Lentils are often referred to as a superfood since they are packed with nutrients, proteins, fiber and folic acid. They are inexpensive to buy and they can be stored for a long time, making them an ideal food to have in your pantry at all times. In addition, lentils are very versatile; you can just boil them and add them to a salad, puree them together with spices and olive oil for a delicious side dish or make a wonderful winter soup, like the one described here. To make this delicious even easier to prepare, we propose making it in your slow cooker. For an even more convenient way to prepare, cut up the vegetables a day before you want to cook the soup and keep them in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator.

Winter Soup: Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

Lentil soup recipe

Image via: Williams & Sonoma

Ingredients

1 cup dried, brown lentils

1 can diced tomatoes (14-oz) with their juice

2 carrots cut into thick rounds

2 celery ribs, cut into thick pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

6 cups water or vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 bay leaves

¼ cup olive oil

Winter Soup: Slow Cooker Lentil Soup Recipe

Directions

1. Pick over the lentils and rinse them thoroughly.
2. Add all ingredients, except for the vinegar, into the slow cooker. Cover and cook for about 6-8 hours on low, until they are as soft as you like them. You can remove about 2 cups of the soup and blend them in a blender, then return this puree into the soup. Add vinegar and stir gently to combine. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Serve in deep bowls or plates, together with fresh bread, pickles and olives as sides. Have some oregano, olive oil and vinegar ready on the table for everybody to add to their dish if desired.

You can see that this recipe is really easy to put together. You can make it heartier by adding pieces of ham or your favorite sausage cut into pieces to the soup from the beginning. This Winter Soup: Slow Cooker Lentil Soup is a great and tasty way to take in all the healthy nutrients lentils have.

For more slow cooker recipes on Stagetecture, click here.