For this warming Vegan Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Soup I used a lentil blend that’s often called autumn blend.
The multi-colors of the different type of lentils attracted me to them.
The yellow split peas and red lentils “melt” into the soup as they cook down. It’s what makes this soup so creamy. That’s the real reason to use this blend.
The mixed lentils don’t keep the beautiful colors they have before you cook them. That’s why you can use your own combination of lentils depending on what you have on hand. You can even make it using all plain brown lentils, but it won’t be as creamy.
You can go get the Instant Pot version of this recipe on my new blog, Plant Based Instant Pot.
Vegan Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Soup
Everyone needs an easy go-to soup for winter. It can be because you're like me and don't want to leave the house if it's less than 40 degrees or you could be snowed in. This is made with ingredients you'd have on hand already and you can tweak it if you don't have everything.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time7 hrs 40 mins
Total Time7 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 197kcal
Ingredients
for the saute:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or dry saute for no added oil
- 1 small onion minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
for the soup:
- 1 medium potato peeled and cubed
- 1 small sweet potato peeled and cubed
- 2 medium carrots cubed
- 1 cup lentil blend autumn blend, pachraya massoor, or mix of yellow split peas, red lentils, Beluga lentils and brown lentil
- 5 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon rosemary powder or 1 teaspoon dried whole rosemary
after cooking:
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Instant Pot Instructions:Turn on the Instant Pot and use the saute function. Heat the olive oil, then saute the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and saute a minute or two more.
- Turn off the saute function and add all the soup ingredients. Put the lid on and make sure the vent is closed. Press the manual button and set to cook for 10 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is over, allow it to release the pressure naturally. You'll know when you can open the lid because the little silver dot will no longer be up.
- Stir in the after cooking ingredients and serve yourself a big bowl. I like to have a big piece of crusty bread with it.
- Slow Cooker Instructions:Saute the saute ingredients or be lazy and toss them in raw minus the oil with the soup ingredients. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.
- Add the after cooking ingredients and serve!
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 653mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 131.6% | Vitamin C: 11.2% | Calcium: 5.2% | Iron: 22.2%
More Recipes to Try
- Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe with Stove Top Instructions Too!
- Steel-Cut Oat Sausage Crumbles From OATrageous Oatmeals
- Vegan Spiced Sweet Purple Potato Baked Oatmeal
Kristina says
November 30, 2015 at 10:44 pmwe have been loving the pressure cooker we received for our wedding last year, so no need for the IP – but I DID see all the frenzy about it the last few days, ha!
meanwhile, this sounds fantastic, and I just happen to have a refilled jar full of lentils!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
November 30, 2015 at 11:03 pmI just ordered an Instant Pot – it arrives tomorrow. I’ve always wanted to try a pressure cooker but was too afraid, remembering the dangerous-looking contraption that my grandmother used.The Instant Pot doesn’t look intimidating and with your guidance, I’m up and running!
Kathy Hester says
November 30, 2015 at 11:15 pmIt’s so easy and it’s always fun to have a new toy in the kitchen. I think you’ll fall in love with it! <3
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says
December 1, 2015 at 9:17 amFantastic idea! I use lentils in a lot of my vegetarian cooking (just made some veggie meatloaf last night!) The idea of doing something like this in the slow cooker/instant pot is so appealing (especially since my counters are out of commission being oiled right now!)
[email protected] says
December 1, 2015 at 9:50 amI love lentils and am always looking for new recipes using them. I’m going to have to look into the Instant Pot, it does so many things – how wonderful!
Kathy Hester says
December 1, 2015 at 1:41 pmI love mine!
Stacey @ Stacey Homemaker says
December 1, 2015 at 10:28 amI love lentils, especially in soups and stews. I can’t wait to try this! I haven’t heard of the instant pot before but now I’m sad I missed the sale! It seems pretty easy to use, and I love trying new gadgets in the kitchen. Hopefully they go on sale again soon!
Manila Spoon (Abby) says
December 1, 2015 at 11:47 amOh, now I want that instant pot for Christmas!!! It’s not too late to give hubby a hint! 😉 We both love lentils and with all the tasty herbs and spices you added there I can just imagine how yummy this is!
Pasha Davidson says
December 1, 2015 at 1:03 pmOh wow thank you SOOO much for this. I fail at both cooking lentils AND using my IP. The only thing I’ve done in it cook rice in it.Can’t wait to make this later today. Sauté function? I didn’t even notice that on there.
Kathy Hester says
December 1, 2015 at 1:42 pmLet me know how it works out for you!
Pasha Davidson says
December 3, 2015 at 1:13 pmOMG It was so good. I made it two nights ago and we devoured it, and then had it for lunch the next day, and then dinner again that night.I love how you explained it, it made preparing, and making it so easy. I am now obsessed with the IP. I need more IP recipes.
Ruth says
December 1, 2015 at 1:25 pmThanks for including slow cooker instructions! This looks super easy.
Kathy Hester says
December 1, 2015 at 1:43 pmLentil soup for all!
Christine mcmahan says
December 1, 2015 at 2:38 pmI love mine! I have very limited storage space so it takes place of rice cooker and slow cooker. I love all your recipes Kathy so I’m very happy you’re doing some for the Ipot ( then I don’t have to try to convert them)!
I’m making this soup tonight and will add spinach at the end.
Paula says
December 1, 2015 at 2:54 pmYep, I was one of those who took the Instant Pot Black Friday plunge! I’m so excited, as I’ve had one on my wish list for a while now. Thanks for this great recipe. Please keep the Instant Pot recipes coming!
Dianne says
December 1, 2015 at 5:21 pmI was given a pressure cooker several months ago, and I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t used it yet. I WILL start using it and this recipe is on the top of my “to make” list.
Callie | Flour and Fancy says
December 4, 2015 at 2:03 pmThanks for sharing this great soup recipe, perfect for the upcoming winter months! Yum!
Sara- The Organic Dietitian says
December 5, 2015 at 1:20 amMy slow cooker has been such a lifesaver. Can always use more recipes for my crock pot.
Barely Vegan says
December 7, 2015 at 11:28 pmI’ve been hearing so much about this Instapot! Everyone’s going crazy over it!! This lentil soup looks Delicious 🙂
Gin says
December 8, 2015 at 10:33 amYour soup looks delish Kathy! I’m pretty sure you’ve convinced me to take the Instapot plunge. Having a soup like this in 10 minutes is like magic!
Fareeha says
December 10, 2015 at 1:45 amThis just looks like a perfect soup for the cold wintery months
Molly Kumar says
December 10, 2015 at 3:09 pmThis looks delicious and there’s nothing like a warm chili on a cool winter night.
Willow says
December 11, 2015 at 5:10 pmI am finally getting a slow cooker for Christmas, just so that I can make recipes like this! I have been eating a lot of lentils lately, so this is perfect!
Kelly says
December 27, 2015 at 11:29 pmAre the lentils dry before putting them in (or do I need to soak them?)
Thanks!
Kathy Hester says
December 27, 2015 at 11:32 pmI do not soak my lentils. If you do you won’t need as much cooking liquid and the cooking time will be less.
Elaine says
January 11, 2016 at 4:15 pmThank you for this recipe, Kathy, especially since it can be made in the I.P. I use mine for a few things but would welcome more recipes like this. Will be making this tonight.
Anna Wright says
January 17, 2017 at 1:36 amGreat recipe, love this veggie soup, keep blogging the great recipes like this 🙂
PJ says
February 12, 2017 at 10:45 amThis receipt looks like it works for me. Excited to try it. But… because I have osteoarthritis and need NOT to use night shades that include pepper, tomatoes and potatoes.. (but can use sweet potatoes because they are from a different family).. Does anyone have this problem../???? Or does anyone have any suggestion what I can use instead of potatoes?? Thanks a million!!
Kathy Hester says
February 12, 2017 at 11:24 amIf you can use turnip or rutabaga I’d sub those for potatoes in this recipe for sure!
Melissa says
May 23, 2017 at 2:42 amI’m a new instant pot owner, so pardon my novice question. My husband wants me to make this for a pot luck lunch at work. Can I reheat this soup in the instant pot like I would a crock pot? Thank you!
Kathy Hester says
May 23, 2017 at 8:12 amYou can reheat the soup using either the slow cooker setting or by using the manual setting and pressure cooking it.
Joni Zander says
August 2, 2017 at 9:13 pmWaiting for mine to release as I type. Smells SO good. I just got my IP a week ago and I’m loving it! (I’ve had a pressure cooker that I’ve only used for brown rice for forever and a VitaClay that I love, but replaced with the IP, so the learning curve isn’t as steep.)
Thank you for posting such clear instructions.
Kathy Hester says
August 2, 2017 at 9:39 pmI’m so glad you like it! <3
Tracy says
October 24, 2017 at 3:23 pmI just got a new instant pot, and tried this last night. My lentils all disappeared (disintegrated?) during the cooking process. I followed the directions, even used the autumn blend of lentils, what could have gone wrong? It still tasted very good, just didn’t look like your picture.
Kathy Hester says
October 24, 2017 at 8:09 pmMost of my lentils disintegrated too, you see the brown ones plus chunks of veggies. As long as you liked it I’m sure it was fine.
TK says
December 22, 2017 at 10:40 amHow much is 1 serving? This looks great!
I’ll be making it soon ????
Kathy Hester says
December 22, 2017 at 10:52 amI didn’t measure it exactly, probably 1 1/2 cups?
Kay says
December 28, 2017 at 3:11 pmGood taste but very, very watery. Consider adding more lentils to the recipe
Michelle L says
January 4, 2018 at 9:06 pmThanks for this recipe. I’m cooking it now and have a few questions. Should I turn off the IP during the natural pressure release instead of keeping it on Warm? How long does it take to naturally release pressure? And If I’m pressed for time (or just plain impatient), what would be the effect on the soup if I vent to release the pressure? Look forward to tasting it.
Kathy Hester says
January 4, 2018 at 10:18 pmYou can turn it off, but it may not speed up the process much. It can vary how long NPR takes, but you can cook it an extra 2 minutes and manually release the pressure. You’ll need to do it little by little because if you don’t liquid can come out and possibly burn you.
Michelle L says
January 5, 2018 at 10:43 amThanks for the prompt response. I ended up turning it off after about 20 minutes of NPR and then released the pressure ten minutes later. I’ll try cooking 2 minutes longer next time and see how that goes. It’s just amazing how fast the IP cooks beans. This soup was delicious! I love the overtones of rosemary! And it paired beautifully with Pinot Noir and a roll. My daughter (8) loved it too. My husband doesn’t like lentils. Could I substitute another bean for the lentils? What would you recommend? Thanks.
Laura says
February 11, 2018 at 1:13 pmDo you know the carb content per serving? My husband is a Type 1 diabetic, so that’s something we pay attention to in our house.
This looks amazing!
Kathy Hester says
February 11, 2018 at 7:22 pmI don’t, but you can put it in a nutritional program with exactly the ingredients you use. That way it’s 100% accurate.
Cina says
February 18, 2018 at 1:52 amHi! Where did you purchase the Autumn Blend of Lentils? I’m trying to find where I can buy them in an actual store rather than online. I’m hoping to make this next week! Thanks!!
Kathy Hester says
February 19, 2018 at 9:40 amI’ve found them in Whole Foods and in some Indian markets.
Sherry Larson Cooper says
February 27, 2018 at 5:00 pmshould there be salt in this?
Kathy Hester says
March 6, 2018 at 9:04 pmYes, salt to suit your taste.
Joyce says
March 1, 2018 at 7:00 amWhat is the difference between a slow cpoket and an instant pot? I just got a slow cooker. Can the recipes be interchangeable?
Kathy Hester says
March 8, 2018 at 5:16 pmAn Instant Pot has a pressure cooker function that’s utilized in most of the recipes here on the site. Things like vegetable soups, stews, or things with PRECOOKED beans in it will probably work in the IP. Let me know what recipe you want to try and I’ll let you know if it’s a fit.
Mo Johnson says
January 24, 2019 at 1:53 pmWould you mind putting the name of the cookbook you get each recipe from somewhere in your descriptions? I own most of your cookbooks, so then I wouldn’t need to print the recipe or read it off my phone. Thanks! You have the best plant-based recipes.
Kathy Hester says
January 24, 2019 at 2:00 pmI do with a lot of them, but I will be more mindful. Also many are originals for the blog.