Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

Overhead shoot of a white bowl with lentil soup

4.34 from 6 votes

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with vegetables, a delicious meat-free soup that goes down a treat on a cold day. Suitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet, but filling enough that even meat lovers will appreciate it. Gluten free, low carb, low calorie, high vegetable protein.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time5 5

Course: Soup

Cuisine: International

Servings: peoople

Calories: 332kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

1 cup brown lentils
2 carrots
1 onion
1 cup frozen mixed peppers ( or fresh ones)
2 garlic cloves
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup fresh spinach
1 parsnip
salt and pepper
parsley to garnish
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Peel and chop the onion, garlic, carrots and parsnip, and add them to the slow cooker together with the frozen chopped mixed peppers and lentils.
Add the vegetable stock, and leave to cook on low for 5 hours, or 3 hours on high. If you like your soup thinner, add one more cup of vegetable stock.
Once the lentils and veggies are cooked, add the spinach, tomato paste, thyme and parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook on high for 10-15 minutes so that the spinach can wilt.
Serve hot!

Notes

Unlike the split red lentils, which cook really quickly, the brown ones need a bit longer to cook through. This soup was ready in about 5 hours on slow, so on high it should be ready in about 3 hours or less.
Now, I hardly ever use strong spices when I make lentil soup, as I prefer the more "natural" taste of the lentils and vegetables. So salt and pepper are usually on my list, but you can safely use a pinch of cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, and chilli.

Nutrition