Cheesy Veggie Lentil Stew in the Instant Pot

Nourishing and hearty, this cheesy veggie lentil stew in the Instant Pot is a wonderful comfort food for lunch or dinner.

Instant comfort food.

There’s just something about a big bowl of stew that speaks comfort to me. It doesn’t really matter the time of year, I’m always up for cooking up some stew. Anyone with me? While I do appreciate a big pot of beef stew, veggie lentil stew is one of my all-time favorites. It’s just as comforting, and 10x cheaper. And making it in the Instant Pot makes stew quick and easy, too!

Here’s a few more comfort food recipes in the Instant Pot…

• Stuffed Italian Meatballs
• Paleo Zuppa Toscana
• Paleo Brunswick Stew
• Italian Wedding Soup
• White Chicken Chili
• Chicken Fajitas
• Easy Marinated Roast

Lentil nutrition.

If you’re wondering, this veggie lentil stew isn’t just quick and easy, it’s surprisingly nutritious, too. Why? Lentils happen to be high in protein, folate, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron and phosphorus. And even though it might sound like a strange nutritional benefit, lentils are high in alkaline, too. This helps balance your body’s pH levels and keep your gut healthy. Lentils’ high level of insoluble fiber also absorbs water and unnecessary junk in our digestive tract and eliminates it, making lentils a great option for anyone struggling with constipation.

While lentils are highly nutritious, they are a legume. And just like grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, legumes contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid. These enzyme inhibitors help keep the lentils dry and dormant until they are soaked and start to sprout. And phytic acid is what helps them binds to minerals, metals, and anything else found in your liver and intestines and take it out of the body. While this can be a wonderful helps to rid our organs of heavy metals and other toxins, it also means that eating too many lentils that have not been properly prepared can lead to serious mineral deficiencies.

So what makes these little legumes’ nutrition available to us? Soaking! Even though lentils are largely touted as the legume that doesn’t need to soak before you cook them, soaking lentils neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors and starts the production of many beneficial digestive enzymes, such as lactobacilli and other helpful organisms. Soaking also breaks down and neutralize the phytic acid, making your lentils digestible and their nutrients available.

Cheesy Veggie Lentil Stew in the Instant Pot.

On top of being quick, easy, and nutritious, this cheesy veggie lentil soup is pretty cheap! And being a mom with 6 hungry kids to feed, that’s pretty important. While even the regular versions of the ingredients for this soup are cheap, even using their organic counterparts still makes this Instant Pot lentil stew a frugal meal. In fact, the most expensive ingredients in it are the optional ones: sour cream and cheddar cheese.

While you can get your lentils anywhere, I love getting mine from Azure Standard. If you haven’t tried them, they’re pretty much an online health food store. Their products are wonderful, very high quality, and a wonderful price! I like to get the non-GMO lentils, so that they sprout easily.

In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!