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This Crock Pot Lentil Veggie Stew is a wholesome family favorite. As the temperature drops, this hearty stew becomes a go-to for my busy family. It’s delicious, nutritious and requires minimal effort!
It’s been cold, rainy and — thankfully — really quiet here after the holidays, which means there’s plenty of time for me to make warm cozy soups to fill everyone’s belly. Even though I’ve been in less of a rush than usual, that doesn’t mean I’m not looking for ways to make life easier for myself in the kitchen. We love using lentils for an easy source of plant-based protein. When we’re not making this soup, we’re making Baked Farro with Lentils, Tomato and Mozzarella, Lentil Mushroom Bolognese or Smoky Red Lentil Stew!
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So, time once again to break out my crock pot! All I do is toss in some lentils, a few herbs and a mix of vegetables from the farmer’s market and serve it with a dollop of herbed goat cheese on top, which the kids love swirling in to their soup.
This recipe makes enough so that I can freeze half for cold, lazy nights when I don’t have any time to cook — which I anticipate happening quite a bit once school starts up again!
Crock Pot Lentil Veggie Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 leeks, chopped (use only the white and light green part of the leek)
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (32 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
- 16 ounces dried lentils
- 2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Place the onion mixture with the remaining ingredients in a crock pot and stir.
- Cover and cook the lentils on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours or until lentils are tender.
- Top with desired accompaniment and serve.
Notes
- * You can also place all of the ingredients in a large pot over low to medium heat and cover for 90 minutes or until tender.
I use fire roasted tomatoes and if I want meat I add lean stew meat. It has got rave reviews from my guys.
Delicious! I’ve made this twice, and it’s absolutely delicious. This is going to be one of my favorite winter recipes.
Good idea with quinoa! I cook with lentils more often than beans because they don’t need to be soaked (and I always forget to soak). Green lentils can usually cook in 30 min and red in 20 or less. I might add a little bit of chopped ham to this tonight.
This is a fabulous recipe. I did not have time to cook in a crock pot but got a good one hour simmer. I did add ground turkey to the recipe and it has fabulous! My husband and four years olds devoured it. I think I’ll make it again tonight! Thanks for the wonderfully healthy recipe.
My favorite site. I have been making my second son baby fold and bow he’s one so I need ideas. This is amazing hope he likes it!
I made this tonight, and it was delicious! I don’t have a crock pot – made it in a large pot, brought to a boil uncovered, and then covered and heated over medium heat for about 70-80 minutes. Just wanted to say that it does turn out great without the crock pot too! My two year old even took big spoonfuls, saying ‘yum’! (after I mixed in a little shredded cheddar with hers :))
I think that most crock pots/slow cookers function pretty much the same. They all seem to work really well, and the main difference is that when you pay more, you get more features, like programmable timers, more temperature settings, etc. I think that Rival is the brand that started it all, so it’s the one that a lot of people grew up with, but Cuisinart now has one that you can use to brown food before slow cooking it, which is so cool. I would start with a simple one and if you fall in love with it, as I have with mine, then you can always upgrade. : )
Hi
In Spain we always soak the lentils the night before and then reduce cooking time considerably. I’ve never used a crock pot but I keep seeing it over an over and considering my busy daily schedule it nay be a good gadget. Could you give me some tips into what to look for? Any brands? Budget should not be a problem within reason
Thanks a lot
I made the exact same soup just before I saw this but will definitely be getting some garbed goat cheese for tonight. Great idea!
This looks amazing – I got all the ingredients I didn’t already have on hand yesterday and am going to make it this week for my family. I just re-joined Weight Watchers and figured each serving is only 6 points. Plus, just about every ingredient is a “power food.” Thanks for another wonderful, healthy recipe!
New subscriber to the site, and I love your healthy crock pot concoctions. Thank you thank you thank you!
You do not need to soak lentils 🙂
Do you need to soak the lentils first? Would love to make this but want to be sure whether to soak first and for how long if necessary. Thanks.
I had 6 people over for dinner last night and everyone lopped it up. I served it on top of quinoa with a scoop of herbed goat cheese on top!
Delicious! I always love meatless stews and soups.
I’m making lentil stew this week! It’s a winter time favorite. 🙂