Homey, soothing and comforting is the best way to describe my Pressure Cooker Armenian Lentil Soup. Fragrant, spices, herbs and lentils, make this stew a “stick to your ribs” meal. Perfect for Vegans and Vegetarians.

Pressure Cooker Armenian Lentil Soup

Sweet or Savory is the first question you will want to ask yourself, when shopping for ingredients.

Dried Apricots or Golden Raisins, turn my savory soup into a sweet and delicious meal.

Years ago, my dad, represented brothers Charles and Kegham Giragosian, who foundered the now defunct “Chicken Unlimited” chain of restaurants. My dad did all their franchise work. They would fly in from Chicago frequently to meet with my dad. Through them, I was introduced to Armenian food.

Cast of Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Armenian Lentil Soup

The beginning of this recipe is basically just a Sofrito recipe. In fact, if you want, cook a double batch and package up half for future use.

Using the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker for making Sofrito, is super easy. I have some shortcuts for this recipe, so don’t think you are going to have to spend much time chopping the vegetables.

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Is Armenian Lentil Soup Vegetarian or Vegan?

The answer is yes! Use vegetable broth for the liquid.

You can even use just plain water and add some flavorful veggies too!

Sofrito, for Later!

I freeze this little flavor bombs for later use. The cute little molds I use for Sofrito are these Baby Food/Egg Bites Silicone Molds.

You can even used the Silicone Molds for my Cherry Cordial Cheesecake Bites, which are made in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.

Another recipe that is extremely popular using these trays are my Pressure Cooker “Sous Vide” Bacon & Jarlsberg Egg Bites!

Rinse the Lentils to Check for Debris

This Strainer/Steamer Basket. makes it easy to rinse the Lentils and check for any debris.

For this recipe, I use two types of Lentils, Green and Red. Green Lentils and Black Lentils are heartier than the Red Lentils. Red Lentils are great for when you want to bulk up a recipe, such as my Pressure Cooker Competition Chili Con Carne.

If you need to stretch a recipe, such as my Pressure Cooker Drive Thru Tacos & Burritos. Red Lentils are the way to go.

For those who love my Pressure Cooker Copycat Wendy’s Chili recipe, but prefer it to be less soup, add some Red Lentils! They add extra protein, iron and fiber.

Another recipe using lentils is my Pressure Cooker Vegan Lentil Chili recipe.

A Food Processor Works Wonders

I have been raving about my Food Processor. Any Food Processor really! What a time saver! It’s really useful for my Pressure Cooker Italian Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce recipe. It is what makes my Pressure Cooker Beef and Lamb Gyros a success! Seriously, go take a look at the photos in that recipe.

After calling my husband into the kitchen to chop the veggies for me, I said, wait, never mind.

“Go relax and watch the Yankees game.”

And so he did.

And they won!

Sofrito, starts with a Hot Pot

Whenever you want to Saute, Sear or Brown, make sure to always heat up the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker. On multicookers, the display will say “hot.”

Then after your pot is as hot as it can be, add your Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or whatever fat you are using. For this recipe, the fabulous Kassandrinos Olive Oil is my oil of choice.

Your stainless steel cooking pot will become non-stick.

Cook down the Veggies

This whole recipe is super simple. It is so amazing to achieve the vast of flavors in this recipe, with very little hands on work.

While the bulk of the veggies are cooking, grab the seasonings. You will add them in later before pressure cooking.

What Seasonings are in Armenian Lentil Soup?

There are also fresh herbs, which get added in, right before serving. With this recipe, if you can totally add more veggies too.

Add the Chopped Tomatoes

What is so wonderful about the Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker is that you can walk away and not have to worry.

Since the cook time for this Pressure Cooker Armenian Lentil Soup is quite short, I wanted to give the veggies a chance to cook out much of the liquid before adding more ingredients.

I just let them cook down, while I took care of some other chores. The Plum Tomatoes went into my Food Processor too.

Sauté the Green Lentils

Once much of the water has evaporated from the vegetables, it is time to give the Green Lentils a bit of a Sauté.

I’ve added just a small amount of carrots here to sweeten up the base.

The Sambal Oelek Ground Chili Paste adds a nice flavor. Use it sparingly, as you can always add some more

Chicken Broth is Added to the Stew / Soup

For a soupier texture, feel free to add more Chicken Broth. You can use your own Pressure Cooker Homemade Chicken Broth.

Better than Bouillon makes a nice Roasted Chicken Base, which you can use with Fresh Water.

To keep it vegetarian, try using some Vegetarian Better Than Bouillon Base.

Red Lentils and Spices Go Into the Pot

With the Eggplant, peel it or don’t. I don’t bother, as it becomes very tender during the pressure cook time.

Here is where all the seasonings go in, as we are just about ready to pressure cook.

If you want to make a sweeter version, now is the time to add Dried, Diced Apricots or Golden Raisins. This dish is very popular with the dried fruit.

Pierce the Jalapeño

Give the Jalapeño a pierce or two and we are good to go!

For a spicier flavor, add two Jalapeños.

Yum! Now for Fresh Herbs

Those little Green Lentils have sure puffed up nicely.

You could add chopped carrots too. They would be very soft, but would be delish. Celery is another veggie you could add.

This recipe is really just a guideline as there are so many ways to make a good Armenian Soup or Stew.

But, one thing is for sure!

Fresh Basil, Parsley Mint

Fresh Crusty Bread must accompany this soup!

If you are a Sourdough baker, I suggest my Country Sourdough Bread recipe.

For a quick Crusty Bread, which uses water or your leftover Whey from your Instant Pot Yogurt, try my Instant Pot or GoWise Yogurt Whey Crusty Bread recipe.

Whatever type of herbs that you enjoy, toss them in. Fresh Parsley, Basil, Mint and Cilantro are nice to use. If you use Mint and Basil, do so sparingly.

Instant Pot Armenian Lentil Soup

I make my Pressure Cooker Armenian Lentil Soup medium spicy.

A big dollop of homemade Instant Pot Greek Yogurt helps to cut the spice and is mighty delicious with this meal.

Grate an Orange Rind right before serving. I totally forgot to do that before photographing.

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

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