It’s been a while since I’ve shown a recipe. I’ve still been cooking a lot, it’s just been easier to cook without taking pictures 
But I had to show this one.
As you know, I’m falling in love with my pressure cooker. I’ve used it to make rice in beans and record time, but a lot of you asked what else was possible to create with it and if it was actually useful or just another appliance.
Well, here’s an example of why it’s great.
Lentil Vegetable Stoup for the Pressure Cooker
This isn’t my recipe. It’s straight from Eat Live Run. However, Jenna’s version is made in a slow cooker and turned out fairly mushy (her words, not mine), though she says it was delicious mush! When I decided that this would be fun to try for dinner, it was after I got home from the gym (side note: 4.5 miles- wahoo!) around 5:00 and using a slow cooker wasn’t an option. So I whipped out the pressure cooker instead.
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1.5 cups chopped green beans
- 2 cups green lentils
- 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
- 64 oz vegetable broth
- 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
To prepare, I first chopped all the veggies.
Then turned the pressure cooker on sauté. I love that there are other options besides high and low pressure, and the sauté option heats up FAST. Love.
In went the garlic and onions, until they were soft.
Followed by the rest of the veggies.
I also sautéed them for a couple minutes before adding all the spices, broth, tomatoes and dried (unsoaked) lentils.
By the way, I’ve been loving lentils recently. I think they are tasty little things, plus they are so good for you. They are high in fiber, folate and magnesium. They are also high in protein (the 3rd highest level of protein of all plant foods), and loaded with iron (which is great for people that don’t eat a lot of red meat).
I closed it and set it to high pressure for 9 minutes. Then I let let it release its pressure naturally for 10 minutes before I switched to quick release. I opened it up and was delighted that the lentils were fully cooked and the veggies were soft, but not mushy!
The texture was spot on-perfection. The flavor? Lacking slightly. I think next time I will experiment with adding in some cayenne, or maybe cumin or chili pepper. I just added a few splashes of Texas Pete and dug in. YUM!
So basically my pressure cooker was able to take a 10 hour dish and make it better in only 20 minutes… which is pretty awesome. Especially when my sweet baby decides that she’s had enough of sitting in the kitchen and watching me cook.
She’ll love me for all these pictures one day… haha
But seriously, this stoup (stew/soup) was pretty awesome and if you have a pressure cooker, I highly recommend keeping this recipe on file for a quick and super healthy dinner!
Out of curiosity, do you own a pressure cooker?
What’s your favorite way to eat lentils?
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
This makes me really really want a pressure cooker. Im gonna go add it to my wish list! It can saute, I’m sold!
Yes, I own the same pressure cooker and LOVE it. Sometimes I think the quick cooking time doesn’t allow for flavors to fully develop. So now if I do something like meat in there, I will marinate it overnight or use an injector to make sure I get lots of flavor in there.
And this, in my experience, is the best lentil recipe ever, Spicy Red Lentil Chili. http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=347707
thanks for the link! Sounds delicious!
ooooh yours is a little fancier than mine!! glad you’re having fun trying it out!
I only have a slow cooker and I feel dumb for saying this but, I totally don’t even understand how pressure cookers work! I don’t use my slow cooker nearly enough because I never plan that much in advance. It’s usually 3 or 4pm at the earliest when I decide what’s for dinner and by that time way too late to do the slow cooker thing.
Get a pressure cooker then…perfect for last minute meals because it cooks in half the time it would take on the stove top. Basically they cook at a higher temperature than is achievable on the stove top (you can boil water on the stove top at 212F max, in a pressure cooker that increases to 240F depending on the pressure but it’s a good mid-range estimate). For things like roasts you put in a little liquid and use steam to cook, result, super moist tender roasts. My cabbage in tomato sauce is perfect after 2 minutes at high pressure – takes 45 on the stove!
Woah. That is amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever really investigated pressure cookers. I’m totally intrigued. Please share more of your pressure cooking adventures!
I don’t have a pressure cooker but I’d love one!
I LOVE lentils in soups but also love this one recipe I make that uses red lentils for lentil sloppy joes.
Honestly, I don’t even know what a pressure cooker is much less own one!
I didn’t know what one was before it was given to me. It basically is able to cook things much quicker than you could do stove top because it can reach a much higher temp. (see Andrea’s response above).
It’s pretty fun to play with
Yes, I’ve owned a pressure cooker for 4 years now. LOVE it! I’m so excited that you have one! My MIL from Spain got it for me after I begged her for her amazing recipes. My favorite is a stew with chickpeas, savoy cabbage, carrots, potato, tomato, onion, garlic and Spanish chorizo…sooo delish, not to mention healthy!
Amazing! I just got this crazy rice cooker for Christmas and I think it pressure cooks. “I think” being the key here because I’m sort of scared to open it. However, if I can easily make things like this…well, I just might have to crack the packing tape on it!
A rice cooker! That’s another appliance that always scared me/I secretly wanted
Can’t wait to see what you make with it!
We grew up with a pressure cooker and my mom used it every day to make rice & beans! When we got married, I completely forgot to add it to our registry (oops!) and 3 years later, still haven’t purchased one. Last night our slow cooker bit the dust (the ceramic bowl had cracks in it and just broke in my hands…sad day) so it looks like a pressure cooker is our next appliance purchase.
I love lentils and usually will add a nice amount of chili powder and/or crushed red pepper flakes for some flavor. Your recipe will make its’ debut in my new pressure cooker, for sure!
Woah! I didn’t even know pressure cookers like this existed! My dad used a stove top pressure cooker to cook rice, beans, and make stock when we were kids. Until today I thought all pressure cookers were like his! I must investigate this further…I am having a baby in may and this looks like a fantastic tool to have.
It’s a great appliance for having a baby! It is making dinners quicker to make, plus it’s almost like a ‘set it and forget it’, so hands are free to play with baby
I do not own a pressure cooker, but it looks like you are enjoying yours.
My favorite lentil dish is called Curried Lentils and includes lentils (of course), tomatoes, carrots and celery that are wonderfully seasoned. One of my favorite foods all around.
Where can I find that lentil recipe? SOunds so yummy!
Here it is!
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=111&tname=recipe
I have found several wonderful recipes at this site!!
Wow! Your food always looks so yummy.
This “stoup” sounds great! I have a pressure cooker pot (that just goes on the stove) but I mainly use it to cook beans. I’ve never been brave enough to try an actual meal…gasp! But all your pictures help and make it look much easier. I’ve got an 8 month old, and I sure could use a break in the meal cooking time too…so I’m so going to give this a try!
Thanks for sharing,
Ashley
I’ve got a pressure cooker that is 30 years old and the only thing I’ve used it for is to cook the meat for beef stew and make stock (which it does great in a short time). This cooker allows different settings too
You put it on the stove top and leave the top off to saute. Add your water and other ingredients and put the top on to pressure cook–when the top jiggles slowly there is less pressure than when it jiggles quickly you have more pressure–ummm, wonder if I need an update?
i’ve never heard of a pressure cooker! how cool. i think i would put one to good use. i have lentils too, in soups and sloppy joes!
I have many pressure cookers,only one of which is electric. Ihave been teaching pressure cooking for the past 15 years and recently released a book, The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes.
The pressure cooker helps you eat better more quickly and in a truly tasty way.
Anyone who eats a lot of beans or lentils needs a pressure cooker to save time and money.
I use a stove top cooker because I can cook vegetables easily and quickly release the pressure. Pressure cooking can change your life.
My most requested recipe is Shane’s Fabulous Lentil Soup and it;s named for my son Shane because he loved lentil soup as a kid. He’s 18 now. It’s how I got started pressure cooking.
Thanks for this post.
{ 1 trackback }