brown rice and French Lentils: Instant Pot

Brown rice and French lentils, lentils du Puy are a healthy Instant Pot sensation that will have you shouting ooh la la. This fuss-free, oil-free, plant-based recipe gets you from prep to table in less than an hour with minimal cooking and mess.

why you need this recipe

We are always searching for undemanding plant-based meals, preferably that leaves just one cooking pot to wash. I don’t think it's a mere tradition that brings rice and legumes to the top of our list. And when you include the ease of Instant Pot cooking using dry beans and healthy brown rice, you really can’t go wrong.

For this meal, we are going unabashedly French. French, Puy lentils, to the Herbs de Province, and oh, Dijon mustard. We’ll even employ 2 of my favorite French cooking terms – mise en place and mirepoix. We’re definitely on a mission.

ingredients you need

Onion, celery, carrot – These ingredients comprise the mirepoix describing a process whereby veggies are sauteed to build flavor.

You’ll recognize this veggie combo., This is the first flavor-building foundation for recipes from classic rice and bean dishes (like this one) to more complex stews, soups, and casseroles.

Salt and pepper – Strategically, we’ll add salt and pepper to cook with the veggies. This helps to build the flavor and release the sugars of the onions and carrots.

Garlic – Often, garlic is included in the initial sauté of mirepoix; however, we’ll be breaking a few cooking rules by not doing a slow simmer. For this reason, the garlic gets added and simply mixed in. It’s easy to scorch garlic, and if you've never tried it, it's super bitter.

Herbs de Province – A classic French herb blend hailing from the Province region of France, herbs de province is available in most supermarkets.

The composition of the blends may vary depending on the specific mix. But most will include savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. North American brands often include lavender leaves.

Sherry – Once you saute the veggies and add the herbs, you need to deglaze the Instant Pot. My preference? Sherry, Mon Cheri.

Sherry gives this dish subtle overtones of fruit. If you don’t want to use it, you can deglaze the Pot with either white wine, vegetable broth, and always, water.

Dijon mustard – Dijon is sharp, salty, and really compliments lentils. I’ve been known to add it to lentil soup. I ended up using 2 tablespoons but stick to 1 if you are not a mustard freak like me. You can stir in a bit more mustard after cooking or even dollop servings as a condiment.

One thing to note, if you find Dijon really salty, you may want to skip the sea salt that is added with the garlic.

You can always remedy a lack of salt with more, but reducing it is nearly impossible.

French lentils – You’ll know them immediately when you see them. French, Puy lentils are small, dark, green lentils. They are nutty and peppery like green lentils tend to be. What sets them apart is that they hold their shape. This is one reason we like to use them in lentil soup. 

There’s no mushing about with French lentils. They won't concede and break down to accommodate the rice they are cooked with. Nope. Holding their own, that's French lentils.

Brown basmati rice – Just like with curried rice, I stand by brown basmati rice. Fragrant, nutty, and so very healthy. And please, use brown rice, it's better for you, and it won’t turn to mush in the Instant Pot.

We are such fans of brown basmati rice that I’ve not tested this recipe with short or long-grain white rice. If you decide to make this substitute, consult with the package directions for the amount of liquid. Long-grain white rice will be your best bet as short grain may go mushy in the time it takes the lentils to cook.

Vegetable broth – 2 cups of good quality vegetable broth unites all the ingredients. In my experience, broth gives this dish more depth and body. That said, you can use water.   

pro tips

• The initial cooking recipe goes quickly. For this reason, employee the cooking strategy of mise en place (everything in place). Gather and measure all the ingredients before you switch on The Instant Pot so that they are ready to go.
• Heat the Instant Pot to High Saute, and then add the onions, celery, and carrots. For the evenest of cooking, try to keep the diced pieces relatively the same, small-diced size.
• Press the garlic into a small dish and then use a fork to press the garlic into it. This helps enhance the garlicky flavor.
• Be sure that you use a wooden spoon or soft utensil to clear the bottom of the Instant Pot. One of the sure-fire triggers for the ‘food burning’ signal is having food stuck to the bottom.
• Rinse the lentils before adding them. This washes away any dust. At the same time, have a quick look to discard any lentils that are broken or are discolored. I didn’t rinse the rice for this recipe, although it's good practice when adding rice to vegetables. Maybe it’s me or the rice, but I didn’t notice a difference.
• After you add the broth, guess what? It’s time to clear the bottom of the Instant Pot. This will be the last time before you get to the ‘set and forget’ portion of our dinner cooking.
• To cook the rice and lentils, secure the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release handle to the Sealing position. Set the temperature to High Pressure for 16 minutes and turn off the warming button.
• This dish benefits from another 15-16 minutes or more of natural release time. This helps keep the rice from clumping up.

To make this recipe on the stovetop, use a heavy-bottomed medium pot. Follow the recipe as written. Once you add the broth, bring the ingredients to a boil. Then cover, and reduce the heat so that it is simmering. Cook for 50-55 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit, covered, for an additional 15 minutes.

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