Name: Instant Pot Lentil and Chorizo Soup
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for drizzling; 8 ounces Spanish-style chorizo sausage , quartered lengthwise and sliced thin; 4 garlic cloves , minced; 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika; 5 cups water; 1 pound (2¼ cups) French green lentil , picked over and rinsed; 4 cups chicken broth; 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar , plus extra for seasoning; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon table salt; 1 large onion; 2 carrots , peeled and halved crosswise; ½ cup slivered almonds , toasted; ½ cup minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to create a soup that featured whole lentils suspended in a creamy, but not too thick, broth. Tasters agreed that 8 ounces of chorizo was the perfect amount to render just enough meaty flavor and richness into the soup. To save prep time, we cooked our vegetables whole with the lentils under pressure, pureed them quickly in the food processor, then returned them to the soup to achieve a velvety broth.

Before You Begin

We prefer French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy, for this recipe, but it will work with any type of lentil except red or yellow. If Spanish-style chorizo is not available, Portuguese linguiça or Polish kielbasa can be substituted. Red wine vinegar can be substituted for the sherry vinegar.

Instructions

Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot until shimmering. Add chorizo and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in water, scraping up any browned bits, then stir in lentils, broth, vinegar, bay leaves, and salt. Nestle onion and carrots into pot.

Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 14 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

Discard bay leaves. Using slotted spoon, transfer onion and carrots to food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir vegetable mixture into lentils and season with salt, pepper, and extra vinegar to taste. Drizzle individual portions with extra oil, and sprinkle with almonds and parsley before serving.