Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
The first time I made this soup, I was pretty sure I was not going to like it. I prepared it for a clean-eating seminar and was not expecting much. It seemed rather boring. But, it is anything but boring! It is full of flavor from simmering the lentils with the vegetables in the slow cooker. It is quite hearty as well for a light, vegetarian soup!
Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
Author/Source:
Abbi @ Onceamonthmom.com
Ingredients:
- 2 cups dried lentils (green or brown), rinsed
- 8 cups water
- 0.75 cup chopped onion
- 0.5 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 0.25 cups chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 0.25 teaspoons pepper
- 0.5 teaspoons dried oregano
- 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Directions:
Place lentils in slow cooker and cover with water. Add onion, celery, carrots, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Add tomatoes and red wine vinegar. Heat through for 15 minutes. Remove to cool and proceed to freezing directions.
Freezing Directions:
Allow to cool. Divide among pint size freezer bags. To serve, thaw and reheat.
Servings: 10
Nutritional Information: Serving Size = 1 cup. Calories – 156, Total Fat – 0.5 g, Total Carbohydrates – 27.6 g, Protein – 10.6 g. Dietary Fiber: 13.1 WW Plus Points: 3
**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann
Do you have to soak the dried lentils before?
No, they do not need soaked first, just rinsed off.
You could probably add even more flavor by using homemade beef broth instead of the water.
If you are freezing it, wouldn’t you want to cook it for less time (like 6 hours) so the lentils didn’t get mushy upon thaw/reheating?
I am sure that would work as well if it is your preference.
Sweet! This sounds delish! *saved to faves now!*
I make a soup very similar but add a handful of greens (kale, mustard) at the end of cooking as well.
That’s a great way to add in some extra nutritional value! Thanks for sharing!
I made this last night, but didn’t read the instructions and put everything in the slow cooker at the same time. Still delicious and great for a chilly day!
I made this at over last weekend – and everybody loved it! I did sub a large can of crushed tomatoes for the diced and added a little honey – this made it a little thicker and even more rich with flavor. Thank you for sharing! It’s a keeper!
It is good to note that the 8 hour cooking time is really only good for green or brown lentils. I tried red lentils (because I didn’t know any better) and it turned to mush very early. Yellow, red and orange lentils apparently all have the tendency to get mushy…
Thank you for the feedback. I updated the ingredient list to indicate green or brown.
I really like this recipe but don’t have a slow cooker – any recommendations for making it on the stove top?
I would just say that cooking it on the stovetop would be just fine. You will likely need to simmer on the stovetop for 1 hour, then add the tomatoes and red wine and 5-10 minutes more.
I made this Sunday night so it could cook overnight and it smelled so good that I could hardly sleep! It did go into the warming cycle before I woke up, so there was a little brown layer on top…still delicious, though! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for the recipe! I made it today and everyone loved it. It’s the best kind of recipe – easy, healthy and affordable!