Easy Instant Pot Lentils with Tahini (And How To Guide)

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Instant Pot lentils with tahini, cumin, and garlic is loaded with flavor! It’s a satisfying and hearty dish with Mediterranean inspired ingredients. Done in minutes, you’ll have a healthy, protein rich meal the family will love!

Lentils are the ultimate comfort food, and a vegan and vegetarian staple. They’re savory, filling, and packed with plant-protein and fiber. I often add lentils or beans to main dishes when I’m looking for a quick veggie friendly meal.

These Instant Pot Lentils have the essence of the Mediterranean thanks to the warm spices used in this recipe, and can be eaten as a one-pot meal with some naan, pita, or crusty whole wheat bread.

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You can even puree these lentils and use it as a dip! This is a great recipe for feeding a crowd — either as a party appetizer or as a main meal! Using the instant pot is an easy way to make these lentils in a big batch to use for meal prep, or to eat throughout the week. We like topping it with some sliced red onions and cilantro, but you can use any toppings you like!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe …

• Quick and easy
• High in plant protein
• High in fiber
• A filling, vegan dish
• Gluten-Free
• Mediterranean flavors

How to Make Instant Pot Lentils

Recipe Ingredients and Notes

This recipe calls for just a few simple ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store (or in your pantry!)

• Le Puy Lentils: There are many different types of lentils available. They all have a slightly different texture and flavor. Le Puy Lentils are gray/green in color, and small in size. They are called Le Puy Lentils, or French Green Lentils, because they are grown in the Le Puy region of France. You can also use green lentils, whole brown lentils, or any kind of lentils you like. I just don’t recommend red lentils since they won’t hold their shape once cooked.
• Fragrant Spices: This dish uses a variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern spices. You’ll need cumin, coriander, salt, ground black pepper, and a touch of cayenne pepper.
• Tahini: Tahini adds a wonderful depth of flavor to this lentil recipe, it has nutty flavor, which compliments the other ingredients so well, and gives this dish a Mediterranean vibe.
• Carrot: Dice your carrots finely. They will be added to the instant pot with the onions and spices.
• Red Onion and Garlic: I add red onion to the lentil dish, as well as on top as a garnish. Garlic gives this dish a rich aroma.
• Tomatoes: I recommend using Roma or beef steak tomatoes. Dice into small chunks.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice squeezed over top these lentils adds some acidity and freshness.
• Cilantro: Chop finely and sprinkle on top when ready to serve.

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

• A good cutting board
• An instant pot pressure cooker, an electric pressure cooker, or a large, durable stock pot
• A high quality chef’s knife
• A ladle!

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add the olive oil, garlic, diced red onion, tomatoes, cumin, and coriander. Cook for a minute.

Step 2: Add the carrots, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook until the carrots are slightly soft – about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Rinse the dry lentils. Add the dried puy lentils to the Instant Pot, and the water or vegetable broth. Place the lid on top, and set to seal. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Do a quick release, by turning the sealing valve.

Step 4: Lift the lid and stir in the tahini paste, and lemon juice.

Step 5: Spread out the lentils on a flat platter or in a large skillet, and top with the sliced red onion and cilantro.

Is This Instant Pot Lentils Recipe Healthy?

Yes, these lentils have a ton of health benefits!

• High in Plant Protein: Each serving of these lentils has 13 grams of protein. Lentils and tahini are both excellent sources of plant protein.
• High in Fiber: Lentils are also a great source of fiber. One serving has 12 grams of fiber. That’s half of the recommended daily amount in one serving!
• Low in Calories and Fat: Lentils are naturally a low calorie food that it dense in nutrients. One serving has 260 calories, and 10 grams of fat. Most of the fat from this dish is mono-unsaturated fat, meaning it’s cholesterol free, and the good sort of fat you need in your diet. The fat comes from the tahini and olive oil.
• Rich in Vitamins and Minerals: Lentils are a good source of magnesium, thiamine, folate, iron, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, and manganese. All are important for the function of your body, and to help prevent chronic conditions.

Recipe FAQs

Recipe Variations

Different Type of Lentil: If you cannot find puy lentils, you can use a green lentil or brown lentils. Either will work well in this dish.

Try Hummus: If you don’t have a jar of tahini, you can use hummus. Hummus is made from tahini and chickpeas so it has a similar flavor profile. I also recommend serving these lentils with whole wheat pita and a side of hummus. It is the perfect pairing with these lentils.

How to Store and Keep

Store: Allow the lentils to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freeze: Allow the lentils to cool completely. Transfer to a freezer safe container, making sure all air has been removed. Label with the date and contents. Place in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Reheat: When ready to reheat, place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Transfer to a large saucepan, on medium heat. Gently warm the lentils stirring occasionally until heated all the way through.

Top Tips for Making Instant Pot Lentils

• Older lentils will take longer to cook because they have lost more moisture. Do not mix newly-purchased lentils with old ones because they will cook unevenly. 
• Rinse and sort the lentils before adding them to your instant pot.
• The ratio for dried lentils to liquid is 2:1. So, you will need two cups of water or stock to one cup of dried lentils.
• It takes about 10 minutes to cook green, brown, or black lentils, and 5 minutes to cook red or yellow lentils.
• Add the spices to the pot while the lentils cook. This way the lentils soak up the flavors of the spices.
• Fresh cilantro or parsley over the lentils gives this dish a nice pop of green and fresh flavor.

Check Out These Other Healthy and Delicious Lentil Recipes!

• Instant Pot Lentil and Cauliflower Curry
• Instant Pot Dal
• Simple and Fast Lentil and Feta Salad
• Spicy Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

If you have tried these Instant Pot Lentils, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!