Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup (Instant-Pot + Slow Cooker)

InstantPot

Source:

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

Directions

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!

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.

Nutrition

CALORIES 284 CALORIES FROM FAT 18 % DAILY VALUE* FAT 2G3% SODIUM 1364MG59% POTASSIUM 1049MG30% CARBOHYDRATES 52G17% FIBER 17G71% SUGAR 9G10% PROTEIN 15G30% VITAMIN A 1475IU30% VITAMIN C 40.8MG49% CALCIUM 85MG9% IRON 5.2MG29%