Instant Pot Lentil Beef Stew is a delicious, comforting stew that you can make in about an hour. The flavors are savory and satisfying, and the chunks of beef are very tender.
Gather and prepare all of the ingredients before you begin cooking.
Turn on the sauté setting on the pot. When it is hot, add the olive oil, onion, and bay leaves. Cook until the onion starts to soften.
Add the beef and garlic. Cook for a few minutes. Then add the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, carrots, green lentils, and the chicken stock. Stir well.
Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 5 minutes. High Pressure. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
When the cook cycle has finished, turn off the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes (10 minute natural release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining steam/pressure.
When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid. Carefully stir the stew.
Stir in the kale. Serve hot. The stew will thicken more as it cools.
If you want to make this a "dump and start" recipe, just increase the pressure cook time to 10 minutes. The lentils will be very soft though. But still delicious!