Instant Pot Lentil Stew

This Instant Pot lentil stew recipe is cozy, comforting, a little bit smoky, and you will love the bacon! Let your electric pressure cooker do the heavy lifting for this tasty meal.

📝 Ingredients

• 6 strips bacon (cut into small pieces)
• 1/2 medium onion (chopped)
• 2 medium carrots (peeled & chopped small)
• 2 sticks celery (chopped small)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 pound uncooked green lentils
• 1 (14 fluid ounce) can tomato sauce
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt & pepper (to taste)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Cut the bacon into small pieces (I use kitchen shears) and add it to your Instant Pot. Press the sauté button and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is just about crispy and the fat has been rendered out.
2. 2Meanwhile, prep the onion, carrots, and celery. When the bacon is ready, add them to the Instant Pot and continue sautéing for 4-5 minutes.
3. 3Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
4. 4Add in the lentils, tomato sauce, chicken broth, smoked paprika, and cumin. Give it a good stir and ensure nothing is sticking on the bottom of the Instant Pot.
5. 5Close the lid, set the valve on "sealing", and set the timer to cook for 15 minutes on high pressure. It'll take about 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to get up to pressure.
6. 6Once the countdown has finished, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, and then do a quick release for the rest of the pressure.
7. 7Season the stew with salt & pepper as needed. If you want this to be more of a soup (or you feel it needs more liquid in general), add in more chicken broth and press the "sauté" button to help it warm through.