Warm up your belly with this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili Soup – it’s hearty and healthy.
Are you surviving the winter so far? I’ll be honest. There have been a few days where I wouldn’t have left the house if it weren’t for our little puppy who’s still in potty training mode.
I’ve been making lots of soup lately, from homemade chicken broth using leftover roasted chicken bones, to heartier soups like this lentil soup I’m sharing today.
I love lentil soup and I love chili, so recently, I made a big pot of this Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili Soup to share with a good friend of mine. It’s near impossible to make a small recipe for soup, so I either end up freezing a few containers or giving them to friends.
I find soups are a great way to get my son to eat vegetables too. There are usually a few different veggies tucked into the soups I make, and now that it’s so cold here in Connecticut, he seems to enjoy having a hot bowl of soup at dinnertime.
This lentil soup has chili seasonings so it’s very flavorful and comforting. High in fiber and protein, it will satisfy you while helping you stay on a healthy track. This version is vegan, but you could use chicken broth if you like.
Top it with sliced avocado, a few jalapeno slices if you dare and fresh scallions.
Slow Cooker Lentil Chili Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onions chopped (~ 1 1/2 cups)
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots chopped (~ 1 cup)
- 1 celery stalk chopped (~ 1 cup)
- 1 green bell pepper chopped (~ 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 15 ounces organic tomato sauce
- 15 ounces organic diced tomatoes
- 2 cups dried lentils picked through for stones, rinsed and drained
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small skillet, toast whole cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant; grind in a coffee grinder. Heat oil in large pot. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery and bell pepper. Saute until onions are softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add ground cumin and coriander seeds, chili powder, oregano, mustard and cayenne pepper. Saute another minute. Add tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes; season to taste with salt. Transfer mixture to slow cooker and add lentils and broth. Cook on high for 8 hours.
Looks delicious! Utah is having such a mild winter; I keep pinching myself.
Thanks Kalyn! We haven’t had much snow yet but it’s been pretty cold lately.
It looks so warming and flavourful!
Looks delicious and flavorful. I will definitely have to give this a try during our next NY cold spell!
Yum! You know I’ve never actually used my slow cooker for soup or chili, haha!
Jeanette you sure are right – it’s not even that cold where I live but some days I just wanna stay indoors allday! I am ready for some summer temperatures! But, till then, soups like this brilliant lentil chili will have to keep me warm! Love the cumin and coriander seeds in this!
Yum this looks delicious! I love hearty, meatless soups!!
Did you get a new puppy? I just bought a big bag of lentils from Costco. . I’m going to try this!!! Maybe this weekend. . it’s supposed to snow tomorrow and this weekend so Lord know we will need soup!!! love this!
Alice – we just got a puppy two weeks ago – she’s adorable but a lot of work! Did you get the sprouted lentils from Costcos? That’s what I got there. Stay warm!
It’s been so cold here too and we’ve been stuck inside as well. Soup is perfect for keeping warm. Love this veggie packed lentil soup. It looks so hearty and comforting!
From the toasted spices to all of the veggies, I’m guessing that this soup has a wonderful depth of flavor. I’m freezing right now and this is what I need to warm up!
Dara – toasting the spices definitely adds an extra layer of flavor – hope you’re keeping warm 🙂
Thank you for sharing knowledge. But do you have video this soup!?
I don’t have a video for this soup but it’s an easy soup to prepare.