Rinse and drain the lentils and set aside for now.

Turn on your Instant Pot and choose the “sauté” setting. Keep it at “normal” heat and allow it to heat up for a couple of minutes.

Add the onions and sauté for 3 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water and stirring when they start to stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add the garlic, carrot and celery, and sauté for 2 additional minutes.

Hit the “cancel” button and then add the tomatoes, lentils and water.

Place the lid on the cooker and make sure the valve is in the “sealing” position.

Choose the “manual” setting and set the timer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, allow the cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes, and then do a quick release to release the rest of the pressure.

Open the lid, add the salt and the parsley and stir.