The Best Easy Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

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This simple slow cooker lentil soup with herbs, veggies and a drizzle of peppery olive oil and shavings of parmesan cheese will become a new favourite. Thick and hearty, packed with flavour and nutrition, it's so easy to make.

Easy slow cooker lentil soup in a white bowl

I'm a very big fan of lentils. They're so versatile and can be used in so many recipes. They take on many different flavours, like with this lentil dhal, this Turkish lentil soup or the ham and lentil soup and the one-pot lentils with bacon. Lentils are cheap, they cook quickly and they're absolutely packed with nutrition.

But all of those qualities aside, when red lentils get cooked, especially in the slow cooker like this soup, they turn rich and creamy with a slightly nutty flavour. They pair seamlessly with tender sweet carrots, potatoes, celery lots of herbs and cracked black pepper and a splash of red or white wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon. The drizzle of olive oil and chopped fresh parsley are non-negotiable.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients needed
Step By Step Instructions
Recipe FAQ's
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This red lentil soup is thick and hearty while still being completely nutritious.
It's all made in the slow cooker, so it's the perfect make-ahead meal.
The flavour and texture of this soup are made for winter. Thick and chunky, hearty and comforting.
All the ingredients get added to the slow cooker and left to get on with it. No precooking required.

Ingredients needed

Aldi ingredients for slow cooker red lenitl soup

red lentils
carrots
celery
onion
garlic
potatoes
thyme
worcestershire sauce
vegetable stock
kale
dried herbs- bay leaves, basil, oregano, sage
for serving- olive oil, parmesan cheese, fresh parsley

See the recipe card for quantities.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1 & 2

Chop the veggies and place all the ingredients except the kale in the bowl of a slow cooker. Pour in the vegetable stock and leave to cook on medium for 3 hours, until the lentils are softened and the vegetables are cooked.
Add in the kale in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

vegetables and herbs in the crockpot for lentil soup

Step 3 & 4

Once the soup is cooked, remove ⅓ of the soup to a food processor or blender and blend until thick and smooth. Add it back to the slow cooker and stir well. Squeeze in the lemon juice or splash in the red wine vinegar.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. *You will be completely intoxicated by the smells of this soup, but you may question my skills when you see it before it's blended and finished. Just trust me. Sometimes food that is so completely delicious doesn't look as gorgeous as we think it should!

Recipe FAQ's

Do I need to cook the lentils first?

No need to cook or even rinse the lentils first. Simply add them to the slow cooker.

Can I use different lentils instead of red?

You can, but there will be a difference. Let me explain.
1. Brown lentils are a very common variety. They have a rich earthy taste and cook in about 20-30 minutes.
2. Green lentils also called French lentils are glossy have an almost peppery flavour. They take the longest to cook at 40-50 minutes and keep their shape once cooked, meaning they don't blend well.
3. Red lentils are the sweetest and nuttiest of all the lentils. They blend well and cook quickly.
So, I would suggest brown or red lentils rather than green.

Can I just use tinned lentils?

You can. However, by doing that you will want to make a couple of very minor adjustments.
Start by adding in all the ingredients except the lentils. Let the vegetables cook on medium for 2.5 hours. Then add in the drained tinned lentils and cook for a further 30 minutes and carry on with the recipe as indicated.

Can I use spinach instead of kale?

Kale is a very hearty green leafy vegetable that stands up well to cooking. And the texture goes well with the thick texture of this lentil soup. Spinach is a much finer leaf and will disappear into this soup.

Variations

I've already listed the different recipes with lentils but you can also change up this recipe with some variations.

Spicy - add chili pepper flakes during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Deluxe - Top with bacon bits.
Extra veggies - Add in some roasted mushrooms, swede or sweet potato... or all of the above.

Equipment

Again, you don't need much for making this soup, at all. A good slow cooker- this is the one that I have and I love it- or you can read about the best ones on the market if you're in need of a new one.

Storage

Lentil soup stores like a dream. As with so many slow cooker recipes, they are better the next day and stand up to freezing really well.

Fridge- Cool as quickly as possible and store in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezer- Cool quickly and place in either a food-safe freezer bag or an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat- Place in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until the soup is piping hot all the way through. If you forget to take the soup out the night before, you can run the container until cold running water until partially defrosted and then reheat.

Need help with meal planning? You can find our (Aldi ingredients only) weekly meal plans here! Sign up to receive them free every week or take our quick meal planning course and grab the blank meal planner and use all these recipes to create your own meal plans. Follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.

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