This slow cooker vegetarian lentil soup is made only with vegetables and is perfect for real life when your fridge drawers have to be cleaned out and you wish you could just throw everything in a crock pot and go to work. If you leave house early, you can prepare all ingredients in the evening and just plug in the slow cooker in the morning. And with this kind of lentil soup, the longer it cooks, the better it gets – potatoes and lentils get their chance to break down, making soup creamier and heartier.
I used zero salt, adding soy sauce instead for an umami flavour that meat broth based soups have. You would never guess this soup is vegan, and it’s so filling. My kids called it “the best soup ever”, and that is before I topped their bowls with tortilla chips. Soup season is here (although in my house it is year round), turn on your slow cooker (extra ideas: 9 healthy slow cooker soup recipes) and go enjoy beautiful Fall days!
Tips for Best Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
- For this soup I like to dice the vegetables instead of chopping. I also like to add corn to many soups because it adds sweetness, especially since it’s one of affordable organic vegetables sold in Costco => my healthy Costco shopping list.
- All ingredients get dumped in a slow cooker, no onions have to be sautéed.
- Instead of a vegetable broth I like to use organic vegetable bouillon cubes sold in many grocery stores – they are cheaper than cartons and I don’t have to worry about an open carton not fully used and going bad.
- To make soup hearty and creamy without cream insert an immersion blender and give a few pulses until your desired texture. Don’t forget to stir in between the pulses.
How to Turn Slow Cooker Lentil Soup Into a Freezer Meal
Add all ingredients in the order listed in the recipe minus water, spinach and garlic and freeze uncooked in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Cook from frozen with 10 or 14 cups of water for 20 minutes. Do quick release, then add spinach and garlic.
Check out my full list of healthy freezer meals. I’m obsessed!
How to Make Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
- Chop the vegetables, rinse lentils and prepare other ingredients.
- 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 and serve hot.
- Garnish with whatever your soup heart is set on that day – mine changes its mind every time because I’m a girl?!:)
Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
This Slow Cooker Lentil Soup is the best set-and-forget healthy vegetarian soup with hearty texture and umami flavour. Just turn on your crockpot and walk away.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 7 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 3 large celery stalks, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 4 cups potatoes, diced
- 2 cups corn, frozen
- 1 1/2 cups green lentils, rinsed & drained
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (I used Bragg liquid aminos)
- 3 bay leaves
- 5 whole peppercorns
- 9 cups vegetable broth*
- Garnishes: green onion, cilantro, parsley, Greek yogurt, cheese, tortilla chips
Instructions
- 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.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Freezer Meal: In a large Ziploc bag, add all ingredients (except broth (water) and garnishes), release out air as much as possible, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in a bowl/sink with hot water for 10 minutes, transfer to slow cooker, add water and cook as per instructions + 1 hour.
Make Ahead: In a large air tight container, Ziploc bag, bowl with a lid or slow cooker’s insert, add all ingredients (except garnishes) and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Cook as per instructions.
Notes
*Alternatively you can use 2 organic low sodium vegetable bouillon cubes (like GoBio brand sold in many grocery stores) and 9 cups of water.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
Looks delicious! Does this recipe fit in a 6 quart or 8 quart crock pot? Five people are planning to make this recipe this week for a soup kitchen to feed the homeless but some of us only have 6 quart pots…will this recipe fit in that size?
Yes. I’m not sure what was my size but it was average, nothing huge. Any large would do.
Fantastic flavour! Entire family enjoyed!
★★★★★
I’m wondering if you can just season with black pepper instead of using the peppercorns as I never have them . Can you suggest a good amount to use if so? Thanks. I’m almost 60 and just starting to eat vegan. I love soups so I’ll be making lots!!
Yes, for sure. To taste. Just crack a bit, stir and taste. Repeat if necessary.:)
Eating less animal products is next best thing you can do for your health!
Olena, you’re hot stuff!! Interesting the no-salt bouillon cubes. I’ll try them. and this fab recipe and report back. Big wow!
You are funny.:) I’m good with soups, learnt it from my mom, one thing she can cook well.
Hi Olena, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes. I am not a cook but I really need to start being better at it. This is probably a stupid question but I need to ask. The recipe says to use 9 cups of vegetable broth but you said you used 2 organic vegetable cubes. Does that mean that I would use 2 vegetable cubes and just add 9 cups of water? See I told you I don’t cook lol.
Hi Lauri. No ta stupid question, in fact I got so many questions about cubes, I will add that option to a recipe. Yes, correct – 2 cubes + 9 cups of water. On a package with cubes there are insructions how to dilute cubes, mine say 3 cups of water, but that is approximate, 1 more or less wouldn’t matter.
Thank you very much!
Oh my! This looks so delicious. I already pinned this recipe. When the cooler weather comes, this will be the first soup I make to warm us up. I really enjoy your recipes and blog. Thank you for all you do and for keeping it real. It’s very refreshing!?
Thanks, Annette. Lucky you to enjoy hot T, still. Here, summer is already gone and it’s so sad. Oh, well…
How many bouillon cubes do you use for this recipe? I don’t usually use those, but just bought some at the grocery store. Also, I noticed they had some regular bouillon and then some bouillon without salt added. Which do you use? I just bought the regular ones. Thanks. Looks great! Love lentils. I also make your green lentil curry recipe in my slow cooker 🙂
I used 2 cubes. I buy organic low or no (can’t remember) sodium ones, GoBio http://www.gobiofood.com/organic-bouillons-organic-bouillon-cubes-c-358_359.html They should be available in different brands everywhere. I never buy not organic but organic ones have no crap and are so darn convenient and cheaper than cartons of stock. I love lentils too. On my list is half meatless bolognese sauce with lentils.
This looks delicious! Just a quick question. The recipe says to remove the bay leaves and peppercorns and onion. Did you really mean the onion?? Thanks, Joanna
Lol no. Please don’t remove onions haha. I will fix that, copied by mistake from another recipe.