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Crockpot Lentil Soup

White bowl filled with crockpot lentil soup garnished with thyme

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5 from 1 review

Richly flavorful vegetarian crockpot lentil soup! So easy and delicious and a healthy family dinner. I love leftovers of crockpot lentil soup for lunch throughout the week. 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped or thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes or sliced rounds
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme a few sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 cups brown or green lentils
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 cups/32 FL oz vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

Instructions

Some slow cooker recipes require sauteing the onion and garlic before adding them to the crock pot. This is because slow cookers don't always fully cook onion, and sauteing also helps boost the flavor of onion and garlic. You can do this if you like, but I find that simply microwaving the onion and garlic (and some vegetables) achieves nearly the same results and is quicker and easier.  

  1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine olive oil, onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Microwave 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and carrots are tender. Lightly season with a pinch of salt and pepper. 
  2. In the crockpot, combine the microwaved vegetables and the curry powder, coriander, thyme, lentils, tomatoes, water, broth, salt and pepper. 
  3. Put on the lid and program the slow cooker to cook for 6 to 8 hours on low heat. Or 3 to 4 hours on high. 
  4. When the soup is done, stir in the vinegar. Don't skip this ingredient! It helps boost the flavor of the soup. 
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste

Notes

Optional Ingredients/Variations: When the soup is fully cooked, you can add a few handfuls of baby spinach or kale (raw or frozen) and/or stir in coconut milk. 

This recipe was made in a 6-quart oval slow cooker