This Slow Cooker Lentil Soup is deliciously rich and filling. It's so easy to make, it's perfect for lunch and hearty enough for dinner. Packed with brown lentils and lots of veggies this is a great budget-friendly meal too.
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We love soups this time of the year, whether it's a Creamy Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup or a Spicy Carrot and Parsnip Soup, soup is always on the menu once the temperatures drop.
This easy lentil soup is properly cosy, it's rich and creamy and filling enough that it's great not just for lunch but for dinner too!
I use dried brown lentils for this soup, they cook perfectly in the slow cooker. I also add some Indian spices to make this warmly spiced. It's not too spicy so the whole family will enjoy this.
⭐️ Why You'll Love This Soup
- It's so easy to make - this really is such a simple soup to make, everything goes in the slow cooker and there's no need to precook anything!
- A great budget-friendly recipe - using dried lentils and a few store cupboard ingredients, this soup is budget-friendly and goes a long way!
- It's full of flavour! - This soup is hearty and full of flavour, it's filling too, making it great for lunch but hearty enough for dinner too.
📝 What You'll Need
The full ingredient list and detailed steps can be found in the recipe card below.
- Lentils - I use dried brown lentils for this soup. You can use green lentils if you prefer. I find that dried red lentils turn a bit mushy when cooked for a long period of time so I would avoid those. I would also avoid canned lentils, as they won't stand up to the long cooking time. You could add them in towards the end of cooking if you like.
- Vegetables - you will need one onion, cellery, carrots, a couple of potatoes, canned tomatoes and spinach for this recipe.
- Spices - I use ground cumin, turmeric, ground coriander and yellow mustard seeds for this soup. I also used fresh garlic and ginger. They are the perfect combination to give you a warmly spiced soup.
- Stock - you will need 1 litre of vegetable stock for this recipe, I used vegetable stock cubes to make the stock.
🥘 How To Make Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
1. Add all the ingredients except the spinach to your slow cooker.
2. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and stock. Cook on high for 5 hours.
3. Remove one or two ladels and blend them then return them to the slow cooker. Add the spinach and stir well. Cook for another minute or two until the spinach has wilted. Once the spinach has wilted and the potatoes are cooked through the soup is done.
🍽 What To Serve with Lentil Soup
This soup is perfect on its own but if you want to make more of a meal of it then try it with some good crusty bread, or a slice or two of White Soda Bread. It's also great with a slice of brown soda bread.
📖 Variations
- Vegetables - You can add more veggies if you like, or swap some out. You could swap the potatoes for butternut squash or sweet potatoes, you may need to reduce the cooking time though so do keep that in mind.
- Greens - We love spinach in this but kale, cavo nero, or chard would work too.
- Make it creamy - I find this soup lovely and creamy but you could take it a step futher and add some coconut milk or some double cream to get a truly luxurious soup.
👩🍳 Recipe FAQs
You can but you will need to add them towards the end of cooking the soup. Canned lentils are already cooked so adding them at the beginning will cause them to disentegrate. Dried lentils are perfect for this recipe.
Yes you can. You can add it earlier just be aware that they will add more liquid to the soup.
No you don't have to, but I recommend it. Blending a couple of ladels will make for a creamier soup.
More Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes
Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion diced
- 3 medium carrots topped and tailed, peeled then cut half lengthways and cut into slices.
- 2 stalks of celery finely chopped
- 2 medium potatoes peeled then cut into similar sized pieces
- 280 g / 1 ½ cups dried brown lentils rinse the lentils before adding them
- 3 cloves of garlic finely minced or put through a garlic press
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 x 400g / 1 x 14.5 oz can of chopped tomatoes/diced tomatoes
- 1 litre of / 3 cups vegetable stock made with 2 stock cubes
- 80 g / 2 cups of baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Place all the ingredients except the spinach.Add the chopped tomatoes and stock and give everything a good stir.Put the lid on and cook for 5 hours.
- Once the potatoes are cooked remove 2 ladles of the soup and transfer to a blender.Blend and return to the soup in the slow cooker. Stir well and check the seasoning.
- Add the spinach to the soup stir well and pop the lid back on for a minute until the spinach has wilted.Serve in large bowls, leave to cool for a moment as the soup will be piping hot.
Stove Top Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan.Add the chopped onion celery and carrots along with a small pinch of salt.Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for a minute or until you smell the spices.Now add the lentils, potatoes, chopped tomatoes and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well and bring up to a to simmer.Scoop any scum on the surface and discard it.Place a lid on and turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 35 - 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft and the potatoes are cooked. If the lentils are still hard keep cooking for another 10 - 15 minutes.Remove 2 ladles to a blender and blend, return to the soup. Check the seasoning now and add more salt or pepper if needed.Add the spinach and cook until wilted.
Notes
- Thickness - this is quite a thick soup so if you prefer a thiner consistency you could add more stock or some water to thin it out.
- Lentils - you really need to use dried lentils for this recipe, not only are they budget friendly but they will have more flavour than cooked lentils. Brown or green lentils are best for this recipe, red lentils will not hold up to the long cooking time and will melt into the soup.
- Storage - this soup is suitable for freezing and leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2 days.
- Nutritional Information - all nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for best results.
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