Slow Cooker lentil soup is chock-full of plant-based vitamins, fiber, and protein! Simply add ingredients to a slow cooker and let it do the work for a no-hassle meal that reheats in minutes.
Lentils have been eaten since prehistoric times. In fact, lentil remains have been dated to 11,000 BC from Greece’s Franchthi cave! They are some of the oldest known remains. So you’re really getting a wise-old treat with this Slow Cooker Lentil Soup! But wise and old isn’t slow - it’s bold and tasty! This meal prep recipe gives you the solid macros you want with super-powered simplicity.
Slow Cooker Lentil Soup Ingredients
- 8 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 cups dry lentils
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cups canned diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup chopped sweet white onion
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chopped kale
- ½ cup chopped parsley for serving
How to Make Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
Our team at MPOF loves this meal prep recipe because there are just two steps. First, combine nearly every ingredient in your slow cooker. Second, add in the kale at the end for just 5 more minutes of heat. Easy! It is the epitome of set it and forget it.
How to Store and Serve Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
This lentil soup meal prep recipe is a perfect one-portion meal. Just divide this meal prep recipe evenly in four single-compartment containers, fill your fridge or freezer, and forget about it!
This lentil soup meal prep will last for about 5 days in the fridge, with one caveat. Lentils are best for your belly when they’re as fresh as possible. To reduce the chances of belly-bloating, eat this meal prep recipe as soon after cooking and add the spice hing to support digestion if you are sensitive to legumes.
If you're freezing this soup, it will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, right on the stovetop, or in the microwave, depending on your preference and how much time you have available.
We love to eat this soup as is, because it's a pretty complete meal, but do serve with a side salad if you want and, if you're not gluten-free, a hunk of crusty bread or a handful of crackers.
Substitutions and Variations
We have specified standard green lentils here, but you may notice there are a few different kinds. If you use red lentils, this soup will cook in much less time and the lentils will pop open and get starchy. That's because red lentils are different from green ones in that regard! You want to steer clear of the French puy lentils, which are best for salads and other cooked dishes.
You can vary the amounts of the ingredients if desired (just don't change the liquid amount). Add sweet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes, if you want something even heartier and love potatoes with lentils like we do. Lentil soup is a bit of a blank slate.
More Lentil Meal Prep Recipes
- Try some of our other whole Plant-Based Meal Prep Recipes
- Add chicken to legumes in Cauliflower Fried Rice with Legumes and Chicken Shish Kabobs
- Another celebrated crockpot lentil recipe is our Crockpot Golden Lentil Soup
Tips for Making Slow Cooker Lentil Soup:
- Don’t worry about soaking your lentils because the slow cooker will take care of the tenderness.
- Do rinse and sift your lentils before cooking because sometimes there are rocks. Remove debris now and you’ll thank yourself later.
- Asafoetida (also known as hing) is an additional spice/powder known for reducing the gas-forming qualities of legumes, including lentils. If you are sensitive to beans, try it!
Ingredients
- 8 cups vegetable stock
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 cups dry lentils
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cups canned diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped sweet white onion
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chopped kale
- ½ cup chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except kale and parsley in a crockpot. Stir well. Turn crockpot to high setting. Cover and cook 4 hours.
- Stir in kale and continue to cook 5 minutes longer until wilted. Remove the bay leaf. Serve the soup in bowls, nice and hot, garnished with chopped parsley.
Can you use spinach instead of kale?for the lintil soup
Sure. We haven't tested with Kale, but it should be a good swap. May need to cook a little longer to break down the kale a bit more?
What is the serving size?
Hi Amanda, We don't calculate the exact serving size. The recipe makes 4 meals, so should be evenly divided into 4 portions.