Easy Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
This easy slow cooker lentil soup is made with simple pantry ingredients like brown or green lentils, celery, carrot and makes a wonderfully filling and hearty vegetarian dump and go slow cooker meal! Simple stovetop and Instant Pot instructions provided, too.

5 star review
“Easy to make (I’m not a good cook), healthy, delicious. Thank you. Can’t wait to serve with some fresh crispy bread and a glass of wine. ”
– Kelly
Slow Cooker Lentil Soup – Simply Perfect!
Lentil soup is just one of those staple recipes you need in your back pocket, as it’s not only easy to throw together, made with simple pantry ingredients, and budget friendly; but also delicious, filling, and completely nourishing. Plus, it’s a vegetarian slow cooker meal that will please both meat eaters and plant lovers alike!
I’m personally a big fan of vegetarian slow cooker recipes that feed a crowd, like this Slow Cooker Lentil Chili, Golden Glow Red Lentil Soup, and reader-favorite Vegetarian Chili. In this case, though, I’m singing the praises of a big bowl of green lentil soup, and if you’ve never made homemade lentil soup, now is the time to try it!
Trust me, it’s easier than you think, especially since you don’t need to cook or soak the lentils ahead of time. In fact, since this is a simple dump and go slow cooker recipe, you just add the lentils straight to the crockpot along with the other ingredients, hit start, and you’re well on your way to a delicious, hearty meal!
This crockpot lentil soup is especially easy as most of the cooking time is hands-off due to the magic of the slow cooker, making it perfect for busy weeknights or slow weekends at home. If you’re looking for more effortless slow cooker soup recipes here are all my simple slow cooker soups to browse and try.
This version is also vegan, vegetarian, and naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so it makes a great option when feeding people with different dietary preferences. If you prefer meat, though, be sure to check out our recipe variations below for how to make this crockpot lentil soup with ham, sausage, a ham bone, Italian sausage, or bacon.

Making the Perfectly Think Lentil Soup (No Pre-Soaking Required!)
For the slow cooker version of this recipe I opted to skip the saute step to keep prep easy and streamlined. If you prefer the added depth of flavor, feel free to saute the onions first in a bit of olive oil and salt over medium heat.
Pureeing a bit of the cooked soup at the end using an immersion blender or regular blender lends a creamy quality without any dairy, so don’t skip this step. Be sure to check the recipe card below for Instant Pot and Stovetop instructions too.
Tip: Lentil soup goes well with a simple green salad and garlic bread, especially greens topped with my simple homemade balsamic dressing.

Crockpot Lentil Soup All The Ways
- Lentil Soup With Ham: Add 1-2 cups chopped cooked ham to the slow cooker along with the lentils. Proceed with the recipe. Top with additional cooked ham, crisped up in a pan over medium high heat.
- Crockpot Lentil Soup with Sausage: Add 1 pound kielbasa or Italian sausage to the crockpot along with the lentils. After the soup has cooked, remove the sausages, slice, and add back to the soup along with the spinach.
- With a Ham Bone: Add a ham bone to the slow cooker along with the lentils. After the soup has cooked, remove the ham bone and discard. Proceed with the final steps of the recipe.
- With Bacon: Cook one pound bacon until crisp. Crumble half the cooked bacon and add it to the crockpot along with the lentils. Proceed with the recipe. Top with remaining cooked, crumbled bacon.

Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
Lentils: Either green or brown lentils work in this recipe. Do not use red lentils, as they produce an entirely different consistency and result. If you’re looking for a red lentil soup recipe, try this simple, delicious Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk or this Easy Carrot Lentil Soup instead.
Baby spinach: Kale can be used in place of baby spinach. Just be sure to add a few extra minutes of cook time at the end to wilt the kale.
Stock: Vegetable stock or chicken stock can be used, but be sure to use vegetable stock if you want to keep this recipe vegan and vegetarian.
Red wine vinegar: Finishing the soup with red wine vinegar adds a much needed flavor boost after a long cooking time. If you don’t have red wine vinegar then balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, or lemon juice will also work.
Got Leftovers?
Homemade lentil soups keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container, and also freezes well, store in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months. Note that lentil soup thickens as it cools. so reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of stock when reheating to return it to the original consistency.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeVeganVegetarian

Easy Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cups chopped carrot
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 ½ cups dry green lentils (or brown lentils), rinsed and picked over
- 1 (15-oz) can petite-diced tomatoes
- 6-8 cups vegetable stock, or chicken stock
- 1 large bay leaf, or 2 small bay leaves
To Add at the End
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Optional Serving Suggestions
Instructions
Slow Cooker Directions
- Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, lentils, tomatoes, stock and bay leaf to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine. Do not add the spinach, it will be added at the end.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, or until the veggies and lentils are soft.
- Remove the lid, remove the bay leaf, add the vinegar, and stir to combine. Add an additional 1-2 cups of stock to thin the soup if necessary. Taste and add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional vinegar if desired.
- Using an immersion blender, blend for 5-10 seconds. Alternatively, carefully, remove ½ to 1 cup of cooked soup to a blender. Cover, blend on high, then add back to the soup, stirring to combine. Note: Blending for just a few seconds will add a creaminess to the soup, while leaving the texture of most of the lentils and vegetables intact.
- Add the spinach, and stir to combine. Serve with a generous drizzle of olive oil, and any other toppings you like.
Instant Pot Directions
- Set a 6-quart pressure cooker to saute mode for 8 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion, a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft.
- Cancel the saute function. Add the celery, carrot, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, lentils, tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf, stirring to combine.
- Secure the lid, select the manual setting, and set it to high pressure for 15 minutes.
- When the pressure cooker timer is done, allow to naturally release for 15 minutes.
- Follow remaining slow cooker steps 3-5.
Stovetop Directions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, stirring to combine. Cook until the onions soften, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the celery, carrot, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring to combine. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes, bay leaf, and stock, stirring to combine. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook, covered, until the lentils are soft, about 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Follow remaining slow cooker steps 3-5.
Notes
- If the final soup tastes flat or bland to you, add more salt, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the flavor seems more robust. You can also add an additional tablespoon of red wine vinegar to taste.
- See blog post above for ingredient notes and substitutions.
- Dried brown, green or French lentils work interchangeably here. Do not use red lentils.
- The heat of slow cookers can vary, as can the amount of liquid lentils absorb during the cooking process. If necessary add additional stock at the end, to achieve your desired consistency.
- This soup will also thicken considerably as it cools, so if you prefer it thicker, allow to cool for 30 minutes prior to serving.
- Sodium will very based on type of stock and tomatoes used. For a lower sodium option use low sodium stock and tomatoes.
- Optional serving suggestions: extra virgin olive oil, freshly cracked pepper, freshly grated parmesan cheese (traditional or vegan), fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, crusty bread
This humble soup is so satisfying and cozy! The addition of the red wine vinegar is genius as it adds a very enjoyable bright, tangy flavor! Definitely recommend adding it! Is two bowls, one too many? Asking for a friend 😉
Robyn, two bowls is definitely NOT too many! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed and thanks so much for leaving a review!
My entire family gobbled this up and raved the whole time! Even my lil picky eater!!! My son also asked for the leftovers to be put in his lunch the next day. It’s so easy to throw together for busy week nights!
Erin, yay, I am so happy to hear this was a hit with you and your entire crew! Love it when that happens. 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
how would you do a smaller version in a 2 quart crock pot?
Hi Shana, I haven’t tested this one in a 2 quart crock pot, but you could try halving the recipe. You might also need to reduce the cook time slightly. If you try it let us know how it goes!
Made this yesterday. Yummy. This is such an easy dump and go recipe when you still have a too many things to do on your Christmas list.
Walked back into the house in the afternoon and had wonderful smells coming from the kitchen.
Added the vinegar and crushed a little with the hand blender and it made it a great texture. Then added the spinach and then knew that this was going to be full of goodness. The whole family gobbled it up. I’m luck as I have some leftover for a quiet lunch in the near future to enjoy.
Robyn, thanks so much for all your recipes and everything you do.
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
Katharine from sunny Poole, Dorset, England.
Katherine, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one at this busy time of year, and happy to hear you had some leftover, too. Thank you so much, too, for your kind words, Katharine, they mean the world. Merry Christmas and happy New Year from raining Portland, Oregon, USA!
This soup is delicious! Made for the perfect winter night dinner! Followed recipe exactly with the addition of 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Would make again soon; if only Florida winters lasted more than 2 weeks! This made enough for my husband and I to have a big bowl for dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow, and a bowl to take to my mom. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Lisa, love those added seasonings! So happy this was a hit down in the Florida “winter!” 🙂
This came out delicious!! Even my husband loved it and he’s a picky one 🙂 Silly question for you – do French Green Lentils work with this / the same as regular green lentils?
Linda, so glad you enjoyed, and not a silly question at all! Yes, French Green Lentils are interchangeable with green lentils or brown lentils for this recipe. Thanks fo leaving a review!
Can’t wait to make this. Should I hold off on adding the tomatoes until the end? I’ve heard that acidic foods can slow down cooking times of lentils, making them tougher.
Very good!! I added apple/chicken sausage to mine lots of great flavor! Oh and onion 🙂
So glad you enjoyed, thanks for the modification suggestions and the review!
I heard that lentils can take longer to cook when using acidic ingredients. Would you recommend waiting until the end to put in the tomatoes?
Hi Jonathan, I tested this recipe as written (with the tomatoes added at the beginning) and it worked just fine. If your lentils are very old they might need a bit more cooking time, but if your prefer to add the tomatoes at the end that should work fine, too. Hope you enjoy!
Very versatile and easy to add ingredients to taste. Came out great in my slow cooker and thanks for sharing with us!
Yay, so happy to hear this one was a hit! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
This recipe was so easy & so so good!! I’m making it again today. Lentils are amazing for our bodies, and this soup really warms you up during these cold winter days
Tara, wonderful to hear you’re enjoying this one, and agree that lentil are amazing! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This recipe is fantastic! I only had red lentils on hand, and they worked perfectly. I came home from work and the house smelled so good, I started eating the lentils immediately. I never even got to the part of adding in spinach and vinegar!
I didn’t have carrots on hand, but used a small amount of corn instead. Absolutely delicious. We sprinkled nutritional yeast into our individual bowls for a hint of cheese flavor. For 2 adults, we only have one small bowl left. Best lentil recipe I’ve come across and will continue to use for years. Thank you for this great nutritious recipe.
Wonderful, so happy to hear this one was a hit for you, Karen, and that you were able to make it work with items you had on hand. Thanks so much for the kind review!
can i soak the lentils before preparing?
Yes, you can soak them first, though it’s not necessary if you runs short on time. If you do soak them it may cut the cook time down by 30-60 minutes, to keep an eye on things as it gets close to the end. I hope you enjoy!
This recipe is amazingly delicious. It’s one of my top 3 favorites. I made it exactly as the recipe stated except I used fresh tomatoes (I won’t touch can tomatoes 😊).
Thanks Robyn.
Rose, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, I bet it was delish with fresh tomatoes! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Delish! I made the soup as per instructions (though, in addition to the crushed tomatoes, I also added some leftover tomato salsa I wanted to get rid of – about 1/2 a jar.) I make lentil soup a lot, but never thought to add red wine vinegar at the end. What a brilliant addition! It definitely brightens the whole dish. Thank you for this yummy recipe.
Heidi, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. I love the brightens the vinegar adds as well! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Reminds me of a hamburger soup but with lentils ! Delicious and super super easy to throw together.
Cheryl, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I only have a 4 quart cooker. How can I reduce the amount of ingredients to fit that slow cooker
Hi Joan, I haven’t tested this in a small slow cooker, so I can’t say for sure. You can try halving the ingredients to keep the ratios the same. The cook time will likely be similar, so start checking on the short side. I hope you enjoy!
I make this recipe all the time. It’s perfect in the cooler weather but a good batch soup any time of the year. It’s a 1pt soup on Weight Watchers. I do mine in the slow cooker. I love the way my house smells when it is cooking and it tastes even better.
Yay, so happy to hear you’re enjoying this easy lentil soup, Shannon! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Another winner! Followed the instapot instructions. Simple and delicious.
Fantastic to hear this was a hit for you in the Instant Pot, Evie. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Easy to make (I’m not a good cook)
Healthy, delicious.
Thank you.
Can’t wait to serve with some fresh crispy bread and a glass of wine.
Kelly, wonderful to hear you enjoyed this simple lentil soup recipe! Crisy bread and a glass of wine sounds like the perfect pairing. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This recipe turned out SO BLAND. I even added sage, garlic powder, and onion powder to help give it some more flavor, but it couldn’t be saved. Despite all of the veggies in it, it just tasted like earthy mush. I ended up tossing the whole thing because I just couldn’t choke it down. Which is a shame, because it made a lot :/
Maddie, I’ve never had one person not love this recipe, and I’ve tested it myself at least a dozen times with great success, so I’m not sure what went wrong for you. Usually when people say lentils are bland, what they really mean is that there wasn’t enough salt for their palette. My guess is that you’re used to much saltier food, so you needed to add more salt than called for in this recipe. It is a shame that you threw it away, because it could have easily been remedied. If you ever make lentil soup again, I’d suggest adding more salt (1 teaspoon at a time) until the flavor aligns with your palette. I also call for adding red wine vinegar at the end of this recipe to add additional flavor, so that’s another option as well.
I made this today and it’s gorgeous! I used 1/2 green French lentils and 1/2 black beluga lentils.
I chopped up some smoked tofu into small cubes and pan fried it, then added it to the soup, while it was cooking and it added a lovely smoky flavour and depth. I used kale instead of spinach because I had some in my fridge I needed to use and it held up beautifully.
Will make again! Served with homemade pumpkin and onion focaccia 💯
Carly, what wonderful notes you’ve shared here, thank you! Fantastic idea to add extra plan protein with the smoked tofu – yum! And homemade focaccia? I’m coming over! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!
I did not think this recipe would taste as good as it does because of how simple the ingredients are! This taste so yummy! It’s inexpensive and healthy too! I made the stove top version, that was pretty easy too. Will make this again
Enny, yay, simple but still delicious is always my goal, and I’m happy to hear that was the case for you with this recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a reivew!
Hi, there
Can I su substitute canned and drained lentils?
Maureen
Hi Maureen, I haven’t tested it with canned and drained lentils. I worry they might get mushy by the time the other veggies cook, and that the liquid ratios would be off since this recipe calls for liquid ratios using dried lentils.
Can I substitute fire roasted dice tomatoes?
Tom, definitely! Bonus they’ll add an extra layer of smokey flavor. I hope you enjoy!
Good Stuff!
Glad to hear you enjoyed, thanks for leaving a reivew!
I am out of canned dice tomatoes…you think it’ll still taste yummy without? 😃
Alexis, yes, this recipe will still work without the tomatoes, you’ll just be missing a bit of acidity and sweetness that tomatoes add, so don’t skip the tiny bit of vinegar at the end to brighten everything up. I hope you enjoy!