This lentil kale soup is a slow-cooker superhero. Itโs nutritious, satiating, incredibly comforting, and, best of all, you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry. No need to thank usโjust remember us when youโre saying grace and put in a good word for us.โAngie Zoobkoff
Why Our Testers Loved This
Our testers love that this slow cooker soup is not only healthy and nutritious but is also incredibly comforting. Itโs a winter staple for many of them.
Notes on Ingredients
- Green lentilsโGreen lentils are the best choice for this recipe as they hold their shape well. Brown lentils can also be used, but avoid red lentils as they will become too mushy.
- Butter or olive oilโIf making this soup vegan-friendly, use olive oil.
- KaleโYou can substitute spinach if you prefer. If using kale, take care to cut the pieces no larger than 1/2 inch (12 mm). Large pieces will be unwieldy.
How to Make This Recipe
- Warm the stock. Pour the stock into the slow cooker and let it warm while you are prepping your vegetables.
- Sautรฉ the vegetables. Cook the shallot, carrot, and celery in olive oil just until they begin to soften. Stir in the thyme, paprika, and coriander, and transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the lentils and cook the soup. Stir in the lentils, cover the slow cooker, and cook on high until the lentils are tender, about 3 hours.
- Blitz the soup. Remove the thyme sprigs. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup partially.
- Sautรฉ the kale. Cook the kale with a little oil or butter in a skillet until it wilts. Stir into the soup.
- Finish the soup. Add the lemon zest, sherry vinegar, parsley, and sour cream if using. Season the soup to taste. Serve.
Common Questions
No, itโs not necessary to soak your lentils before making this soup.
Definitely. Sautรฉ the vegetables in a Dutch oven in step 2, then add the remaining ingredients to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Blitz the soup directly in the Dutch oven, and then proceed with the recipe as written.
Yes. Lentil soup freezes well. Wait until it is completely cool, then portion it into airtight containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
A warm loaf of multigrain bread or a batch of dinner rolls would be great alongside this healthy soup.
Helpful Tips
- Rinse your lentils before using them and sift through to make sure there are no bits of debris or small pebbles.
- If your soup is too thick, thin it with additional broth or water.
- To make the soup vegan or dairy-free, use olive oil instead of butter and skip the sour cream.
More Great Lentil Soup Recipes
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.โDavid
Lentil Soup with Kale
Equipment
- Slow cooker with a minimum 4-quart (3.8 liter) capacity
Ingredients
- 2 quarts store-bought or homemade vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
- 1 pound green lentils
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 4 cups stemmed curly leaf kale, chopped into about 1/2-inch (12-mm) pieces
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- Sour cream (optional), for serving
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving
Instructions
- In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker set on high, pour in the vegetable stock, cover, and heat until warm, about 15 minutes.
- In a medium sautรฉ pan set over medium heat, warm the olive oil until it begins to shimmer, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the carrot and celery and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes longer. Add the thyme, paprika, and coriander, stir well, and transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
- Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water. Add them to the slow cooker. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt or to taste, cover with the slow cooker lid, and cook on the high setting until the lentils are tender and the flavors have melded, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
- Remove the thyme sprigs. Use an immersion blender to quickly and partially blitz the soup a bit to make it a little smoother and bring it together. (Alternatively, using a ladle to transfer 1 cup of the soup to a blender, let it cool slightly, and purรฉe it. Then return the purรฉe to the slow cooker.)
- In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When the butter bubbles and froths, add the kale and cook, stirring until it has wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and add the kale to the soup.
- Stir in the lemon zest and sherry vinegar and season to taste with salt. To serve, garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley.
Notes
- StorageโThis lentil and kale soup can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 6 months. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- DietaryโThis soup is suitable for dairy-free and vegan diets if made using olive oil, and no sour cream. It is also gluten-free.
- ThinningโIf your soup is too thick, thin it with water or additional vegetable stock.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testersโ Reviews
This lentil soup with kale is a pretty easy soup to make and is incredibly flavorful. I think the amount of time it takes in the slow cooker really benefits the flavor profile.
We LOVED this lentil and kale soup! It was easy to make, the ingredients werenโt too unusual or difficult to find, and the finished product was very good. In fact, much better than we expected.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this kale lentil soup. It has fairly basic ingredients. I decided to make it because I wanted something that wouldnโt heat up the house on a hot day. I wasnโt expecting much and yet all of these ingredients came together into a flavorful soup that I will surely be making often this winter.
I love lentils and I love this soup. Itโs thick and hearty and would be perfect for a chilly winter evening. Prepping everything took me about 20 minutes.
This soup probably wouldnโt pass muster at a fancy dinner party as it looks rather brown. However, its appearance belies an easy, tasty, and healthy recipe that I will be making regularly through fall and well into winter.
I did not have a slow cooker and so cooked this in a normal pan without a lid. I cooked the shallots for 2 minutes, before adding the carrot and celery for 2 more minutes. I cooked the soup for just 30 minutes at a simmering boil. By then the lentils and carrots were both soft. I blitzed the soup using a stick blender. I added 4 cups of wilted kale and diluted the soup a little.
My husband and I enjoyed this earthy lentil soup on a rainy day. We ate it with a side of sourdough bread and cheese. I found it to be a straightforward pantry soup with easy substitutions in case you donโt have all the exact ingredients.
First snow of the year this morning. A very cold day here. This soup was absolutely perfect to warm and to satisfy. Used rancho gordo puglia brown lentils and the final kale and thyme from my garden
that I picked in the dark last night. As delicious as it was for lunch today, I am so psyched to have multiple containers to tuck into my fridge for the rest of the week. Thank you!
Youโre welcome, Jude. Itโs definitely a perfect cold-weather dish.