Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale

This Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale comes together quickly with the help of your electric pressure cooker. It’s a hearty soup that’s perfect for chilly days.

Remember when I mentioned in this post about wanting to host a Soup Swap Party? I think I’ve found the perfect soup to make for the event – Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale. It’s thick and hearty and so full of flavor! It may even replace this recipe as my favorite soup of all time. Bonus points for easy cooking and cleanup in the Instant Pot!

It may come as no surprise that I have a bit of an obsession with lentils… Take these recent recipes for instance:

1. 1. Lentil Bolognese Sauce
   2. Southwest Lentil & Brown Rice Salad
   3. Chipotle Lentil Soup
   4. Cheesy Southwestern Lentils & Brown Rice
   5. Lentils, Radicchio and Walnuts with Honey

This soup was bound to jump to the top of my favorites list. Not to mention that Italian sausage and hearty kale… This soup is basically a meal in a bowl. Plus, it’s packed with protein, fiber and vitamins.

Did you know that lentils are part of the superfoods category called “pulses”? Pluses are the dry, edible seeds of plants in the legume family, which also includes chickpeas, dry peas and beans. They’re naturally high in protein and fiber, but low in fat. If you’re looking for ways to eat healthier, sneaking pulses into your daily routine is definitely a great way to do it.

This recipe starts by sauteing the sausage right in the Instant Pot – That’s one of my favorite features – LOVE that you can saute and cook all in the same pot. I used mild Italian sausage in this recipe, just to make it suitable those who don’t care for too much heat. But then, I doctored it up with some red pepper flakes… You can totally customize this recipe to your preference by adding more or less red pepper flakes, or you can use hot Italian sausage and have that spice right from the start.

Once the sausage gets all crumbly and golden, add in some onion, garlic, celery. Let it saute for about 5 minutes longer, to soften the veggies and then add in some canned tomatoes, lentils and stock. I used some of my homemade slow cooker bone broth as the stock (I had it on hand in the freezer), but you can swap it out for some boxed chicken broth too. Give everything a good stir and then place your lid on the Instant Pot, make sure it’s set to seal, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. After the time is up, give it a quick release, and remove the lid.

Then it’s time to doctor things up a bit more… Adding in the kale and some additional seasonings to make everything pop.

There’s a whopping 5 cups of baby kale in this recipe, which sounds like a massive amount, but really, as it cooks in the warm soup, it shrinks down to almost nothing. Don’t be alarmed when you first try to fit it all into your Instant Pot at the end. Just add a bit at a time and keep stirring.

I added in a splash of red wine vinegar and some fresh parsley to really give this soup some bright flavor, and, don’t forget to season with salt and pepper – You’ll need a good sprinkling of both, but it will depend on the salt content of your chicken stock… So, season and taste, and season and taste.

As I’m typing this post, I’m really wondering why I didn’t grate a bunch of parmesan cheese over the top of these warm bowls of soup – Definitely doing that next time. But even without it, this Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage and Kale was a standout!

Do you have a favorite soup recipe? A favorite Instant Pot recipe? Tell me about them in the comments below. 

Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 420 kcal

Author: Erin

This Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale comes together quickly with the help of your electric pressure cooker. It's a hearty soup that's perfect for chilly days.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 2 celery stalks thinly sliced, with leafy tops
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 cups bone broth or chicken stock
• 2 cups dried lentils
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 5 cups baby kale leaves loosely packed
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Hit "saute" button on Instant Pot. Add sausage and cook until meat crumbles and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add stock, lentils, red pepper flakes, tomatoes and stir.

3. Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure the release valve is in the "sealing" position. Press "manual" button and set timer for 12 minutes.
4. The Instant Pot will warm up for about 10 minutes and then start cooking. After 12 minutes, quick-release by flipping the release valve to “venting."
5. Add kale and vinegar. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Don’t have an Instant Pot? Here’s how to make this Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale on the stove top. Also, be sure to sign up for the Half-Cup Habit, and see how easy it can be to add ½ cup serving of pulses to your diet 3x per week.

Wine Pairings for Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale:

1. 1. • Medium-bodied, rustic wines like Chianti, Cotes du Rhone, and Sangiovese have earthy, spicy flavors that echo those in the Italian sausage and lentils.

Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Be sure to try these too:

INSTANT POT CHICKEN PHO

INSTANT POT CHEESY SOUTHWESTERN LENTILS & BROWN RICE

INSTANT POT SALSA CHICKEN TACO LETTUCE WRAPS

INSTANT POT RED BEANS & RICE

INSTANT POT LENTIL BOLOGNESE SAUCE

This post was sponsored by USA Pulses & Pulse Canada.