This recipe is: dairy freeegg freenut free
This slow cooker lentil soup is super easy to make and can last all week. It’s delicious and hearty, making it perfect for fall and winter.
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Why I love this slow cooker lentil soup
And just like that, it’s cold outside. It happens every year. The summer feels like it’s taking forever, and then all of a sudden I need slippers in the morning and we can’t even have the windows open. I’m not complaining. I love this cold, but some soup definitely helps.
When we were in Kazakhstan, one of the restaurants served this amazing lentil soup. It seemed like one of the best things I’d ever tasted, especially when we were struggling to find groceries some days.
It was so savory and so flavorful, but I still haven’t nailed down what made it so great. Even this slow cooker lentil soup doesn’t compare, but, it’s amazing, in it’s own way.
Either way, this soup is insanely easy to make, and it’s hearty, making it perfect for fall. I made this and we ate it for lunch all week.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
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How to make slow cooker lentil soup
Add ingredients to slow cooker. Stirring everything together well.
Cook on low for 8 – 10 hours. You can also cook on high for 4-6 hours.
Serve. Make sure you remove the bay leaf and thyme stems before serving.
frequently asked questions: slow cooker lentil soup
Do you have to soak lentils before cooking?
Dried lentils need to absorb liquids to reconstitute themselves, soaking them does help speed along the process but for this recipe the lentils will be in the slow cooker with enough liquids to get the job done. No need to soak the lentils here.
Can you overcook lentils?
Yes you can, they will become mushy and grainy if overcooked. Make sure to remove from the slow cooker when cooking time is up, or at least turn to warm and serve right away.
Why are my lentils still hard after cooking?
If you have cooked your lentils fully they should no longer be hard. You can try extending the cooking time, but make sure you have been storing them properly and that they are not too old because if they are old enough they will not soften properly.
More slow cooker recipes
- Slow cooker black beans
- White chicken chili
- Grape jelly meatballs
- Slow cooker beef tacos
- Pork and sauerkraut
More dairy free soups
- Garden vegetable soup
- Sausage and kale soup
- Minestrone soup
- Red lentil soup
Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
5 from 5 reviews
This slow cooker lentil soup is super easy to make and can last all week. It’s delicious and hearty, making it perfect for fall and winter.
- Author: Melissa Belanger
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 16-ounce package dried lentils
- 1 cup diced sweet onion
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 7 cups broth
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a slow cooker, stirring to combine.
- Cook on low for 8 – 10 hours (or high for 4 – 6).
- Remove bay leaf and thyme stems before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 7.7 g
- Sodium: 853.8 mg
- Fat: 5.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.8 g
- Fiber: 8.9 g
- Protein: 15.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Published: September 28, 2016. Updated: February 9, 2023.
Melissa Belanger
Melissa Belanger is the founder and food-obsessed visionary behind Simply Whisked, where she creates dairy free recipes with simple ingredients. She lives in Wisconsin with her milk-allergic husband and two kids. Melissa's experience in developing dairy free recipes is unparalleled and she strives to make dairy-free living accessible and enjoyable. In addition to running Simply Whisked, Melissa also manages two other publications: Another co*cktail Blog, a co*cktail recipe website, and The Pasta Twins, a joint venture with her twin sister.
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My goodness, Melissa! These lentil soup pictures are absolutely stunning! I always find it hard to photograph bean-based soups and stews but you have really done justice to the deliciousness that is lentils. The recipe sounds easy and tasty too!
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Thanks Shannon! They are hard to photograph. Some how they turned out, but this was such a last minute recipe, I’m surprised they did. It always turned out that those have the best pictures, doesn’t it?
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I made it! Its great. Even the kids liked it. Thank you.
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Thanks! So glad to hear 🙂
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Can I use chicken broth in this soup?
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I would love to try this. what kind of lentils did you use?
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Just regular brown lentils. I used a generic brand that I found at my grocery store.
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Can I substitute something else for coconut milk?
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Yes you can, but it depends on what you want to substitute. If you can do dairy, feel free to use half and half or heavy cream, but if you still want the recipe to be dairy free, you could use dairy free half-and-half like Nutpods (just make sure it’s not sweetened or flavored), or even use an unsweetened oat milk. I wouldn’t recommend almond milk because it’s not very creamy.
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I;m new to using a slow cooker – I see There is not mentioning of soaking the lentils overnight, can I assume I don’t need to do that because of the length thei are in the slow cooker?
thanks
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You’re right. You don’t need to soak them overnight because the slow cooker will take care of everything! Enjoy!
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I made a batch today and it was excellent! So rich and cozy and I used both vegetable stock and chicken broth. I didn’t have a bay leaf but it still made for a wonderful meal! I will enjoy the leftovers this week and freeze the excess. Thank you!
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I love my slow cooker. Set it and forget it.
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16 cups (4 quarters) seems like a lot – not sure my cooker holds that… am I misreading your directions? hoping to make it tonight for tomorrow 🙂 Thanks so much!
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I have a 6 quart slow cooker, and it almost fills it up to the top once it’s cooked. Most slow cookers are 6 quarts, but you should check to make sure yours is.
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So very good! I added some sweet Italian sausage & a whole box of broth to thin it out some. Added a bit more cumin due to extra liquid. Husband did a backflip!
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That sounds great!!
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What type of broth?
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Vegetable or beef broth, whichever suits your diet better!
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Planning on making this tomorrow! Any nutritional information? Thank you!
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I’m sorry. I’m not providing nutrition information at this time. When I find a solution that seems reliable and accurate, I would be happy to, but I’m still searching for the right tool right now. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
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The recipe calls for 7 cups of broth but in the comments there’s mention of 16 cups. Which is correct!
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If I want to add sausage and spinach, do I add it at the beginning with all ingredients?
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I love this soup, and have made it several times. It’s so easy to throw everything into the slow cooker, it freezes well and make a great nutritious lunch. I’m on WW and a serving is only one point without the coconut milk (which I’ve never added). Thanks and looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.
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I’ve been making this recipe since before the addition of coconut milk, but that sounds good too. I use the green lentils from Aldis and sometimes use a sweet potato instead of carrots. This is such a delicious and filling soup. The flavors are so rich! I like to serve it with grated romano, chili flakes and a little olive oil plus crusty bread. It’s great for busy days and economical. Thanks for the recipe!
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After looking at your pictures and reading the recipe, it’s giving me vegan/vegetarian “beef” stew vibes. I’m gonna add some potatoes and see how it all comes out. Can’t wait to try!
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That sounds great! I hope you love it!
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This soup was very good. I had some left over sausage in my fridge I went ahead and threw it into the soup and it was very yummy. My lentils ended up over cooking and falling apart but I didn’t mind at all it was still very delicious.
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Wow!! Absolutely delicious!! I added a little extra coconut milk, added coriander. Ty!!
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Can you substitute the coconut milk?
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Yes you can, but it depends on what you want to substitute. If you can do dairy, feel free to use half and half or heavy cream, but if you still want the recipe to be dairy free, you could use adiry free half-and-half like Nutpods (just make sure it’s not sweetened or flavored), or even use an unsweetened oat milk. I wouldn’t recommend almond milk because it’s not very creamy.
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I don’t have fresh thyme, would it be okay to use dry thyme??
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You can substitute dried thyme but you will want to reduce the amount you use. The two sprigs should be about 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme when measured, which would translate to about 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.
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