Dozens and dozens of reviews from readers like you. This slow cooker lentil soup is so easy: set it, forget it, and enjoy! Vegan and gluten-free

Slow cookers are a busy mom’s best friend. No kidding. If you don’t have kids, you may or may not appreciate the relief that a great crockpot recipe can be. But, when you have young children, especially if you work, sometimes having dinner together is a hassle (like every day lol).

The aroma of a delicious ready-made dinner, a glass of wine and ten quiet minutes alone are rare and coveted delicacies for many of us.

Here I give you one of them, a nutritious and easy crockpot recipe.

Just promise to take ten minutes alone and have a glass of wine (if you participate) while cooking. 😉

Crockpot lentil soup ingredients

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Lentil soup is one of those things that is a great staple; It is simultaneously plentiful, nutritious and relatively easy to make. I think my mom taught me how to make simple lentil soup when I was in high school. I’ve made countless variations of their recipe since then and eventually reworked it to be crockpot, also known as a slow cooker.

This version is vegan, gluten-free and freezes very well. It’s ridiculously easy.

A little chopped (you can totally pop your food processor to save time!) and then add most of the ingredients to the slow cooker. About 15 minutes before the cooking time is over, add the chopped chard, a few more dried spices, and red wine vinegar for some sour and balance. That’s it, then, just serve and enjoy!

Recipe tips

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• A note about vegetable broth: Each brand has a unique flavor. For example, Trader Joe’s Organic Low Sodium (which is what I used here) is on the sweeter and very “carrot” side. My absolute favorite is Pacific Natural Foods Organic Vegetable Calde, but I was out of it and keep Trader Joe’s handy to skip. When it comes to skipping and you’re just using a splash here or there, it’s not that important. There are many options out there and I recommend trying a few brands before choosing one to use when using it as a base for soup.
• I used green chard (stems and leaves), but you could easily substitute spinach, kale (without stems) or even endive.
• I used a 6.5 quart slow cooker for this soup. I think a 5.5 or 6 would also work, but it wouldn’t go much smaller. Or you could cut the prescription in half.
• If you prefer this lentil soup to cook all day while at work, you can set your Crockpot to LOW with a cooking time of 8 hours. Alternatively, if you want the soup to be made faster, Crockpot to HIGH with a cooking time of 4 hours (which I usually do).
• If you’re not vegan or vegetarian, many readers (in the comments) have added ground turkey, chicken, or beef with great success. I recommend sautéing separately and adding after draining excess fat.
• This lentil soup stores very well. Let cool completely and freeze in an airtight container. I recommend thawing overnight before you plan to serve and reheat in a saucepan over low heat until warmed up.