 🙂 For the stove-top method, I’d cook the green lentils on their own in boiling water then add them to the soup! 🙂
Brian
I made this soup with green lentils because I had them on hand. I added an extra cup of broth at the beginning and then a second cup a few hours into slow cooking it because the liquid was reducing. The soup turned out great! I would like to make it with red lentils next time, but if I only have green, I would make it again. I added a bit extra of each spice and the soup came out flavorful and cooked it for an extra hour.
Also, the soup was even better then next day as the lentils continued to soak and the flavors combined.
Jenn
So super happy to hear it Brian, and I’m crazy appreciative of you sharing your process for using the green lentils in this recipe with the slow cooker method! Thank you oh so much! 🙂
Janelle B.
Wow! My family loved this chili. My 2 yr old especially loved it. I’ll definately make this again.
Lisa
MAde this tonight! Yum! I’ve had issues with Burn with several recipes I have tried and was so glad to have one turn out so fab. I used red salsa and ketchup instead of tomato paste since I didn’t have any and it was great! Thanks.
Sally Cox
Made this tonight and it was yummy. Didn’t add any cream and didn’t miss it. Added a bunch of fresh cilantro at the end. Loved this!
Jay
Hi again!
“1/2 cup salsa verde (or your favorite salsa!)”
Was looking online getting salsa verde but turn out it extremely difficult get it in UK.
So can I use normal salsa instead (red ones)?
Jenn
Hey Jay! Absolutely! It works great with any salsa really – I’ve made it with whatever salsa is lurking in my fridge and it’s always yummy 🙂
Jay
Fab! That make it much easier!
Another Jen ;)