This Crockpot Lentil Soup is easy to make, budget-friendly, hearty and satisfying! Made with dried lentils, chopped vegetables, pantry spices, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and broth, it’s naturally gluten free, vegetarian and vegan.
I am having a moment with soup lately, especially this time of year when all I want to wear are all the warm and cozy things! Maybe it’s because I like to think of recipes like this slow cooker lentil soup kind of like a sweater but for my soul. A soul sweater, if you will.
Is that weird? Probably. Who knows. What I do know is that you’re going to want to dig into this big ‘ol bowl of comfort food as soon as possible.
Ingredients in Crockpot Lentil Soup
Ready to make one of the easiest and healthiest recipes ever? Here’s what you need:
- Dried lentils: I used a 1/2 pound of brown lentils, but you could also use green. (1/2 pound dried lentils = 1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- Veggies: Carrots, onions, celery and a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes really give the soup a great base of flavor that’s satisfying and filling.
- Herbs and spices: Bay leaf, garlic, cumin and oregano enhance the rich and earthy flavors of the lentils while not being too overpowering.
- Smokiness factor: To warm everything up just a tad, I added a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce as well as an extra tablespoon of just the adobo sauce by itself. If you don’t like spicy food, don’t worry – this recipe isn’t spicy at all! The pepper just adds a nice smoky note at the end without much spice.
- Broth: You can use either vegetable or chicken broth. I try to use low-sodium broth when possible so I can better control the amount of salt in the whole dish.
- Olive oil: I blend two tablespoons of this at the end along with a few cups of the cooked soup to add some creaminess and thickness.
- Acid: To brighten things up just a bit, I like to add a some teaspoons of vinegar. I used white wine vinegar but you could also use red wine or sherry vinegar.
How to make Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
The only significant hands on time you’ll spend is about 10-15 minutes in the beginning chopping the veggies.
After that, just throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker, secure the lid and cook it on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
Once the lentils are tender and fully cooked, carefully transfer about 4 cups of the soup into a large blender along with some olive oil. Give it a few pulses to make it creamy and smooth-ish, and then pour that back into the soup.
Add a couple of dashes of red wine vinegar and voila! Dinner is served.
I served this soup with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped cilantro, but you could also top it with some parmesan cheese, parsley and even more olive oil for extra creaminess.
And of course don’t forget some warm crusty bread!
More soup recipes to try
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound dried lentils (about 1 cup + 2 tablespoons), green or brown
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + 1 tablespoon sauce, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 5 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the olive oil and white wine vinegar to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours, until the lentils are tender.
- Discard the bay leaf and carefully ladle out about 4 cups of the soup into a large blender. Add the olive oil, cover and pulse a few times until semi-smooth and creamy looking.
- Pour the blended soup into the crockpot and add the white wine vinegar. Stir to combine, taste and season with more salt to taste.
- Serve with desired toppings like chopped cilantro, sour cream, shredded parmesan and crusty bread.
Isabel’s Tips:
- If the soup is too thick at the end, feel free to mix in some more broth at the end until it’s just right.
- This soup isn’t spicy at all. The amount of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce just add a nice warmth but not much spice. If you’d like it with a little more spice, I recommend doubling the amount of chipotle peppers.
Nutrition Information
I’ve made this several times and it’s really good! I use an immersion blender and that works well!
Chipotle addition was on point, ended up using 2.
Hi Isabel – I’d like to add a few more vegetables. Would you recommend for or against zucchini, mushrooms, baby sweet peppers (or any other ideas)…?
Hello! All of those vegetables sound great!
Do I have to take some soup out to blend? Or can I just eat it as it. Will the lentils cream on their on
Hi! You can skip that step if you don’t mind missing out on the creaminess. The blending helps create a creamier and smoother soup.
Just finished my second batch. It was a hit! I substituted mild picante sauce for the peppers and diced tomatoes (because I didn’t have the peppers, and I’m “long” on picante sauce which I got a killer deal on.) I was perusing other lentil soup recipes and saw one with pumpkin added. I had some home grown pumpkin left from Holiday pies, so I added some. It seemed to “deepen” the flavor without tasting like some Frankenstein Pumpkin Spice nightmare. Hope I didn’t offend you be going off the reservation. The recipe is pretty basic and easy to follow which I appreciate-and it yields some awesome Lentil Soup! Thanks!
Loved this recipe! Great smoky chipotle flavor. Such a great comfort soup on a cool evening!
I don’t have any of the chipotle pepper in adobe sauce ingredient. But I do have ground chipotle pepper. Will that work as a substitute or do you have another suggestion?
Hi! You can use chipotle powder with a little bit of tomato paste or sauce as a substitute in this case. Just give it a mix and then a taste. It should be spicy, but not too spicy.
How many cups of broth are to be used?
Hi! This recipe calls for 5 cups of vegetable or chicken broth.
This was delicious and so simple. Does it freeze well?
Hi Lisa, yes it does!
This sounds delicious! Can this be made in a regular crockpot/ Dutch oven (i don’t have a slow cooker)? How long to cook it for and at what temp?
Amazing! I turned myself on with how good this came out, lol. I didn’t have any carrots, so I tossed in the last 4ish tablespoons of homemade pumpkin puree and a leftover half-eaten sweet potato (that had cinnamon in it). I also didn’t have chipotles in adobo or fire roasted tomatoes, so I added a jalapeno, a splash of mirin, a farm fresh heirloom tomato, and a little bit of tomato paste. So good!!!
We made this the other night and I just want to tell you that it was OUTSTANDING. We’re definitely going to make this part of our regular soup rotation. The white wine vinegar at the end sent it over-the-top delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It’s a keeper! 🙂
Is the blending step necessary?
Hi Kaitlyn, the blending step isn’t necessary but it definitely helps with texture.
This is the 4th time I’ve made it and everybody loves it!
Is there a difference between red and white wine vinegar? I see you’ve used them interchangeably? Which one is preferred?
I typically prefer white wine vinegar because it has a slightly more subtle flavor than red wine vinegar.
Made this tonight as is and was so flavorful and delicious. Only thing I will do differently next time is double the recipe for more leftovers!
That makes me so happy, Amber. So glad you liked it!