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.

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. ;)

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 friendly!


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-tasting 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.
  • Cook Time:

If you want to have this cook all day while you are at work, set Crockpot to LOW with a cook time of 8 Hours.

Alternately, set Crockpot to HIGH with a cook time of 4 Hours (what I did).

5.0 from 1 reviews

Crockpot Lentil Soup
 
Print

Prep:

Cook:

Total:

 

4 Points Plus per serving — Recipe Makes 8 Servings — Individual Serving is 1.5 cups
By,:
Serves:: 8

Ingredients
  • 3 medium carrots, chopped (or 4 small or 2 large)
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 large clove shallot, chopped
  • 2 cups dry green lentils (rinsed)
  • 8 cups Vegetable stock
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Add in 15 Minutes Before Cooking Time Ends:
  • 1 head of Swiss Chard, cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions
  1. I used the food processor to do my chopping. Most of the veggies only need a couple of pulses.
  2. carrots first …
  3. Then celery …
  4. Then onion, garlic, and shallot all at once …
  5. Place chopped carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and shallot into crockpot along with lentils, vegetable stock, canned tomatoes, bay leaf and dried thyme.
  6. Cover with lid and set cooking time (4 Hours on HIGH OR 8 Hours on LOW).
  7. Next, prep your swiss chard into bite-size pieces (I usually cut it both lengthwise and crosswise to achieve this), put in a bowl or ziploc bag and place in refrigerator for later.
  8. When cooking time is up, add in swiss chard, red wine vinegar, Kosher salt, black pepper, and ground cumin.
  9. Place 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!

 

Related Recipes:

Vegan Saag Paneer {Slow Cooker} Mushroom Barley Soup with KaleMushroom Barley Soup with Kale Coconut Curry Soup with Shrimp (30)Coconut-Curry Soup with Shrimp