If you've been following me, you know that two of my favorite kitchen hacks are my slow cooker and a big-batch make-ahead soup. Soups are the ultimate cold weather meal. They are my go to from September to March. And, when made in my trusty slow cooker, the yield always promises several rounds of leftovers that last us throughout the week, or that can be frozen for later use.
This Chop and Dump Lentil Soup tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but takes only minutes to throw together. Once you've unloaded the groceries, you just need a cutting board and a sharp knife (and maybe your favorite playlist to make the work more fun). 15 minutes of knife-wielding later, you just dump all the chopped veggies into the slow cooker, add a variety of spices, and let the slow cooker work its magic. After eight hours, you have a meal that tastes like you slaved all day, when really, the slow cooker did all the work.
Here's the recipe.
Chop and Dump Lentil Soup
Ingredients
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced*
1 cup packed kale, stems removed and chopped
2 russet potatoes, scrubbed with peel on, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley + 2 tablespoons reserved for garnish
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups red lentils
6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
Directions
Prep all the ingredients. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and set on low for 8 hours. Stir periodically throughout the cooking time.
If the soup gets too thick, add in another 1/2 to 1 cup of vegetable stock.
At the end of the cooking time, stir in 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
*I used a red pepper because that's what I had on hand. I think you could sub out zucchini or squash, or triple the kale quantity if that's what you had in the fridge. The potatoes could easily be subbed for sweet potatoes for a slightly different flavor. Soup isn't an exact science. It's about utilizing what you have and stretching out ingredients!
This recipe was adapted from one found on www.sweetphi.com.
This Chop and Dump Lentil Soup tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but takes only minutes to throw together. Once you've unloaded the groceries, you just need a cutting board and a sharp knife (and maybe your favorite playlist to make the work more fun). 15 minutes of knife-wielding later, you just dump all the chopped veggies into the slow cooker, add a variety of spices, and let the slow cooker work its magic. After eight hours, you have a meal that tastes like you slaved all day, when really, the slow cooker did all the work.
Here's the recipe.
Chop and Dump Lentil Soup
Ingredients
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced*
1 cup packed kale, stems removed and chopped
2 russet potatoes, scrubbed with peel on, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley + 2 tablespoons reserved for garnish
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups red lentils
6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
Directions
Prep all the ingredients. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and set on low for 8 hours. Stir periodically throughout the cooking time.
If the soup gets too thick, add in another 1/2 to 1 cup of vegetable stock.
At the end of the cooking time, stir in 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
*I used a red pepper because that's what I had on hand. I think you could sub out zucchini or squash, or triple the kale quantity if that's what you had in the fridge. The potatoes could easily be subbed for sweet potatoes for a slightly different flavor. Soup isn't an exact science. It's about utilizing what you have and stretching out ingredients!
This recipe was adapted from one found on www.sweetphi.com.
