Cozy Slow Cooker Spicy Lentil Soup! An easy, veggie-packed, set-and-forget recipe that's packed with flavor, budget-friendly, filling, and healthy. Perfect for fall/winter nights!
Soup season is definitely the best season, and this super cozy Slow Cooker Spicy Lentil Soup is perfect for warming you up on chilly evenings.
It's a great meal for when you are pushed for time in the evenings. Throw it all in before you leave in the morning, let the slow cooker do the work, and a delicious soup will be ready and waiting for you at the end of a long day at work.
The Ingredients
This soup is loaded with healthy, wholesome ingredients:
- Veggies - Onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Our flavorbase. A great soup is all about building lots of layers of flavor and these provide the very first layer.
- Chili peppers - Banana, poblano, or Anaheim peppers all work well. They are all mild chili peppers and provide really gentle heat and gorgeous earthy, fruity, smoky flavor. Really not a fan of chili? You could use some green bell peppers instead.
- Potatoes - White potatoes or sweet potatoes work well. I like to use a mix of both for extra flavor and texture.
- Lentils - A mix of green lentils (or brown) and red lentils. The red lentils more or less dissolve and work to thicken the soup whilst the green/brown ones stay whole and give texture. If you sub the green for all red your soup will end up thicker and if you sub all green for the red it will be thinner. It won't affect the flavor too much though so if you are ok with this use any combo you like.
- Tomatoes - Canned or fresh. You can even use crushed tomatoes.
- Veg stock & water - A mix of both. There is loads of flavor from all of the veggies so we don't need all of the liquid going in to be veg stock. Might as well save some pennies where we can!
It's a really versatile recipe so feel free to use up any fresh herbs or veggies that you have lurking in the fridge. Additions that work really well include diced swede, zucchini, green cabbage, kale (added in the last hour), spinach (added in the last 10 minutes), oregano, or thyme.
How To Make Spicy Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
Can't wait to make Spicy Lentil Soup in your slow cooker? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through each step
- Peel and chop the veggies.
- Open a can of tomatoes and a carton of veggie broth.
- Throw it all in the slow cooker.
- Add some seasoning and water.
- Turn on the slow cooker and cook for 5 to 8 hours.
The red lentils melt and thicken the soup beautifully, and the potatoes become soft and melting. It's great as it is but if you prefer a thicker, stewier-style soup, then give it a few blitzes with an immersion blender, or scoop out a couple of cups and blend them in a blender before returning to the slow cooker.
Prepping The Veggies Ahead
There's quite a bit of chopping involved, but no sautéing anything (unless you want to) and you don't need to pre-cook the lentils. This means it's great for prepping ahead. Peel and chop the veggies and pop them in a container in the fridge. The potatoes will need to be kept in a pot of water so they don't brown. In the morning you can just throw everything into the slow cooker, add the lentils, seasonings and liquid, then turn the slow cooker on as you head out the door.
Serving Suggestions
This Cozy Slow Cooker Spicy Lentil Soup is amazing with some big chunks of fresh crusty bread, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese.
It's also great spooned into a deep bowl over a fluffy pile of rice. Perfect for using up leftover cooked rice or for stretching it to feed even more mouths.
Storage Tips
This crockpot lentil soup recipe makes a great big pot and it reheats beautifully. Perfect for leftovers! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
Lentil Soup Recipe FAQs
This soup can be cooked in a large soup pan on the stovetop. Saute the onions in a little oil until golden brown. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Add all of the other ingredients, cover with a lid, & simmer until just starting to bubble. Turn down to low and cook for around 2 hours, or until the vegetables are really tender. Be sure to stir occasionally while it is cooking. Prefer it a little thicker? Blitz a few times with an immersion blender before serving.
Yes! Saute the veggies, then add the stock and really scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any cooked-on bits. Add everything else, cover and seal the Instant Pot, then set to cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes of high pressure, allow the cooker to release pressure naturally. Prefer it a little thicker? Blitz a few times with an immersion blender before serving.
More Soup Recipes
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Spicy Lentil Soup
Author:Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes , diced (white or sweet or a mix of both)
- 2 large carrots , cut into generous chunks
- 2 ribs celery , sliced thinly
- 1 large onion , diced
- 1 medium bell pepper , diced
- 2 poblano, Anaheim, or banana peppers
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 1 cup (240 mls) canned diced tomatoes , or 1 cup of diced fresh tomatoes
- ½ cup (100 grams) green or brown lentils , dry
- ½ cup (100 grams) red lentils , dry
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups (960 mls) vegetable stock
- 4 cups (960 mls) water
- 1 teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper , plus more to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all ingredients into a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours.
- When nearly ready to serve check seasoning & scoop out the bay leaf.
- If you would like to thicken it a little blitz it a couple of times with an immersion blender, or scoop out 2 to 3 cups and blend in a regular blender, then return to the slow cooker.
CGOhio says
I rated it 4 stars only because the flavor to me was bland. The soup is easy to make and healthy. I added kale which I pureed in a food processor only because I had it on hand and needed to use it before it went bad (and pureeing it hides it from the people that consume it!). I added quinoa to make the protein complete--~1/4 cup which may need to be increased to a 1/2 cup but worked well (quinoa has very little flavor but is a complete protein so makes a great addition to any vegan recipe short on complex proteins). I did not use water as listed in the recipe--only organic vegetable broth for the entire 8 cups. Again, the flavor was very bland, in my humble opinion, so I added cumin (lots of it, a tablespoon or two, as it seemed appropriate for this recipe), parsley, cilantro, Cajun seasoning, Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt (my preference over regular salt), Jane's Crazy Mixed up Pepper, and Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Garlic seasonings, white ground up pepper, along with the recipe recommended seasonings of fresh ground pepper. After the additional seasonings and a few spins with the immersion blender, as recommended in the recipe, it turned out fabulous!
Stephanie says
Hello,
I have made this Soup last weekend and all I can say is that I loved it. The flavor and texture was just soul pleasing. I don't know how else I can describe it. It just made me happy. Completely warm and happy.
Thank you for the recipe. I have to do this one again, very soon
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Stephanie!
Val says
Another great soup recipe from you!
Ginny says
Simple and delicious! Loved it!
Jenn says
Not only does the crockpot make this super easy, but it also makes the house smells awesome all day! Score! It was so comforting.