Yellow lentil and spinach slow cooker soup recipe
Lentils and slow cookers were made for each other. When you cook lentils on the stovetop, you have to stir from time to time to keep them from sticking, and you need to check the liquid level to make sure the lentils have absorbed as much as they need. In the slow cooker, you measure everything into the pot, give it a stir, cover and set the cooking temperature to LOW, and go do something else (movie? gardening? rugby?) for many hours. This recipe gives traditional Indian flavorings -- cumin, coriander, ginger and garlic, and garam masala -- plenty of time to sweeten and marry. Vegan and gluten-free, the soup, like all bean and pea soups, will thicken when stored in the refrigerator or freezer, so you might need to add some water to restore the soupy consistency.
Yellow lentil and spinach slow cooker soup
Adapted from The Indian Slow Cooker, this recipe serves 6.
Ingredients
2 cups yellow lentils or split peas, washed and picked through
1 heaping Tbsp ginger paste or minced ginger root
3 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped
1 tsp tomato paste
1 scant tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
6 oz baby spinach leaves, washed
1/2 cup coconut milk (or heavy cream)
Directions
In a 4-quart slow cooker, mix together the lentils, ginger paste, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, salt, pepper, and 8 cups of water. Set the cooker to LOW and cook for 4 hours, stirring once or twice.
After 4 hours, stir in the spinach leaves and coconut milk. Turn off the slow cooker and let the soup sit, covered, for 15 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed. Serve hot.
Very pretty! Added to Vegetablespotting, http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2008/06/week-26-ten-great-vegetable-recipes.html!
Oh yes, I love this! And just adore the black and white place mat.
I am going to have to make this. It's fabulous!
I've had a bag of yellow split peas sitting in my cabinet for months as I ponder what to do with them! (I bought them because they were so pretty!) There is also lots of spinach now so this is the perfect recipe--low-fat and easy to make. I am going to give it a try this weekend but in my lovely orange dutch oven since I don't have a slow cooker. ;-)
The spices in this soup sound divine. It may make me give lentils another try!
Alanna, thank you so much.
Kalyn, sometimes my soups taste better than they look, so for those occasions, a perky b&w place mat really helps in the photos!
Vanessa, I hope you'll try this. I'm sure you'll like it.
Judith, your orange Dutch oven will work perfectly. Just remember to stir, and keep an eye on the liquid.
Sandie, what can we do to turn you into a lentil lover? Maybe this soup???
Gorgeous! I always forget about the sweet lentil, but it's such a great addition to any soup or stew. Thanks for posting!
Bozena, lentils are one of my favorite bases for soup. I've been experimenting more with some of the less common varieties, too.
I made this yesterday and it is fabulous!
Would there be a big difference in taste if I left out the cream/coconut milk?
Berneda, there would definitely be a difference in taste, but you would simply be making a different (and probably delicious) soup. All recipes are just a starting point, so feel free to take this one in your own direction -- and let me know how it works out!
Mine didn't work--sigh. After 4 hours on low, it was not anywhere near cooked.
Susan, I'm so sorry it didn't cook for you. If you try it again, try it for 2 hours on high instead. Every slow cooker is different; for me, the lentils practically disintegrated after the 4 hours. Go figure.
Should I soak the lentils over night before cooking?
Donna, you should not soak lentils overnight.
does this soup end up being sweet at all?
Becky, it's not sweet at all, but you can always sweeten to taste with honey or agave nectar.
I made this tonight using brown lentils and broccoli (instead of spinach). It came out great! I also made it in my dutch oven instead of the slow cooker and it took just under an hour. I found it a bit bland initially, so I added extra salt and some chili flakes.
The flavors in this dish are soooooo good. This was so easy and delicious, and adding in the coconut milk gave it a beautiful creamy color. Thanks for the recipe :)
I used Split peas and they are a bit crunchy still...Did I not put it in the slow cooker long enough? I had it on LOW for 4.5 hours because at 4 they seemed to under done for my liking.
Kathryn, this is fairly typical. It can depend on how old your split peas are, and hot hot your cooker cooks. Cooking until they're done is the best guide.
I tried this today and did not have much luck. At the end of 4 hours the split peas were nowhere near cooked. I ended up putting it on the stove. That, and it was very bland. Ended up adding more of all of the spices and the coconut milk. If I ever try this again I will be using less water.
Very nice tasting soup but...i have made iit twice and it is never the beautiful yellow color rather an unappetizing brown. Once I convince the family to try it, they love it. What am I doing wrong?
Also as a comment, I blend the soup a bit before serving to give it a thicker texture. Thanks for any color advice.
Made this soup with "red" lentils (turn yellow with cooking). I put in a touch more lentils (about 1/3 c.)because that was what was in the bag. It's delicious. Looking for a red lentil soup recipe. So glad I found this one!
If you add the tomato paste before the lentils or peas are soft they will never soften. You can't put anything in with peas, beans or lentils that's acidic. It stops the softening process no matter how long you cook them. Add the paste after they're cooked.