🥘 Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
- large yellow onion 1
- medium carrots 3
- garlic cloves 6
- low-sodium vegetable broth 4-5 cup
- French green lentils Puy lentils 1 ½ cup
- baby potatoes 1 lb
- bay leaves 2
- flat-leaf parsley sprigs 3
- fresh rosemary sprigs 3
- fresh sage sprigs 3
- fresh thyme sprigs 3
- whole peeled tomatoes 1
- kosher salt 1 ½ tsp
- Freshly
- Dijon mustard ½ tsp
- aged balsamic vinegar 2 tsp
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1Gather: extra virgin olive oil , large yellow onion , medium carrots , garlic cloves , low-sodium vegetable broth , French green lentils Puy lentils , baby potatoes . For the bouquet garni, tied together with kitchen twine: bay leaves , flat-leaf parsley sprigs , fresh rosemary sprigs , fresh sage sprigs , fresh thyme sprigs , whole peeled tomatoes , kosher salt , Freshly cracked black pepper to taste, Dijon mustard , aged balsamic vinegar .
STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS
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1Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions, along with a pinch or two of salt. Cook until the onions soften and turn golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
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2Add the carrots and garlic and another pinch of salt. Cook until the carrots are just starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
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3Pour in a bit of the vegetable broth to deglaze the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Add the remaining broth, lentils, potatoes, Bouquet Garni, crushed tomatoes (including their juices), 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Stir well.
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4Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover the pot partially, and simmer the soup for 40-50 minutes , or until the lentils are tender.
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5Remove the Bouquet Garni. Stir in the Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar, and taste. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
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If you bought larger golden or yellow potatoes, just chop them into small pieces. Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. It will thicken as it rests, so I recommend reheating it on the stove over medium heat with a few splashes of veggie broth until it reaches your desired consistency. Storage: It also freezes pretty great. Once it’s cool, transfer to a few small containers (makes it quicker to defrost). I like using these single-serve Souper Cubes. It makes it easy to defrost an individual block of soup on the stove in less than 10 minutes. It should stay good in the freezer for 4 months. Or, you can defrost the soup in the fridge. Nutrition boost: You can add baby spinach or baby kale for a nutrition boost.
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1Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot (normal or medium heat level). After a few minutes, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are nicely golden and completely soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
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2Add the carrots and garlic along with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Cook until the carrots are just starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
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3Pour in a bit of the vegetable broth to deglaze the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Add the remaining broth, lentils, potatoes, Bouquet Garni, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and several cracks of pepper. Stir gently.
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4Pour the crushed tomatoes (including juices) on top, but don’t stir (this prevents the tomatoes from sinking to the bottom and triggering the Burn notice). NOTE: Getting the can nice and low right into the pot helps keep the tomatoes resting on top (instead of pouring from high above).
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5Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing (not Venting). Select the Pressure Cook setting (or Manual setting on older models) at high pressure and set the cook time to 12 minutes.
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6Once the 12-minute timer has completed and beeps, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes . Then manually release any remaining steam.
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7Open the pot and remove the Bouquet Garni. Stir in the Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar, and taste. Add more salt and pepper to taste. This is a hearty and thick soup/stew, but if you want it thinner, add more broth until you reach your desired consistency and stir until warmed through.