Vegetarian Crockpot Lentil Soup

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/19/22
Vegetarian Crockpot Lentil Soup

The Spruce Eats

 
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 8 hrs
Soak Time: 2 hrs
Total: 10 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
544 Calories
14g Fat
98g Carbs
31g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 544
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3364mg 146%
Total Carbohydrate 98g 36%
Dietary Fiber 39g 139%
Protein 31g
Calcium 386mg 30%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This is a super-easy vegetarian crock pot recipe: Just put all the ingredients for this easy lentil and vegetable soup in your slow cooker in the morning and forget about it until the end of the day. Lentil soup is hearty enough for a main dish, but you could always add extra vegetables to make it even more filling. 

Lentils are inexpensive, quicker to cook than dried beans, and full of healthy fiber and protein, which makes them great for anyone on a budget, vegetarians, vegans, and anyone looking for a filling, low-calorie meal.

All of the ingredients in this recipe are vegetarian and vegan, and, if you need this crockpot recipe to be gluten-free as well, just use a gluten-free or homemade vegetable broth so you know what's in it. This lentil soup is compatible with the slow carb diet. 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups lentils
  • 4 cups water for soaking lentils
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 onion (diced)
  • 3 ribs celery (sliced)
  • 2 carrots (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients
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  2. Pre-soak the lentils in water for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Drain, discarding soak water.

    soak lentils
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  3. Stir together lentils with all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on medium heat in the crockpot for 8 to 10 hours.

    cook with veggies
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  4. Enjoy your crockpot lentil soup!

Using an Instant Pot Instead of a Crock Pot

Most slow-cooker recipes are referring to the traditional Crock Pot style cooker, which has low, medium and high settings. They're fairly low-tech but easy to use. 

If you have an Instant Pot, which is a slow cooker that doubles as a pressure cooker, you have a few extra options for cooking this soup and other recipes. You'll have to adjust the settings and use the proper lid, and most pressure-cooker recipes require more liquid to produce the necessary steam. But you can speed up your cooking time if you use an Instant Pot. 

Check out these tips for converting slow cooker or Crock Pot recipes to Instant Pot versions.

Other Slow Cooker Soup Recipes

Here are some popular soups, including creamy chowders, vegetable soups, and meaty main dish soups in 24 fabulous soups for the slow cooker​.