Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup – a clean and simple soup made with onions, garlic, carrots, olive oil, squash, and LENTILS! Super healthy and easy to make.
Ohhhhhh crockpot lentil soup. The love of my winter life.
This soup is amazing! So easy to make and the flavors are very complex. Unlike anything I’ve made before. Absolutely love it!
I see you, hungry reader whose life is crazy right now, who has a hard time finding the time to cook even though you love food, who opens the fridge to grab a quick lunch to take to work in the morning rush only to find NOTHING that seems good enough, who values the big bowl of comfort food pasta above all else, who is not asking for much other than GOOD FOOD that is made for REAL LIFE.
I see you. I know you think I’m not watching because I’m on the other side of this computer-ma-jig, but I’m watching (um, in a not-creepy and not-literal way – just felt like I should clarify. pls don’t leave.).
So since I see you and understand you because I am just like you in these feelings, today I honor you (us?) with this super cozy, big-time nutritious, easy to prepare soup.
This is called Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup, which means nothing scientifically as you’ll notice that my bowl of DETOX soup is topped with a few thick chunks of Parmesan cheese and served with that addicting crusty-warm bread. Right, about that. We did sneak a few good foods into this soup (kale, onions, garlic, carrots, and olive oil) and anyways, in my book, the best kinds of healthy foods are the ones that ACTUALLY TASTE GOOD.
And while this soup tastes good without the extras, it tastes BETTER with them. Cue the bread and cheese.
Ingredients For Lentil Soup
This soup is jam-packed with so many wholesome, feel-good ingredients. Let’s count them up, shall we?
- butternut squash
- carrots, celery, and onion (or mirepoix)
- potatoes
- green lentils and yellow split peas (you can use more green lentils if you can’t find split peas)
- garlic
- broth
- herbs de provence
- kale and fresh parsley
- a swish of olive oil and red wine vinegar at the end
How To Make This Lentil Soup Recipe
As is my goal with most recipes I make for Pinch of Yum, this crockpot lentil soup was made for real life. Because it’s literally for my real life.
We’re starting with a solid base: onions, garlic, carrots, celery, spices, salt, and broth.
Then we’re getting awesome by adding butternut squash, which partially melts into a creamy textured miracle, lentils (always lentils), and yellow split peas because WOW color.
After all your feel-good vegetables simmer up into the best house smells and then we do the magic thing that takes it over the top: puree a portion of the soup with that olive oil to form a silky emulsion that then gets added back into the soup. YES PLZ 4EVR.
I ended mine with a splash of sherry and red wine vinegar because I’m currently having a moment with tangy foods.
LENTIL SOUP: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We’d recommend brown or green lentils. Red lentils are split which means they’ll soften a lot faster.
Yes! Place the first group of ingredients below in the Instant Pot and cook on the soup setting for 30 minutes with a quick release at the end. Follow the same blending instructions and then add kale and parsley.
Let the soup cook a little longer on the high setting to soften them up! If using the Instant Pot, you could re-pressurize to cook for another 5 minutes, or turn on the sauté mode until they soften.
This makes a lot of soup! We’d recommend at least a 6-qt. for both.
Yes! You could freeze leftovers to keep in the freezer for three months, or make it a freezer meal by following the instructions in the recipe card notes or by checking out this post.