Instant Pot Brown Rice and French Lentils

4.72 from 7 votes

Brown rice and French lentils (lentils de Puy) are a healthy, oil-free, plant-based Instant Pot sensation that’s on the table in 1 hour or less.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 267kcal

Heat the Instant Pot on High Sauté. Then add the onions, celery, and carrots. Then stir in the salt and pepper. Sauté the veggies, stirring them frequently with the lid off for 5 minutes or until the veggies start to soften.
Add the garlic and the Herbs de Province. Stir the ingredients for about 30 seconds until the veggies are covered with the herbs.
Turn the Instant Pot off. Immediately add the sherry to deglaze the Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon or soft utensil to clear the bottom.
Add the mustard, lentils, rice, and vegetable broth. Give the bottom of the Instant Pot another stir to ensure there is no food stuck to the bottom.
Secure the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release handle to the Sealing position. Set the cook mode to High Pressure for 16 minutes and turn off the warming button.
When the pressure-cooking process ends, leave the Instant Pot alone. Allow the steam to naturally release for another 16 minutes.
Move the steam release valve back to unsealing and carefully remove the Instant Pot lid. Give the ingredients a stir and fluff up the rice. Taste and adjust the mustard or Herbs de Province. You can also add more salt or freshly ground pepper if desired.
Serve individually or in a big bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

This recipe is made in a 6-quart Instant Pot. The amount of broth and cooking time has been tested with French lentils and brown basmati rice. Adjustments may be required if you deviate from these ingredients.
The actual cooking time will depend on how long it takes the Instant Pot to reach Sauté and High Pressure.
Food left on the bottom can trigger the ‘food burning’ alert on the Instant Pot.
If you are sensitive to salt, you might consider eliminating the salt added to the onions, carrots, and celery. Dijon mustard has a salty flavor, and some vegetable broth also contains salt.
Herbs de Province is available at most supermarkets. It is usually a blend including thyme, savory, oregano, marjoram, and oregano. Some mixes also include lavender.
To make this recipe on the stovetop, use a heavy-bottomed pot. Follow the recipe instructions. Once you add the broth, bring the ingredients to a boil. Then, cover and reduce the heat so that it simmers. 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.