Can I Make Lentil Soup With A Crock Pot
Though I havent tried before with this particular recipe, it should work well. For the best results, start by sauteing the various ingredients on the stovetop . Then transfer those to a crockpot/slow cooker with all the remaining ingredients . Cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Before serving, stir in the remaining ingredients- voila!
You may need an additional cup or so of vegetable broth if the lentil soup looks a little too thick/dry.
How Many Calories In Lentil Soup
If you followed the recipe I gave you above, a single serving should give you about 310 calories. If you add any additional dishes to your meal or some extra seasonings or garnishes to the soup, youll change the calorie count. Keep in mind that because lentil soup is pretty filling and packs a lot of protein, there may not be need for other dishes. It may provide enough calories and energy on its own.
This is a nutrient rich dish thats a great source of iron and a single serving can contain almost all the fiber you need for the day. Its a healthy dish that vegans and vegetarians can both enjoy. To make it vegan friendly, change out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Tip For Making The Best Lentil Soup
There is honestly no perfect way to make this soup, and that is what I LOVE about it. However, I have found a handy tip for making this the best lentil soup:
Do not overcook the lentils.
Whether this is your first time making lentil soup or your thousandth time, I cannot stress this enough. Make sure to not overcook the lentils, or else they will become extremely mushy.
That will not affect the taste of this yummy soup, but the mushy lentils thicken the soup and give it a different, less pleasant consistency.
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Easy Lentil Soup Recipe
This is the best lentil soup recipe I’ve ever tasted!
Plus, it’s easy and quick enough for a weeknight meal.
Its quick, has the most delicious flavor, AND is packed with vital nutrients. Whats not to love?!
Lentil soup is incredibly easy to make and so inexpensive. It is seriously one of my favorite main dishes to make for a quick dinner.
Even with organic ingredients, you can make a giant pot of soup that will feed 6-8 people for less than $10. Sign. Me. Up!
What are lentils? Lentils are legumes, similar to peanuts and soybeans. The pulse is what we traditionally think of as a lentil.
What Type Of Lentils Are Best For Lentil Soup
Dried lentils are best for lentil soup. You can use most types of lentils for this recipe brown, green, red or yellow, though it will affect the colour of the soup. Ive used green lentils, pictured below.
The only type of lentil I do not recommend is Puy Lentils because they hold their shape and dont soften like other lentils.
Can you used canned cooked lentils?
Yes you sure can, and directions are provided in the recipe notes. But its better made with dried lentils because of the texture in the soup, theres only 10 minutes difference in cook time and its more economical!
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Change The Soups Consistency
If you find that the soup is too thick, you can add a little water to it. Be sure to add some salt and pepper for extra seasoning.
For a thicker soup, you can put the soup into a blender and spin it a couple of times. You can do that with just some of the soup or all of it, depending on how thick you want the soup to be.
The Very Best Lentil Soup
When it comes to Lentil Soups, they donât get much more satisfying than this one! Itâs a bare bones soup, meaning you wonât find any unnecessary frills or complicated steps here. Itâs a classic recipe thatâs the definition of tried and true!
With that being said, itâs also anything but bland. The medley of mouthwatering spices and mix of fresh veggies keep this thick Lentil Soup plenty flavorful. Oh, and that squeeze of fresh lemon juice right at the end is like the cherry on top!
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What Makes It The Best
- The ingredients are inexpensive! In fact, you likely already have the majority of these ingredients in your kitchen now. If you donât, this recipe is a great excuse to start stockpiling all of your inexpensive cooking essentials!
- Itâs so filling. The amount of protein-packed lentils and nutritious fresh veggies in this thick soup make it wonderfully filling! Trust me, this Lentil Soup always hits the spot and satisfies everyone around the table.
- The flavor is truly delicious! Smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, and just a touch of salt create a flavorful medley of spices that make this soup downright delicious. And since youâre making this soup at home, you can alter the spices however you see fit!
Which Lentils Are Best For Lentil Soup
We chose French green lentils, also known as Le Puy, grown in a region of central France, for this recipe. They are small and darkalmost purple in appearanceand hold their shape during cooking. They also take longer to cook than other varieties.
If you cant find French lentils, you can substitute almost any other variety. You will need to adjust the water and cooking time to achieve the consistency you want, but this is an eyeball it situationits not hard!
Green lentils are our first substitution choice. They are large and flat, and stay fairly firm when cooked. Just cook the soup long enough to soften the lentilscheck it every 10 minutes or so after the 20-minute mark.
Brown, yellow, and red lentils are a good next choice. They tend to cook quickly and dont hold their shape particularly well. If you substitute Puy lentils with any of these, watch them closely. They can easily turn to mush, and you want some shape and texture for this soup.
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Do I Use Fresh Or Canned Lentils
It’s really up to you and the amount of time you have available. I prefer to use dried lentils when making soups. I will soak and rinse them off before adding them to my lentil soup. Just keep in mind that some lentils varieties take longer to cook than others.
Canned lentils also work really well. The main issue with canned lentils in my opinion is the added sodium. It will sometimes make the soup too salty so just be mindful of that.
How To Make French Lentil Soup
Begin with the prep. I like to chop the bacon, onions, and celery very fine, so they arent too discernible in the finished soup. However, I keep the carrots a bit larger so they dont disappear.
To make the bacon easy to dice, wrap the slices you need in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. They will be a bit stiffer when you remove them and much easier easier to cut.
Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Dont be tempted to discard the bacon fat before you add the vegetables to the pot youll need to cook the vegetables and it also adds flavor.
Add the olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.
Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 45 to 50 minutes .
Using an immersion blender, purée the soup a little bit at a time until the broth is slightly thickened. Go easy if you purée the soup too much, it will get too thick and youll lose the integrity of the lentils. If you dont have an immersion blender, simply transfer a few cups of the soup to a standard blender and purée, then return the blended soup to the pot.
Season to taste and adjust the consistency if necessary .
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
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How To Make Lentil Soup:
I have included detailed instructions in the full recipe below for how to make this lentil soup in either an Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop. But here is a quick overview:
Hearty Red Lentil Soup
My red lentil soup invites us all to sit down and enjoy the richness of Autumn in a soup. A hearty, filling meal to enjoy all season long.
A spiced lentil soup full of warm, rich flavors might best be served in a sweater with a good book. Or over a dinner table with loved ones. Or in a mug while taking in soccer practice. Let’s be honest, this red lentil soup can be enjoyed anywhere, anytime. It’s a filling soup recipe that will leave you satisfied.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Lentil Soup is creamy, thick, filling and nourishing.
Tastes delicious, with a hint of cumin that works beautifully with the lentils.
Easy and quick to make.
Only 7 simple ingredients.
A creamy blended lentil soup.
Healthy and nourishing.
How many calories in this recipe? 218 calories per bowl.
How much protein in this lentil soup? 11g per bowl.
How many carbs are in this recipe? 33g per bowl.
Can I cook this lentil soup in a crock pot or slow cooker? Yes! Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.
What Is In Lentil Soup
Depending on where in the world the soup is being put together, it may have different ingredients. In India, lentil soup may have a lot of different fragrant spices. In the Caribbean, lentil soup is often made with coconut milk and chopped onions to make it creamy and chunky at the same time. In the southern United States, lentil soup usually includes carrots and other veggies to make it more of a vegetable soup.
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How To Make Lentil Soup From Scratch
You these easy-to-follow instructions and images to make this delicious Lentil soup recipe from scratch:
Add the onions to a large pot with olive oil over low to medium heat and cook until completely caramelized. This may take up to 45 minutes but do not skip out on this part as this is where a lot of the flavor of the soup will come from.
Next, add in the carrots, celery, and garlic and cook for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until very lightly browned and tender.
Stir in the cumin and coriander until combined with the vegetables.
Pour the rinsed lentils, potatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock and stir to combine.
Add a lid and cook over low to medium heat for 35-45 minutes or until the lentils are very tender.
Next, using a hand emersion blender, pulse blend the soup until about half of it is pureed. This will help thicken the soup. If you do not have an emersion blender, blend half of the soup in a regular blender until thick. Please also remember to remove the center part of the cap when blending so that it does not explode.
Adjust the seasonings of the lentil soup with salt, pepper, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
How To Make Spicy Carrot And Lentil Soup
If you want to make a healthy soup, you can use different kinds of vegetables. Carrots are usually added to dishes as well as soups. They are rich in Vitamin A, mineral antioxidants and dietary fiber. Carrot and lentil is a soup that you can make. Lentils are rich in protein, minerals, vitamin B1 and dietary fiber. Using carrots and lentils for cooking will not only make your menu delicious but also nutritious. To make your carrot and lentil soup even more appetizing, you can make it spicy. You can adjust the taste according to your preference. You can make it very hot or just slightly hot.
Here are the steps on how to make spicy carrot and lentil soup.
Put the soup on a serving bowl and its ready to eat! Your spicy carrot and lentil soup will fill an empty stomach and this will also satisfy your taste buds.
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Flavor Boosters For This Vegetarian And Vegan Lentil Soup
The best way to create depth of flavor for this vegetarian soup is to caramelize the onions, toast the tomato paste and add loads of carrots and celery.
- Caramelizing onions is simply a process of browning them slowly in the pan. They eventually shrink and become a little sticky, and the sugar in the onions becomes more pronounced. If the bottom of the pan browns before the onions are soft, add water, a tablespoon at a time to scrape up the brown bitsit soon evaporates and helps color and flavor the onions.
- Toasting tomato paste in the pot is another trick to add intense flavor. It just takes a few minutes of stirring until it turns dark and ruddy.
- The final trick is to add plenty of carrots and celery. They are the supporting actors and essentially provide the same amount of flavor as vegetable stock would.
What Youll Need To Make My Favorite Lentil Soup
The first time I had lentil soup I wasnt really expecting to like it. I thought it was going to be bland and boring, but thanks to a combination of spices and fresh lemon, it tasted amazing and so comforting. I make this soup during every season, its that good!
The ingredients needed to make lentil soup are simple and most are probably sitting in your kitchen already. Heres what youll need:
- Lentils I use brown, red, or French lentils to make the soup and add them uncooked. The lentils cook up to be soft, plus I love the nutritional benefits of lentils. They are high in fiber, B vitamins, iron, protein, and are low in fat.
- Garlic, onion and carrots add nutrients, texture, and color to the soup.
- Ground cumin, ground coriander, and ground turmeric add spice and color.
- Broth For a vegetarian/vegan lentil soup, use veggie broth or use chicken broth .
- Kale or spinach add even more nutrition to the soup.
- Fresh lemon is a must for this soup. It makes all the flavors really pop. I even add slices of lemon to the bowls when serving.
- Fresh herbs are optional, but when I have it on hand I love adding a handful of fresh dill or parsley.
Love lentils? We love lentils and have devoted an entire article about them. Read all about the different varieties of lentils as well as how to cook them. See our Ultimate Guide to Lentils. We also use them to make these vegan eatballs .
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How To Make Spiced Lentil Soup
This soup does have a few more components than some, yet it’s 100% worth it at first bite. Here’s how I make my Red Lentil Soup:
Boom! Soup is served. I like to top mine with cilantro, avocado and red pepper flakes for a bit of healthy fat and spice to finish up this masterpiece.
The Steps For Making The Best Lentil Soup
Like quite a few of the soup recipes on Inspired Taste, this lentil soup is very simple to make. Lets quickly walk through the steps:
Step 1: Cook onions and carrots in a large pot until they begin to soften and are starting to smell sweet. If you have them in the fridge, celery or fennel would be lovely added to the pot, too.
Step 2: Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. I only cook the aromatics for 30 seconds or so. This short time allows the garlic and spices to warm up, which I think helps them release even more flavor to the soup.
Step 3: Rinse and pick through the lentils. I add the lentils dry to the pot, but before doing that, I make sure to rinse them under running water. I also quickly look through them to make sure anything that isnt a lentil is removed .
Step 4: Add the lentils and broth. With almost all the soup ingredients in the pot, I bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the lentils are soft. This takes 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 5: Taste and season the soup then stir in greens. Whether you use kale or spinach in the soup, you only need to cook them for a few minutes before serving.
Step 6: Add fresh lemon juice and fresh herbs. Just before serving, I squeeze lots of fresh lemon juice into the soup. This brightens all the flavors and really makes the soup taste fresh and fantastic. Fresh herbs like dill or parsley are also a nice touch.
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