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You're going to love this Chard, Lentil, & Potato Slow Cooker Soup. It's filling, easy to make, and totally healthy!
I own a ton of cookbooks, but if I had to choose the one I use the most often in my kitchen, it's Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson. This is my book that has notes scrawled all over the pages and food spatters on the most frequently used recipes. If you're a vegetarian and you own a slow cooker, you should really buy this book!
This recipe is adapted from a kale and lentil soup that's in Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. It's not super fancy, it's not a show-stopper, but it's a delicious, hearty soup for a chilly fall evening. I replaced the kale with chard—and used a lot more than the original recipe calls for. We love Swiss chard, and if I was buying a whole bunch anyway, why not use it? I even threw in the stems, so nothing goes to waste! I also added some Yukon potatoes to make this soup even more filling, but sweet potatoes or butternut squash would probably be just as tasty.
How to Make Chard, Lentil, & Potato Slow Cooker Soup
Heat oil in a skillet.
Add veggies and cook until softened.
Add veggies and ingredients to slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Season with salt, pepper, and boiled chard leaves.
Full directions for how to make Chard, Lentil, & Potato Slow Cooker Soup are in the printable recipe card below.
Chard, Lentil, & Potato Slow Cooker Soup FAQs
Why do you love this cookbook?
The thing I love about Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker is that the recipes are mostly unfussy. You might have to sauté some ingredients before putting them in the crockpot. But other than that, things are pretty uncomplicated—which is what I like in a cookbook. I want realistic, everyday meals. I want a cookbook I can use, not one with lots of pretty pictures of recipes that are a such pain to assemble that I'll probably never make.
When I was working full-time and going to library school full-time (yeah, that happened), I worked my way through a good half of the recipes in this cookbook. They were so easy to put together! I could let them cook in the crockpot all day and dinner would be ready when we got home. Without fail, they were all winners. The best part was that there were always leftovers, so we could have them for dinner the next day or freeze them. The only thing easier than a slow cooker meal is a leftover meal! Or stopping at Chipotle on the way home from work. (Yeah, that happened too.)
You can easily freeze this soup. Simply let it cool down a bit, pour it into freezer-friendly containers or ziplock bags, and pop it in the freezer until you're ready to eat it again! I recommend separating the soup into serving-size portions so you don't have to thaw all of your frozen soup when you only want to eat one cup.
Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and stems from Swiss chard.
Cover and cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cooked vegetable mixture, lentils, potatoes, broth, and soy sauce in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
Stir to combine, cover, and cook on low heat for 8 hours.
Just before soup is finished cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place reserved chard leaves in boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Drain leaves well and stir into soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
There are affiliate links in this post, so if you click through and buy Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, I'll get a few cents out of the deal. I promise not to spend it all in one place!
Yes, you can overcook lentils; they will become mushy. Much depends on the type of lentil you're using. Some cook quicker and hold their shape better than others. To avoid overcooking them, always follow the cooking directions in your recipe and use the type of lentils called for in the ingredient list.
You'll be rewarded with richer, more intense flavors in your soup. There is very little evaporation in the slow cooker. If you're adapting a regular soup recipe, it's likely that you won't need to use all the liquid called for. Put all your ingredients in the slow cooker and then pour the broth over top.
The other good news: Lentils don't need to soak as beans do (though you do need to sort and rinse them before cooking). Different types of lentils cook in different amounts of time. Red lentils are the fastest cooking and they dissolve as they cook and make for a smooth soup.
Well, as healthy as they are, lentils are also known to cause some tummy issues like bloating and flatulence to be more specific. The presence of anti-nutrient compounds in lentils is the culprit behind gas or flatulence. The good news is that anti-nutrient in lentils can be easily deactivated by soaking them in water.
Lentils to do not require soaking like other pulses. Rinse your lentils with fresh water before boiling to remove any dust or debris. Cook on a stovetop, using 3 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc) to 1 cup of dry lentils. Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the lentils will double or triple in size.
Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.
the color change you've observed is from oxidation. If you want to prevent this, lay some plastic wrap over the surface of your lentils to prevent air from getting to them, or add some acid, like lime juice, to the recipe.
That varies by what's inside the slow cooker and also by the appliance's setting and model, the experts say. Most recipes for all-day cooking call for 6 to 8 hours on low. Quality- (and safety-) wise, another 1 to 2 hours in 'keep warm' mode won't mess things up.
"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.
If you're cooking for yourself or for only two people, a 2 1/2 to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker might be large enough. It's great for smaller amounts of soups and stews. Many slow cooker recipes are written for 6-quart models and can simply be halved for this size.
Bring to a rumbling simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Like rice, lentils absorb water while they cook. If the water level drops below the lentils, add a little more liquid to keep them moist. You want the lentils softened but not mushy.
Urad dal or black lentil is one of the most nutritious pulses known to mankind. Low in fat and calories, Urad dal helps to improve digestion. With it being a rich source of protein and vitamin B3, it makes our bones stronger and is said to boost energy levels, enhance heart health and strengthen our nervous system.
If things get a bit too thick: Often times lentil (or other bean soups) will substantially thicken up, especially overnight; if this happens and the soup becomes a bit too thick, simply thin it out with a little water or stock.
Raw lentils, like other legumes, contain a protein called lectin that binds to your digestive tract and can result in several toxic reactions, such as diarrhea and vomiting. Lentils are a nutritious food choice, low in fat and high in protein and fiber.
Nope! Unlike lots of other dried pulses (such as some dried beans), lentils don't need to be soaked before cooking. This means they're really quick and easy to use – you can decide you want to cook lentils when you're already ready to start cooking, and they can be ready to eat not long after.
Can You Eat Lentils Raw? The short answer? No. Like other legumes, raw lentils contain a type of protein called lectin that, unlike other proteins, binds to carbohydrates and your body can't digest them.
Since lentils are starchy, earthy in flavor, and can be on the bland side, there are many ways to make them flavorful, including by adding them into soup. When other ingredients are introduced that complement lentils like onions, garlic, spices, and lemon, the taste is out of this world.
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by Robin Robertson. This is my book that has notes scrawled all over the pages and food spatters on the most frequently used recipes. If you're a vegetarian and you own a slow cooker, you should really buy this book!
