Published . By Alyssa Brantley 119 Comments
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Dozens and dozens of reviews from readers just like you. This crockpot lentil soup is so easy – set it, forget it, and Enjoy! Vegan and gluten-free
Crockpots are a busy mom’s best friend. No Joke. If you don’t have kids, you may or may not appreciate what a relief a great crockpot recipe can be. But, when you have little ones, especially if you work, sometimes throwing dinner together is just such a hassle (like every single day lol).
The aroma of a delicious dinner already prepared, a glass of wine, and ten quiet minutes alone are rare and coveted treats for many of us.
Here I am giving you one of them, a nutritious and easy crockpot recipe.
Only you have to promise to take ten minutes alone and have a glass of vino (if you partake) while it’s cooking. 😉
Crockpot Lentil Soup Ingredients:
- Carrots
- Celery
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Brown Lentils
- Vegetable Stock
- Canned Diced Tomatoes
- Dried Spices (Bay Leaf, Dried Thyme, Salt, Pepper, Ground Cumin)
- Swiss Chard
- Red Wine Vinegar
Lentil soup is one of those things that is such a great staple; it is simultaneously hearty, nutritious, and relatively easy to make. I think my mom taught me how to make simple lentil soup when I was in High School. I have made countless variations of her recipe since and finally re-worked it to be crockpot aka slow cooker friendly.
This version is vegan, gluten-free, and freezes great. It’s ridiculously easy.
A little bit of chopping (you can totally bust out your food processor to save time!) and then you add the majority of the ingredients to the slow cooker. About 15 minutes before the cook time is up, add the chopped swiss chard, a few more dried spices, and red wine vinegar for a little acid and balance. That’s it — then, just serve and Enjoy!
Recipe Tips:
- A note about Vegetable Stock – every brand has a unique flavor. For instance, Trader Joe’s Organic Low Sodium (which is what I used here) is on the sweeter side and very “carroty”. My absolute favorite is Pacific Natural Foods Organic Vegetable Broth but I was out of it and keep the Trader Joe’s on hand for sauteing. When it comes to sauteing and you are just using a splash here or there, its’ not as big of a deal. There are many options out there and I recommend taste-testing a few brands before picking one to use when you are using it as a base for soup.
- I used Green Swiss Chard (stems and leaves) but you could easily substitute Spinach, Kale (without stems), or even Escarole.
- I used a 6.5 Quart Slow Cooker for this soup. I think a 5.5 or 6 would also work but I wouldn’t go much smaller. Or you could halve the recipe.
- If you prefer for this lentil soup to cook all day while you are at work, you can set your Crockpot to LOW with a cook time of 8 Hours. Alternately, if you want the soup done quicker, Crockpot to HIGH with a cook time of 4 Hours (what I usually do).
- If you are not Vegan or Vegetarian, many readers (in the comments) have added ground turkey, chicken, or beef with great success. I recommend sauteeing separately and adding in after draining the excess fat.
- This lentil soup stores great. Allow to cool completely and freeze in an air-tight container(s). I recommend defrosting the night before you plan on serving and reheating in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Crockpot Lentil Soup
Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time:4 hrs
Total Time:4 hrs 15 mins
Dozens and dozens of reviews from readers just like you. This crockpot lentil soup is so easy - set it, forget it, and Enjoy! Vegan and gluten-free
Course:Soups
Cuisine:American
Keyword:crockpot lentil soup recipe, How to make lentil soup, slow cooker lentil soup recipe, the best lentil soup, vegan lentil soup
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 222 kcal
Author: Alyssa Brantley
4.94 from 29 votes
Ingredients
- 3mediumcarrotschopped (or 4 small or 2 large)
- 2mediumcelery stalkschopped
- 1largeyellow onionchopped
- 3clovesgarlicchopped
- 1largeshallotchopped
- 2cupsdry brown lentilsrinsed
- 8cupsvegetable stock
- 14ouncecan diced tomatoes
- 1driedbay leaf
- 1teaspoondried thyme
Add in 15 Minutes Before Cooking Time Ends:
- 1medium bunchSwiss Chardcleaned and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1.5teaspoonsred wine vinegar
- 2teaspoonskosher salt
- 1teaspoonfresh ground black pepper
- 1teaspoonground cumin
Instructions
To save time, I used the food processor for chopping. Most of the veggies only need a couple of pulses. Toss in carrots, then celery, onion, garlic and finally shallot. Do not over process the vegetables or they will become watery. Alternately, you can chop everything by hand.
Place chopped carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and shallot into crockpot along with lentils, vegetable stock, canned tomatoes, bay leaf and dried thyme.
Cover with lid and set cooking time (4 Hours on HIGH OR 8 Hours on LOW).
Next, prep your swiss chard into bite-size pieces (I usually cut it both lengthwise and crosswise to achieve this), put in a covered bowl and place in refrigerator for later.
When the cooking time is up, add in swiss chard, red wine vinegar, Kosher salt, black pepper, and ground cumin.
Place the lid back on and let sit covered for fifteen additional minutes before serving. This freezes great and makes 8 huge (1.5 cup) servings. Excellent served with a crusty bread and side salad. Enjoy!
NOTES:
- A note about Vegetable Stock - every brand has a unique flavor. For instance, Trader Joe's Organic Low Sodium (which is what I used here) is on the sweeter side and very "carroty". My absolute favorite is Pacific Natural Foods Organic Vegetable Broth but I was out of it and keep the Trader Joe's on hand for sauteing. When it comes to sauteing and you are just using a splash here or there, its' not as big of a deal. There are many options out there and I recommend taste-testing a few brands before picking one to use when you are using it as a base for soup.
- I used Green Swiss Chard (stems and leaves) but you could easily substitute Spinach, Kale (without stems), or even Escarole.
- I used a 6.5 Quart Slow Cooker for this soup. I think a 5.5 or 6 would also work but I wouldn't go much smaller. Or you could halve the recipe.
- If you prefer for this lentil soup to cook all day while you are at work, you can set your Crockpot to LOW with a cook time of 8 Hours. Alternately, if you want the soup done quicker, Crockpot to HIGH with a cook time of 4 Hours (what I usually do).
- If you are not Vegan or Vegetarian, many readers (in the comments) have added ground turkey, chicken, or beef with great success. I recommend sauteeing separately and adding in after draining the excess fat.
- This lentil soup stores great. Allow to cool completely and freeze in an air-tight container(s). I recommend defrosting the night before you plan on serving and reheating in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through.
Nutrition Facts
Crockpot Lentil Soup
Amount Per Serving (1.5 Cups)
Calories 222Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 1701mg74%
Potassium 840mg24%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 17g71%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 6745IU135%
Vitamin C 22mg27%
Calcium 84mg8%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Kara Schaefer says Hello!
Can I sub green lentil instead of brown, not sure if there is a difference?Reply
- Alyssa Brantley says
Hi Kara,
I would not recommend subbing green lentils as they tend to stay firm even when fully cooked. They won’t really break down and help this soup have a lovely creamy consistency. The green lentils will be more like little firm pebbles in the broth.Reply
- Kate says
Hands down the ABSOLUTE BEST lentil soup I have ever made, and I’ve made many. This is now going to be my go-to and I can see making it weekly. It was a huge hit with the whole family. I subbed in frozen spinach but that was the only change. Incredible!
Reply
- Alyssa Brantley says
Hi Kate – What an amazing compliment!! Thank you so much – I’m so happy to hear it and thanks for taking the time to share with me. Happy New Year!
Reply
- dana danielson says
This is a delicious recipe as written! Just curious if anyone has tried making it in an Instant Pot…
Reply
- Alyssa Brantley says
Hi Dana! I haven’t made this in the Instant Pot yet as I’ve been concerned about the lentils exploding and losing their texture from the high pressure. If you experiment, let me know how it comes out. Also, if you don’t have a slow cooker, most Instant Pot’s do have a slow cooker setting. Hope it works out!
Reply
- Elizabeth says
Made this for the first time last night and it was so good! I’ve made many lentil soups but never in the crockpot. I subbed oregano for thyme and used an additional can of Rotel. Also stirred chopped spinach in at serving each bowl instead of the chard. My father in law ate 3 bowls so it was a hit! Glad we have left overs. Thanks.
Reply
- Alyssa Brantley says
Love it Elizabeth!! Sounds amazing with those swaps 🙂
Reply
- Jenny says
Pretty good, but a little plain for our taste. I think this needs a lot more spices and herbs to stand out. Really nice for a healthy, light lunch though, and very affordable!
Reply
- Betsy says
Would small diced vegetable work instead of chopped . I have a dicer
Reply
- Alyssa Brantley says
Definitely Betsy!
Reply
- Emily says
This sounds amazing, looking forward to trying! Any reason we couldn’t substitute bone broth for veggie stock (if not for vegetarians?). Thanks so much!
Reply
- Alyssa Brantley says
No reason at all – I regularly use chicken broth as my go-to. Beef or pork broth here might be a bit overpowering.
Reply
- Susan Lopez says
I have to have low sodium any suggestions?
Reply
- Marjorie Murray says
First time cooking with lentils (and eating them for that matter!). And I’m 75……there’s a first time for everything, right? Made your crockpot soup yesterday. Fantastic! As you’d noted as possible options, I added browned & strained ground beef and used spinach instead of kale. Oh, and that Pacific Organic vegetable broth is to DIE for! The aroma which filled my house was so tantalizing that I had to stop myself from dabbing some of the soup broth behind my ears. Froze some for daughters and am making more today. It’s a keeper, my girl!!
Happy New Year to you and yours.Reply
- Alyssa Brantley says
Hi Marjorie! LOVE this – so happy to hear it and sorry for the delay in getting back to you – I had a bunch of real comments that went to spam. So glad you loved it so much!
Reply
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