The Lean Green Bean

Red Lentil Dal {Instant Pot / Stove Top}

Lindsay — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 11:23:08 +0000

This Instant Pot red lentil dal can also be made on the stovetop. It’s an easy vegan dinner recipe that’s full of flavor. Serve with a side of rice, naan, and a side salad!

Hi friends!

I’ve got a warm and comforting vegan recipe to share with you today! It’s made with simple ingredients but packed with flavor thanks to all of the spices.

Added bonus- the flavor develops as it sits, making it perfect for leftovers.

What Is Red Lentil Dal?

Red lentils are also known as masoor dal. Red lentils are split and have their outer skin removed which means they cook very quickly and don’t need to be soaked prior to cooking.

The term dal is typically used when lentils are split and when they are turned into a soup or stew.

Red Lentil Dal Nutrition // Red Lentil Dal Health Benefits

Red lentils are a great source of plant-based protein. They’re also high in fiber and can help you meet your daily fiber goals. In addition, lentils are a good source of iron, potassium, and manganese.

Red Lentil Dal Water Ratio

The typical ratio for cooking red lentils is 1 cup lentils to 3 cups water or broth.

Red Lentil Dal Variations

Red Lentil Dal No Coconut Milk

Can you make this recipe without coconut milk? Yes! If you’re not a fan of coconut milk, you can leave it out. You’ll just need to add some more broth until you achieve your desired consistency.

Red Lentil Dal with Vegetables

I make this recipe with carrots and tomatoes, but the beauty of this recipe is that it’s super flexible. You could easily add more vegetables like cabbage, peas, green beans etc if you want to!

Spicy Red Lentil Dal

To make this lentil dish spicier, feel free to add some cayenne pepper, a diced jalapeno or serrano pepper, or even some dried red chili peppers.

Red Lentil Dal Ingredient Substitutions

If you don’t like spinach, you can leave it out or try substituting kale. If you don’t have garam marsala, try curry powder. If you don’t have turmeric, you can add a little extra cumin as well as some paprika or sub-curry powder.

How To Cook Red Lentil Dal

Instant Pot Red Lentil Dal

This recipe works really well in the Instant Pot. Just use the saute function initially, then add the bulk of the ingredients and cook for 10 minutes, and then release the pressure after 5 minutes and add the remaining ingredients.

Stove Top Red Lentil Dal

You can also easily make this recipe in a Dutch oven on the stovetop, and it cooks in about the same amount of time.

Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dal

Personally, I don’t think this recipe works great in the slow cooker. I prefer it to have a little texture and have found if it cooks too long, the lentils totally break down, and it becomes more like a soup.

You could try it if you want to, but you may need to keep an eye on it the first time you cook it to make sure it doesn’t require any extra liquid. You would need to cook on low for 6 hours or so, and I would add the coconut milk at the beginning instead of the end.

Vegan Red Lentil Dal Ingredients

This recipe is really simple and requires just a few pantry ingredients. The only thing you may need to do is stock your spice cabinet if you don’t frequently cook Indian cuisine. You’ll need:

Red Lentils – Their red color makes these easy to find at most grocery stores.
Garlic and onion – Add tons of flavor
Fresh ginger – Peel the skin off and finely mince just like garlic. Or use garlic paste.
Broth – I use vegetable broth for this recipe
Carrots- Dice them fairly small, so they cook along with the lentils. They help add some texture to the dish.
Coconut milk –
Diced tomatoes
Baby spinach – stir this into the hot dish a few minutes before serving and the heat from the dish will help it wilt

How To Make Red Lentil Dal

To make the red lentil dal, you’re going to saute the garlic, onions, carrots, and ginger with spices for a few minutes, then add the lentils and broth.

Bring to a boil and let simmer or cook in the instant pot. After the lentils are cooked, stir in the tomatoes, spinach, salt and sugar.

Serve over rice with some naan! Delicious!

Best Simple Red Lentil Dal Recipe

Red Lentil Dal {Instant Pot/Stove Top}

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This Instant pot red lentil dal can also be made on the stove top. It’s an easy vegan dinner recipe that’s full of flavor. Serve with a side of rice, naan and a side salad!

Author: Lindsay

Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil
1 c diced onion
1.5 cup finely diced carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp garam marsala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne, optional to taste
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup red lentils
3 cups vegetable broth
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can coconut milk
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt, more to taste
5 to 10 oz fresh baby spinach, half to full bag depending on preference

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Instructions

Instant Pot:

Set Instant pot to saute and add oil, onion, carrot, garlic, ginger and spices (except salt and sugar).
Saute for 5 minutes
Add red lentils and broth.
Use manual cook button to set time to 5 minutes.
Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then release manually.
Stir in tomatoes, coconut milk, lemon juice, salt, sugar and spinach and let simmer 5 minutes.
Serve!

Stove top:

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, carrot, ginger and spices (except salt and sugar) amd saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and cook 5 more minutes.
Serve!

Easy Vegan Red Lentil Dal FAQs

How to store red lentil dal?

Cool and store in a glass container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

What’s the best way to reheat red lentil dal?

You can reheat your dal in a pan on the stovetop or microwave.

Can you freeze red lentil dal?

Yes! Cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container like Souper Cubes and freeze (affiliate link). You can defrost it in the microwave, on the stove, or in the refrigerator.

Want more lentil recipes? Try:

Easy Vegan Red Lentil Dal

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chicken Soup (with slow cooker option)

Lindsay — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

This Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chicken Soup is the perfect dinner for a cold winter night. Made with simple ingredients, it’s easy to throw together and can also be made in the slow cooker.

*Originally published 2/2019. Updated 1/2025*

Hi friends!

This Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chicken Soup is perfect for the cold winter weather here in Ohio. If you’re looking for even more soup options, check out:

Creamy Sweet Potato Chicken Soup

One of my favorite instant pot tricks is that if you cook sweet potatoes chunks long enough, they basically fall apart when you stir them.

I often use this method to make a creamy type soup without the cream. Similarly, you can blend in a can of beans to add extra fiber and protein as well as a creamy texture.

If you decide to make this on the stove top and your sweet potatoes don’t fall apart on their own, feel free to remove the chicken and use a blender or immersion blender to blend up part of the broth to achieve a creamy texture.

The sweet potatoes in this recipe make it creamy while still keeping this recipe dairy-free and gluten-free. If the sweet potatoes falling apart make it too thick, add a little more broth!

Ingredients in Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chicken Soup

Here are a few of the ingredients you need to make this soup:

Sweet potatoes – if you don’t have them on hand, try butternut squash, acorn squash or carrots
Chicken thighs – feel free to swap in chicken breasts if you prefer.
Spinach – this is optional, but fresh baby spinach wilts easily into soups and is a great option for adding more veggies
Corn – Feel free to use fresh, frozen or canned corn
Seasoning – this is a basic soup recipe and there are tons of great seasoning combinations you can use – try Old Bay, McCormick’s chicken seasoning or a combination of cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper.

How To Make Sweet Potato Chicken Soup

To make this soup, pull out your Instant Pot and follow a few simple steps:

Combine all ingredients except the spinach and corn in the Instant Pot.
Cook as directed.
Remove the chicken and shred it and return to the pot along with the spinach and corn.
Serve and enjoy!

Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

Here’s the recipe:

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chicken Soup (with slow cooker option)

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This Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chicken Soup is the perfect dinner for a cold winter night. Made with simple ingredients, it’s easy to throw together and can also be made in the slow cooker.

Author: Lindsay

Ingredients

1.5 pounds sweet potatoes (approx 2 large or 4 cups roughly chopped)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
1.5 cups chicken broth (more if desired)
1 cup corn kernels (frozen, canned or fresh)
3 giant handfuls fresh baby spinach
2 tsp Old Bay**
1 tsp salt
Avocado to garnish (optional)

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Instructions

Peel and roughly chop sweet potatoes. You can also leave the skin on if you want to!
Place sweet potatoes, garlic, peppers, chicken thighs, seasoning and broth in the instant pot.
Seal and manually set the timer for 12 minutes.
Quick release. Remove chicken to shred. Use a fork or potato masher to gently break apart sweet potato chunks as you stir. Switch to saute, return chicken to pot and stir in corn and spinach.
Let simmer 2-3 minutes, taste, adjust seasonings and serve. If you want to thin it out a little, add an additional half cup of broth.

Notes

**If you don’t have Old Bay, try swapping in Montreal Chicken Seasoning or 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp curry powder.

To make it in the slow cooker, increase broth to 2 cups, cook in low for 6-8 hours until sweet potatoes break apart easily. Add spinach and corn for last 15 minutes.

See what I mean by easy?! Be sure to let me know if you try this one. Want more instant pot recipes? You can browse my instant pot archives here.

Instant Pot Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Soup FAQs

What can I substitute for sweet potato in chicken soup?

If you don’t have sweet potato, squash is a great option. Butternut squash, acorn squash or other similar squash with the peel removed will act similarly to sweet potato in this recipe. You could also use carrots but they don’t fall apart as easily and you’ll likely need to blend them by hand to make it creamy.

Is soup with chicken and sweet potatoes healthy?

Yes! This soup is packed with protein and vegetables and makes a great complete meal on a cold day. Sweet potatoes are a great source of Vitamin A and C. You can leave the skin on to add fiber. The spinach adds more Vitamin A and iron and the chicken adds protein.

Can you freeze Instant Pot chicken and sweet potatoes?

Yes! Let cool and then portion into containers like Souper Cubes (aff link) to freeze for later. This soup can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove top.

You could easily double this recipe and freeze half!

What to serve with chicken sweet potato soup?

This soup is fine on its own, but would be great alongside crusty bread and a side salad for a healthy, balanced meal!

What is the sweet potato chicken soup crockpot version of this recipe?

To make this recipe in the slow cooker, start with 2 cups of broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the chicken to shred and use a blender or immersion blender to blend the sweet potatoes. Add more broth as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Stir shredded chicken, spinach and corn into soup and let cook for 15 minutes more.

Can I turn this into chicken noodle soup with sweet potatoes?

To make this recipe more kid-friendly, increase the broth to 3 cups. The sweet potatoes will still dissolve right into the broth but it will be thinner and more soup-like. You can also reduce the amount of seasonings and skip the spinach if you want.

Do I have to garnish with avocado?

No! I love to use avocado as a soup garnish because it blends right in with its mild flavor and adds some healthy fats but feel free to skip it. You could add some fresh herbs or cheese on top if you want to!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Instant Pot Vegetarian Lasagna Soup

Lindsay — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

This Instant Pot Vegetarian Lasagna Soup is a quick and easy comfort food dinner that’s ready in under 30 min and makes enough to have leftovers for lunch!

*Originally published 1/2018. Updated 11/2024*

Hi friends!

Let’s talk about this Instant Pot Lasagna Soup! It’s all the goodness of lasagna without all the time spent layering! For this version, we’re using lentils- one of my favorite vegetarian protein sources. They cook quickly and don’t have a strong flavor.

If you’re looking to transition more plant-based meals, one of my favorite places to start is by replacing ground meat with lentils. They are similar in size and shape to crumbles of cooked ground meat and pairing them with finely diced mushrooms can help add a bit of heartier/meatier texture.

Here are some other lentil recipes to try:

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

Lasagna soup is just as it sounds – all the goodness of lasagna, in soup form…so you don’t have to worry about cooking, layering, putting in the oven, etc. Just dump everything in a big pot and voila! When I served this to my husband, he said he definitely couldn’t tell it was meat-free, which I think is the goal for a lot of people serving plant-based meals to meat-eaters.

Best Lasagna Soup Recipe Ingredients

To make this soup you just need a few basic ingredients:

Lentils – start with dry brown or green lentils.
Onion & garlic – adds flavor
Mushrooms – add a bit more “meaty” texture”. I typically use baby portobello but white mushrooms are fine too.
Chopped frozen spinach – no need to thaw ahead of time. You can also skip this and mix in fresh baby spinach after cooking
Lasagna noodles – break them into a pieces before adding them to the pot
Pasta sauce – use your favorite!
Broth – vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian or chicken broth is fine too
Cheese – I use ricotta and shredded mozzarella. You could also mix in some freshly grated parmesan at the end

How To Make Lasagna Soup

Making this soup in the instant pot really couldn’t be easier:

Add all the ingredients to the Instant pot except the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cook for 8 minutes.
Release the pressure, stir in the shredded cheese and serve!

Easy Recipe For Lasagna Soup

So here’s how you make the Instant Pot vegetarian version:

Instant Pot Vegetarian Lasagna Soup

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5 from 4 reviews

This Instant Pot Vegetarian Lasagna Soup is a quick and easy comfort food dinner that’s ready in under 30 min and makes enough to have leftovers for lunch!

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 8 min
Total Time: 13 minutes
Yield: serves 4-6

Ingredients

2/3 cup dry lentils
1/2 cup diced onion
1.5 cup finely diced mushrooms (i use baby portabello)
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz chopped frozen spinach
7 uncooked lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
24 oz jar pasta sauce
1 quart vegetable broth (low-sodium)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1–2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

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Instructions

Combine all ingredients except shredded mozzarella in the Instant Pot.
Use the manual (or pressure cook) button to cook for 8 minutes.
Use manual or quick release, stir in shredded cheese and serve.

Pretty easy right?

Instant Pot Vegetarian Lasagna Soup FAQs

Can you make one pot lasagna soup on the stovetop?

Yes! This recipe can be made on the stovetop. Just add the ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes before stirring in the shredded mozzarella.

If you’re looking for a meat-based one pot lasagna soup, try:

Can you make slow-cooked lasagna soup? Do you have a Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup recipe?

Yes! Lasagna soup works great in the slow cooker! Although I haven’t tried it, you could probably use this exact recipe in the slow cooker and just cook on low for 8 hours. But if you’re looking for a recipe specifically tested for the slow cooker, try:

Can you make lasagna soup vegan?

To make this soup vegan, you need to use vegan cheese. You can try storebought or make you’re own using a recipe like this Vegan Ricotta. You’ll also need vegan mozzarella – try Follow Your Heart or Violife.

What is white chicken lasagna soup?

White lasagna uses a bechamel sauce made of butter, flour and milk instead of a red sauce like a traditional lasagna. It typically pairs better with chicken than ground meat but you can use it with either. Here are a few recipes for white lasagna:

Is this healthy lasagna soup?

Yes! This instant pot vegetarian lasagna soup is packed with protein, fiber and vegetables and makes a great complete meal on its own. Pair it with a side salad and some crusty bread for an even more robust dinner!

How do I make a more creamy lasagna soup?

Two options for making this soup even creamier – add more cheese or stir in up to a cup of heavy cream before serving!

What’s the best lasagna soup recipe using ground meat?

To make this recipe using ground meat, use the saute function of the instant pot to cook the meat first and drain off any grease. Then add remaining ingredients and cook as directed.

Recipe for Instant Pot Vegetarian Lasagna Soup

Want more Instant Pot recipes? Check out my Instant Pot Recipe Archives here.

And if you try this in the slow cooker, be sure to let me know how it goes!

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Creamy Mexican Chicken

Lindsay — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This Slow Cooker Creamy Mexican Chicken makes a quick, easy dinner or freezer recipe. Made with simple ingredients but full of flavor, it’s great on its own or served over rice, farro or cauliflower rice.

*Originally published 2/2019. Updated 9/2024*

Hi friends!

This Crockpot Creamy Mexican Chicken recipe is for those of you requesting more crockpot recipes. It is SO easy to throw together the night before or the morning you want to make it. Or you could easily make it a freezer meal by tossing everything but the cream cheese in a ziploc bag and sticking it in the freezer until you need it.

Mexican Shredded Chicken in the Crock Pot

This dinner gets most of its flavor from the spices so feel free to really amp them up! Taste test and add more at the end if you want. You can make it mild or spicy by choosing the spice level of your salsa, peppers and chilis. If you’re a cilantro lover, mix a bunch of fresh cilantro in at the end. If you hate cilantro, leave it out! Want it creamy AND cheesy? Add a few handfuls of cheese after it’s done cooking. Or leave it out. Serve it over rice or farro, or cauliflower rice…or just by itself with some chips for scooping.

How to make slow cooker pulled Mexican chicken

Making this recipe couldn’t be easier thanks to the slow cooker. All you need to do is:

Pour the salsa on the bottom of the slow cooker
Add remaining ingredients except cream cheese and stir to combine
Top with cream cheese.
Shred the chicken and stir in the cream cheese.
Serve however you want to!

Instant Pot Mexican Chicken

You could try this as Instant Pot Creamy Mexican Chicken if you want to but I would probably make a few adjustments. I would add about half a cup of chicken broth and leave out the cream cheese. Cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Shred the chicken, then add the cream cheese. Rest the cover on top and let it sit on the warm setting for 10 minutes or so until the cream cheese warms enough to mix in.

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Soup

If you wanted to turn this into a soup, you could do so by adding chicken broth. The cream cheese will still make it creamy but the broth will add liquid to make it more soup-like so you can easily eat it with a spoon.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken is super flexible and you can’t really mess it up! The best kind of recipe in my opinion.

Slow Cooker Creamy Mexican Chicken

Easy Mexican Chicken Recipe

Here’s how you make it:

Slow Cooker Creamy Mexican Chicken

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5 from 6 reviews

This Crockpot Mexican Chicken makes a quick, easy dinner or freezer recipe. Made with simple ingredients but full of flavor, it’s great on its own or served over rice, farro or cauliflower rice.

Author: Lindsay

Ingredients

1 cup salsa
1.5 pounds chicken (breasts or thighs)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced (optional)
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chilis, optional (hot or mild)
8 oz cream cheese
Optional mix-ins: shredded cheese, avocado, fresh cilantro
Rice, farro or cauliflower rice for serving, optional

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Instructions

Pour salsa onto bottom of slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients (except cream cheese) and stir to combine.
Place cream cheese on top.
Cook on low 4-6 hours until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
Shred chicken and stir to mix in cream cheese. You can also mix cream cheese in about halfway through.
Top with avocado, cheese, cilantro, additional salsa etc if desired.
Serve over rice, farro or cauliflower rice if you want to!

Notes

To freeze, combine all ingredients except cream cheese in a ziploc bag and freeze. When ready to make, thaw in the fridge overnight, dump in slow cooker, top with cream cheese and cook as directed.

You could probably make this in the instant pot although I haven’t tried it myself. You’d just need to add 1/2 cup or so of chicken broth and probably remove a little bit of liquid before shredding and stirring to mix in the cream cheese.

So there you have it! So easy and so delicious!

Slow Cook Creamy Mexican Chicken Recipe FAQs

How can I make this slow cooker creamy Mexican chicken a meal?

I love this recipe because it’s already packed with protein and veggies. The best ways to make it a meal are to serve it over rice, use it as a topping for nachos, serve it with chips for scooping and put into tacos or lettuce wraps! You could also serve it over cauliflower rice or another grain like farro.

Can you freeze this creamy Mexican chicken and rice?

Yes. There are a couple of ways you could freeze this. Make as directed, cool and portion into Souper Cubes (aff link) or Ziploc bags to freeze. Or you could mix all the ingredients except cream cheese in a Ziploc bag and freeze before cooking. Then thaw in the fridge overnight, add to the crockpot and top with cream cheese. If you’re serving with rice, you can make and cool the rice and then freeze it separately.

What’s the best way to season Mexican chicken (Best spices for Mexican chicken)?

I love all the seasonings in this recipe. The cumin, chili powder and paprika go well together. You could also try taco seasoning to replace some or all of those spices. The jalapenos and green chilis are an easy way to add spice if you want it! And fresh cilantro at the end adds even more flavor.

Do you have any recipes for Mexican chicken thighs?

I don’t have any on this site but you could try:

What’s the best recipe for marinated Mexican chicken?

Here are a few marinades to try:

Could you make this Slow Cooker Creamy Mexican Chickenas baked Mexican chicken in the oven?

I have not tried adapting this recipe to the oven. If you’re looking specifically for a casserole you make in the oven, I probably wouldn’t try this recipe.

Slow Cooker Creamy Mexican Chicken

What are some other Mexican chicken recipes?

If you’re looking for some other Mexican-inspired recipes, try one of these or find more slow cooker recipes here:

Mexican Street Corn Dip

This Mexican Street Corn Dip is sure to be a hit at your next party or gathering. Spicy, flavorful and easy to make it’s perfect for dipping with chips!