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We swooned over this Indian Lentil Soup with coconut milk and spinach; just use more spinach and fewer lentils to make it lower in carbs. And this easy slow cooker soup is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

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Square image for Indian Lentil Soup in bowl with limes and spoon.

I know some of you are going to take one look this Indian Lentil Soup and veto it because you think the Indian spices, the red lentils, or the spinach is just not going to appeal to you. But that would be sad, because the entire time we were making this easy slow cooker soup, Jake and I just couldn’t stop tasting it and remarking on how good it was!

Admittedly Jake is an Indian food lover, and I’m a fanatic for red lentils, but still we’re pretty picky about what we consider to be “blog-worthy” and this delicious soup more than made the cut. I loved it with a generous squeeze of lime.

The soup was adapted from a recipe for yellow split pea dal I saw in a fun little book called 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker (affiliate link) but truthfully I changed it up quite a bit for the version of Indian Lentil Soup you see here. What I didn’t change is the fact that this delicious soup is vegan, making it a perfect choice for a plant-based dinner.

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What kind of lentils are best for Indian Lentil Soup?

I highly recommend using red lentils for this soup! The red lentils will dissolve much more quickly, helping the slow get done more quickly in the slow cooker. Red lentils also have a slightly sweeter flavor compared to green or brown lentils.

What slow cooker did I use for Indian Lentil Soup?

I used a 5-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe, but it could have been a little smaller.

Is the Indian Lentil Soup low in carbs?

When I calculated the nutritional information for this recipe I realized that because there is a lot of low-carb spinach, vegetable broth, and coconut milk, this tasty soup only has 13 net carbs per serving. If you’d like to make a version that’s even lower in carbs, just use more spinach and fewer lentils! And it will still be delicious.

Want more ideas for Slow Cooker and Instant Pot lentil soup?

If you’re a fan of using lentils in soup you can find more interesting ideas in a collection of Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Lentil Soup Recipes on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site.

Indian Lentil Soup with Spinach and Coconut Milk process shots collage.

How to Make Indian Lentil Soup in the Slow Cooker:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Heat olive oil, then cook the onions until they’re starting to slightly brown.
  2. Add minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, garam masala, and ground cinnamon and cook 1-2 minutes more.
  3. Put the spiced onions in the slow cooker.
  4. These are the red lentils I love so much for soup. Pick them over and discard anyone discolored ones and rinse with cold water before you add them to the slow cooker.
  5. We used canned vegetable broth and added enough water to make 4 cups.
  6. Add the lentils and vegetable broth to the slow cooker with the onions and spices and cook on high for about 2 hours or on low for about 4 hours.
  7. After 2 hours, the ground turmeric had given the lentils a beautiful yellow color and they were starting to dissolve into the soup.
  8. Turn the slow cooker to low and add coconut milk and chopped spinach and cook about 30 minutes more.
  9. Season the soup generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.
  10. This soup is delicious with a squeeze of lime added at the table!

Indian Lentil Soup shown in bowl with spoon and limes on the side.

More Meatless Soups with Lentils:

Weekend Food Prep:

This Indian Lentil Soup recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep  to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Indian Lentil Soup shown in bowl with spoon and limes on the side.
Yield: 6 servings

Indian Lentil Soup (Slow Cooker)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

We swooned over this Indian Lentil Soup with spinach and coconut milk, and this easy slow cooker soup is relatively low in net carbs! Just use more spinach and fewer lentils if you want a version of the soup that's even lower in carbs!

Ingredients

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander seed
  • 1 tsp. ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cup red lentils
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (see notes)
  • 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
  • 4 cups chopped fresh spinach (or more)
  • salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan.  Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until it’s starting to brown, about 6-8 minutes.
  2. Add the minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, Garam Masala , and ground cinnamon and cook 1-2 minutes more.  Put the spiced onion mixture into the slow cooker.
  3. Pick over the lentils and remove any discolored ones.  Put lentils in a colander and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear.
  4. Add lentils and vegetable stock to the slow cooker and cook on high for about 2 hours or on low for about 4 hours.  (The lentils should be softened and starting to fall apart when you add the other ingredients.)
  5. Turn slow cooker to low and add the chopped spinach and can of coconut milk.  Cook about 30 minutes more, or until lentils and spinach are done to your liking.
  6. Season with a generous amount of salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste) and serve hot, with sliced lime to add at the table if desired.

Notes

I used a 5-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe, but it could have been a little smaller.

We used 2 cans vegetable broth, 14 oz. each, and added a little water to make 4 cups.

This recipe for Indian Lentil Soup was adapted from a recipe for yellow split pea dal in 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker (affiliate link) 

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 128Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 3mgSodium 698mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 5gSugar 3gProtein 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

© Kalyn Denny
Category: Soups & Stews
Indian Lentil Soup with Spinach and Coconut Milk shown with soup in bowl and limes on the side.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Lentils are somewhat high in carbs for low-carb eating plans, but they do have fiber, so the Indian Lentil Soup has 13 net carbs per serving; you can reduce the carbs even more by using fewer lentils and more spinach. All types of lentils and split peas are approved for the original South Beach Diet, but serving size is limited for Phase One. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Indian Lentil Soup was first posted in 2o13. It was last updated with more information in 2024.

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