It has been SO COLD here in Utah! We have had record lows all January long. I am getting very tired of it….blah. However, ONE good thing about cold weather is…..warm SOUP! There’s just something about soup that warms the belly and the soul. I love it.
This particular soup recipe is definitely a winner. Healthy, hearty, easy and “Crock Potty!” What’s not to love?? I first found this recipe on AllRecipes.com, but after reading the reviews, I changed it up a lot. I also added a few of my own touches and converted it into a Crock Pot recipe. Soooo, here is the final recipe with all of my changes;
Healthy Crock Pot Lentil Soup
(makes 6 servings)
Ingredients:
Here are all the ingredients I used. I didn’t have any crushed tomatoes, so I just used two different cans of diced tomatoes and crushed them in my food processor.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion; chopped
- 4 carrots; diced
- 2 stalks celery; diced
- 2 cloves garlic; minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups dry lentils
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until onion is tender.
Add garlic, bay leaves, oregano and basil. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Note: I’m sure you could skip these first two steps and just dump everything in the crock pot, but I think it helps add a bunch of flavor!
Put broth, water, lentils and tomatoes in Crock Pot. Add sauteed veggies and mix all together.
Cook on high heat for 4-5 hours. When ready to serve, stir in spinach and cook until it wilts.
Add vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well and enjoy!
YUM!
Nutrition: It’s a little high in sodium (because of the canned tomatoes and chicken broth), but you could use “no salt added” tomatoes to save a little in that area. The fiber and protein are stellar! And, at only 266 for a hearty, filling soup??? Awesome!
I hope you all love it! 😉
I’m liking this Lentil soup idea!! I love lentil soup, and it freezes well, too! Thank you!! I’m supposed to receive a new Lentil Kale Soup recipe from a friend at the gym… I’ll let you know how it goes, too. 🙂
If you try this, I hope you like it Jeanne! I love the whole “Lentil Soup” idea as well. Such a great way to get lots of veggies and protein! I would love to hear how your Lentil Kale soup goes too. 😉
This sounds yummy Melanie! You always come up with some great recipes. I wish I was able to change up recipes without screwing them up. You seem to always make them 10x better 🙂
Thanks so much Danielle, you’re so sweet! Believe me, I’ve screwed up many recipes in all my experimentation, lol!
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for this recipe. I will definitely give it a try soon. I was just looking on your about me link and was curious what caused you to make a change to a healthier lifestyle? Were you wanting more energy? Before I had my baby I was pretty healthy, fit, and energetic and did half marathons for fun. 🙂 Now I’m lucky if i get 6 hours of sleep a night. I too suffer from the wicked sugar cravings and give in every single day. How do you keep your resolve and not cave in? Do you stick to all of your tips you listed? Thanks so much. I am really enjoying reading your blog. 🙂
As I’m sure you know, it is so tough to live healthy, get enough sleep, avoid sugar and STILL be a good mom! I definitely can relate to all of your concerns. There were several factors that made me change to a healthier lifestyle. The biggest one was looking at pictures and realizing I had “let myself go!” I had also just moved back to Utah after living in New England for 6 years. I have several fit, healthy friends and a very fit, healthy sister who live in Utah. They all inspired me to want to be better too! I just thought, “If they can do it, why can’t I?”
I’ve always had a HUGE sweet tooth, but I started doing different “healthy eating challenges” with my sister and some friends that really helped me to learn that I CAN stay away from sugar!! At this time, I also started playing around with healthy recipes and discovering different healthy treats that helped to satisfy the sweet tooth.
It has definitely been a journey and I just keep learning and doing the best I can. I still cave in sometimes and enjoy my favorite treats from time to time. I have found that it is easier to just stay away from sugary stuff as much as I can because if I eat it….then I crave it! The cravings really do go away (believe it or not!), after I stay away from sugary stuff for about a week. BUT, when I do eat treats I usually PIG OUT because I know I won’t be eating them for a while. I know that’s not good, but I would rather abstain from treats as much as possible and then “go all out” when I do have them! I hope that makes sense.
I don’t stick to all my tips ALL THE TIME, but I do try to do my best. I just feel so much better, happier, look better, etc. when I eat well and exercise. The payoff is well worth it. I’m not perfect at it though and I know I will always love sugar and junk food…I just do my best to keep it in moderation.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s tough with a baby. You will sleep again one day! I really should do a blog post about all of this stuff. I know it’s so hard to be healthy as a mother….but most mothers still want to feel and look good! Good luck!
I love colder weather simply because soup seems to go with it so well! And my grandma doesn’t make her chili in summer. 😉
I fully agree. It’s nice to look on the “bright side” of winter because I’m getting pretty tired of it, lol.
This soup looks amazing! We were trying to decide what do with a huge can of lentils I opened (there is a pun in there somewhere!) and this soup looks like the perfect solution. I don’t just randomly open cans of food…it was to bring some food to a lame goose alone and really hungry in the park next to our house…but that is another story. Anyway, perfect solution and cannot wait to get the slow cooker fired up tomorrow! Will let you know how it goes! 🙂
LOL, I’m glad I could help you figure out what to do with your can of lentils! I hope you love this soup. I love that it is so filling, hearty, tasty and healthy!
I love lentils and I love lentil soup! So much fiber and not too many calories. I’m definitely going to make something like this next week. Thanks!
I agree….love the fiber, protein and all the nutrition! You get a lot of bang for your buck! I hope you love this soup. 😉
Thanks for liking our post. You’ve got some great recipes on here! We’ll be sure to try them out. Party on!
You’re welcome, I love your blog! It will be fun to check in on your progress. I hope you enjoy some of my recipes. Good luck!
This soup looks unbelievably good. I can’t believe so much protein and fibre is in such a low calorie soup.
I don’t care if it’s Summer here, I have to make this.
I thought the same thing about the protein and fiber! Crazy. I hope you enjoy the soup….and enjoy your summer! It is FREEZING over here and I’m counting down the days ’til spring. 😉
Melanie,
Hi! This looks pretty good & healthy for you too, & love a good crock pot recipe. I’ll have to make some soon.
Thanks! It is good and so healthy! If you try it, I hope you love it!
I noticed your recipe called for crushed tomatoes, but your pictures show diced. There is definitely a difference in how the texture turns out. Which do you prefer?
I didn’t have crushed tomatoes on hand, so I just used the diced and “crushed” them a little in my blender. It worked out just fine. 😉
This is delicious! Thank You for sharing you recepies. Its nice to come home to a meal like this!
You are so welcome! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. 😉 I might need to make this for dinner tomorrow now.