Soup is good food.  What could be better on a cold winter day than a good old fashioned bowl of soup?  What I love about soup is you can set it and forget it in a slow cooker for hours while you are doing other things.

Soup is a great conduit for getting in fiber from vegetables, beans, lentils, as well as tofu and nuts.  Every culture embraces soup in some form or fashion, so let’s celebrate it’s goodness.

Today, I am slow cooking split lentils and peas with carrots, garlic and shallots in chicken broth with one of my favorite spice blends, Garam marsala.  It’s a blend of coriander, black pepper, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon.

 

Slower Cooker Split Pea and Red Lentil Soup #recipe #nationalsoupmonth #soupisgoodfood #souprecipes #lentilsoup #splitpeasoup #ontheblog Click To Tweet

 

Slow Cooker Split Pea and Red Lentil Soup

Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN
This "set it and forget it" recipe is jam-packed with fiber, plant protein and flavor.
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 5 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 8 (1 cup each)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 carrots minced
  • 1 small shallot minced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup split red lentils
  • 1 cup split green peas
  • 1 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp garam masala spice blend
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Toss all ingredients into a slow cooker on LOW setting for 4 hours. 
  • Once cooked, if you want a smooth, creamy texture, blend with a hand-held, immersion blender for a few minutes.  The longer you blend, the smoother it will be or blend it less for a chunkier texture. Serve immediately with whole grain crusty bread. 

Notes

Optional toppings: plain Greek-style yogurt, Sriracha and/or hemp seeds.
Keyword healthy, lentil soup, nourishing, plant protein, quick meal, slow cooker, vegetarian, weight management

Will this post help you use your slow cooker?  If so, let me know what your favorite slow cooker take-away was by tagging me @vsrnutrition on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook and Pinterest.  

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Enjoy eating simply,

-Vicki