Slow Cooker Lentil Soup Recipe

Perfecting a healthy home-cooked meal can be a tricky task. After all, the last thing you want to do after working all day is to come home and dirty up your kitchen, let alone take the time to whip up a nutrient-dense meal. Whether you commute to work or grind it out at home, recipe developer Miriam Hahn's mouth-watering slow cooker lentil soup recipe can help you solve this dilemma for good. And, no, this dish doesn't take a top chef to make.

"I would call this recipe easy," Hahn said. "You really just dump everything in and go. Just a little chopping is involved, and you can easily do that in the food processor if that's easier. I find it pretty quick to chop by hand."

The best part about this lentil soup recipe (outside of the taste, of course) is that it's ideal for any time and day of the week. "It is a great meal prep item to make on a Sunday and have all week," Hahn said. "Then it is just a quick heat up for a great meal. As a wellness coach, I love using lentils since they are high in so many minerals along with a great source of plant-based protein. They keep you full!"

Before you can dive into this dish, you'll need to gather the ingredients for your slow cooker lentil soup recipe. You'll need green or brown dried lentils (rinsed), a chopped onion, chopped carrots, chopped celery stalks, and minced garlic cloves. You'll also need ground cumin, curry powder, thyme, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, tomato paste, and vegetable broth (or any type of broth, and you can add more if you want a thinner soup). Rounding out this recipe is spinach and lemon juice.

You can also top the finished product with fresh basil or Italian parsley and Parmesan if you desire even more flavor.

If you haven't done so already, now's the time to chop the vegetables for the soup. Once all your ingredients are prepared, you'll then put them in the slow cooker. However, save the spinach and the lemon juice for a later step.

Then, stir the soup contents to combine everything. And that's it! The hard part is over, and a nutritious meal is right around the corner.

Now that all the ingredients have been prepared, placed in the slow cooker, and mixed, it's time to let the slow cooker do its magic. You'll now cook the soup for five hours on high. If you prefer, you can opt to cook the soup for eight to 10 hours on low. Either is fine — it just depends on how long you want the soup to cook for and how long you're willing to wait for your savory lentil soup.

When the cooking time has passed and the soup is done, you'll stir in the spinach and lemon juice. And then you can serve and enjoy!

"If you wanted to check and see if it is done, yes, you would check to see if the carrots are tender and the lentils are soft but still holding together (not crunchy)," Hahn said when asked how to know when the soup is finished.

If you want to add even more flavor, now's the time to top the soup with fresh basil or Italian parsley and Parmesan. "Side note: The lemon that you add at the end adds so much to the flavor, so don't skip this step," Hahn exclaimed.

Although this lentil soup is a meal in itself, bread is a great addition to this recipe.

"I do like it with bread, and I usually serve it with a big green salad with lots of raw vegetables," Hahn said. "If I have fresh basil, I love adding that on top. The soup is full of protein and fiber, so it is just fine on its own. I often have this type of hearty soup for lunch."