Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
This Slow Cooker Lentil Soup is the best set-and-forget healthy vegetarian soup with hearty texture and umami flavor. Just turn on your crockpot and walk away.
This Slow Cooker Lentil Soup is the best set-and-forget healthy vegetarian soup with hearty texture and umami flavor. Just turn on your crockpot and walk away.
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 3 large carrots diced
- 2 cups corn frozen
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 medium onions diced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (i used bragg liquid aminos)
- 3 large celery stalks diced
- 4 cups potatoes diced
- 1 1/2 cups green lentils, rinsed & drained
- 3 leaves
- 5 whole peppercorns
- 9 cups vegetable broth*
- garnishes: green onion cilantro, parsley, greek yogurt, cheese, tortilla chips
- Carbohydrate 25.2015037515489 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.61421687501619 g
- Fiber 3.96350006206562 g
- Protein 3.44906125035789 g
- Saturated Fat 0.117246687502876 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (175g)
- Sodium 37.9095000005539 mg
- Sugar 21.2380036894833 g
- Trans Fat 0.0725995000048997 g
- Calories 112 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large slow cooker, add onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, corn, lentils, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, soy sauce, bay leaves, peppercorns and vegetable broth. No need to stir.
- Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours or on High for 4-5 hours (with this soup longer is better).
- Discard bay leaves and peppercorns. Using an immersion blender, pulse a few times until desired texture - I like creamy with chunks.
- Garnish with herbs and Parmesan cheese/plain yogurt/tortillas chips and serve hot.
Traditional stovetop lentil stews require constant attention to prevent scorching at the bottom of the heavy pot. This slow cooker version trades active stove monitoring for steady, uniform heat distribution. Dried green lentils retain their shape better than split red varieties during prolonged cooking because their seed coats remain intact longer. Raw root vegetables release starches as they soften over eight hours on low heat. These starches naturally thicken the surrounding vegetable broth without requiring a separate roux.
Using frozen corn and dried spices introduces different flavor compounds than fresh alternatives. Dehydrated garlic powder distributes uniformly across large volumes of liquid compared to minced fresh cloves, which can sink or burn. Whole peppercorns infuse a clean heat that is easily removed before blending. Liquid aminos or soy sauce provide free amino acids, supplying savory depth that balances the natural earthiness of legumes.
Pulsing an immersion blender just a few times creates a dual texture containing both smooth purée and distinct vegetable chunks. Discarding the whole bay leaves and peppercorns prevents bitter notes from dominating the final bowl. Leftovers keep safely in a refrigerator for up to four days.
