Easy, Delicious, and Gluten-Free
Here’s a smoky vegetarian lentil soup for the slow cooker that is easy, delicious, and nutritious. You’re going to love it! It starts with one pound of dried lentils, diced aromatics, fire-roasted tomatoes, and seasonings.
The prep time is a quick 15 minutes. But if chopping onions and mincing garlic in the morning isn’t your thing, you can prep these things the night before. Just store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container or bag, and they’ll be ready to use when you are.
While the lentils don’t need to be pre-soaked, you should sort through them. You’ll be looking for discolored beans and bits of field debris that might have slipped through during the harvest/sorting process.
After that, you simply pour them into a colander or fine-mesh sieve and rinse with cold, running water. Let the water drain off and pour them into the slow cooker.
Why Lentils Are Good for You
This smoky vegetarian lentil soup features lentils which are plant superstars. And here are plenty of reasons to include them in your diet. Lentils are high in:
- protein – 13 grams in 1/4 cup uncooked
- fiber – 15 grams per serving
- complex carbohydrates
- potassium
But they are also low in:
- fat – 0.5 grams per serving
- calories – 108 calories per serving
Plus, lentils are a good source of iron which is so important for healthy oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
Smoky Vegetarian Lentil Soup
An easy, delicious, and nutritious slow cooker soup with a 15-minute prep time. It starts with one pound of dried lentils, diced aromatics, fire-roasted tomatoes, and seasonings. Gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours LOW
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
16-ounce bag of dried lentils, rinsed and drained
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, well-rinsed and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
14.5-ounce can of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 dried bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2–1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
Juice of half a lemon (1 Tablespoon)
Grated Parmesan cheese – optional garnish
Instructions
1. Rinse and drain: Pour dried lentils into a fine-mesh sieve and rinse with running water. Add the lentils to a 6-quart slow cooker. No soaking is needed.
2. Add: Add the celery, onion, carrots, garlic, and undrained tomatoes
3. Add: Add the dried thyme, smoked paprika, bay leaf, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and liquid smoke. Stir to combine.
4. Cook: With the lid on, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Cooking is complete when the lentils are delightfully tender.
5. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon (approximately 1 Tablespoon). Add to soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
