Description
This Slow Cooker Curried Lentil Soup only takes about 10 minutes to prep, then let the crock-pot do the rest of the work to make this delicious, healthier vegetarian comfort food.
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock*
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder**
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups roughly-chopped baby spinach
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus extra lemon slices for serving
- salt and pepper
- chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for topping
Instructions
- Add the garlic, carrots, onion, stock, lentils, curry powder, cumin, and bay leaves to the bowl of a 4-quart or 6-quart slow cooker, and stir to combine.
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the lentils are tender.
- Stir in the baby spinach and lemon juice until combined.
- Taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste. (I used about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, but the saltiness of the soup will vary based on your type of stock.)
- Serve warm, garnished with lots of chopped cilantro and extra lemon slices, if desired.
Notes
*If you’re making this soup vegetarian or vegan, go with vegetable stock. ;) Also, if you want to make this gluten-free, double-check and be sure that all of the labels on your ingredients are certified gluten-free.
**I highly recommend using Madras-style curry powder for this recipe. It adds a little extra heat, which I love. (I used this brand, which I recommend.) Also, if you’re new to making curried dishes and aren’t familiar with these spices, feel free to wait and add them in at the very end, and just add a teaspoon or so at a time until it tastes good to you.