We had a party to celebrate Michael and Elizabeth’s birthday (happy birthday guys!) and there was a little cabernet sauvignon left. It had blackberry and dark cherry undertones, I couldn’t just throw it away. So I made up this lentil soup. You know, lentils, those weird little bean things. They don’t have much flavor themselves so they taste like whatever you cook them with. (If you do not cook with wine you can use apple juice, it also gives a nice deep flavor to things.)

Instapot Lentil Soup with Meatballs

1              green bell pepper, diced

2              celery, sliced thin

4              carrots, diced

1 large   red onion, finely diced

4 clove  garlic

1/2c       bread crumbs

1/4c       olive oil

1T           rice vinegar

1lb          ground beef

1/2c       cabernet sauvignon

8 1/2c    water, divided

1              egg

1/2c       parmesan

2T           unsalted butter

2T           coconut aminos

1/4c       tomato paste (4T)

1 1/4c    lentils, rinsed

1T           dried parsley

Make meatballs:

Mix together ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan, and egg.

Form into 12 meatballs. Set aside.

In the Instapot:

On sauté mode, sauté onion and garlic until clear, 8-10 minutes.

Add meatballs, cooking another 5-6 minutes, rotating every minute to seal the sides, not to cook through.

Remove meat and onions from the pan. No need to be perfect, just grab the loose ones out.

Add the wine, scraping the bottom to pick up anything that is stuck, sautéing for 2-3 minutes.

Mix in the vegetables, sauté for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, dilute the tomato paste with 1/2 cup of water

When the paste is smooth, add to vegetables. Mix well.

Add 8 cups of water, lentils, meatballs and onions. Mix well.

Bring to a boil then secure the lid.

Seal and cook on manual for 10 minutes.

Manually release the pressure and remove the lid.

Add the vinegar and butter, stirring until the butter is melted and incorporated.

Enjoy!