Name: Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 495 min
Ingredients: 2 cups red lentils (dried); 6 cups vegetable broth; 3 carrots (cut into chunks); 14 ounces tomatoes (canned, another ounce more is good too, depends on your can size); 6 ounces tomato paste; 1 onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic (very finely diced or minced); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/4 teaspoon chili powder; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup is so easy and the flavors are diverse and rich. It's a soup the whole family will love and they'll also want it over and over again.

A white bowl with rich orange soup has chunks of carrots popping up.

Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup is so tasty and it came out so good! The flavors are diverse and rich and my husband loves it.

There is something I have to tell you about Ed. He puts saltine crackers in every soup or chowder that he sees.

No question or thought - he just adds the saltines. Thank goodness he loves this with his signature saltines (oh, well).

I love it too, sans the crackers, and so will you. 🙂

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🥘 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
🥣 More Crockpot Soup Recipes
💭 How do you freeze red lentil soup
📋 Recipe

You can easily double this recipe. Just make sure your crock-pot will be big enough. That would be 8 servings.

This plant-based stew is loved by everyone and if it isn't gone on the first night the leftovers will be just as good.

Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup is an overhead closeup of rich orange lentil soup with pieces of carrot peeking out.

If you serve it with grilled panini sandwiches on the side then you will definitely have leftovers - or go back to the original recipe that serves 4.

And, of course, you can freeze leftovers for another night. That's always a good thing. Just reheat and serve - to all.

Have you ever heard of a 'dump' recipe? I think it all started with cakes where you mix everything in a pan and then bake.

Well, cooking has evolved and there are 'dump and go' recipes for slow cookers too. That is what I would call this recipe.

There is nothing missing and all the texture and spices are there. The difference is that you don't have to do any pre-sautéing or soaking.

The flavors and quality all come through.

A close-up of rich orange stew in a white bowl. A spoon is holding a big bite up to you, front and center.

All the flavors meld over the long period so that you can walk into your home smelling the great aroma of a home-cooked meal. It is truly a 'dump and go' soup and it tastes delicious.

🥘 Ingredients

Red lentils are sturdier than brown lentils.
Vegetable broth adds flavorful liquid for the soup.
Carrots are sweet and cut into very small pieces for quick cooking.
Tomatoes add lots of tasty juices.
Tomato paste adds rich flavors for the base of this soup.
Onion is the best base for so many recipes. They cook up sweet and taste great.
Garlic has a pungent flavor but when used sparingly it is delicious.
Lemon juice just a little bit to add a tangy flavor.
Ground cumin is also unusual but gives more of a tasty kick.
Dried basil has a peppery taste and wonderful aroma.
Dried thyme is very earthy and a little bit sweet, with a slight mint taste.
Chili powder the king of spices for this soup and adds spicy heat.
Black pepper adds a bit of contrasting spice.

Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup is a close-up of rich orange soup in a white bowl. A spoon is holding a big bite up to you.

🔪 Instructions

You don't have to pre-soak lentils. That makes this an even easier soup.
Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.
Add salt to taste, if needed.
This is what you could call a dump and go recipe.

I have a few more slow cooker soup recipes on the blog and here is another lentil one you might want to take a peek at.

It is Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Soup. Just a heads up. And how about a peek at what it looks like too?

Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Soup is rich colors of brown and orange with vegetables such as lentils, carrots and mushrooms.

🥣 More Crockpot Soup Recipes

Slow Cooker Exotic Mushroom Soup makes for a perfect romantic meal.
A classic - Slow Cooker Navy Bean Soup.
Slow Cooker Tomato Soup from Scratch is addictive.

You see, I love soup. I think everybody does and I'm not even at the end of making the ones I have swirling around in my mind.

There are already 25 soup recipes on my blog. Ha! Yeah, soup's good stuff!

Red lentil soup is also more of an unusual one and you get an extra bonus because it has so much protein.

💭 How do you freeze red lentil soup

IF FREEZING:
Let cool to room temperature. Package in rigid sided containers.
TO PREPARE AFTER FREEZING:
Remove from the freezer and put in the refrigerator overnight because it is a pretty solid mass and will take longer to defrost.
THE NIGHT OF SERVING:
Put all in a large saucepan and heat through. You can add more broth if you think it is too thick. Ready to serve.

If you take a photo of your red lentil soup I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer.

📋 Recipe