Indian Lentil Soup (Slow Cooker)
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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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.)
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- onion
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- ground Cumin (affiliate link)
- ground coriander (affiliate link)
- Ground Turmeric (affiliate link)
- Garam Masala (affiliate link)
- ground cinnamon (affiliate link)
- red lentils (affiliate link)
- canned vegetable broth (affiliate link)
- Coconut Milk (affiliate link)
- chopped fresh spinach
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- limes for serving, optional
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.
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.)
- Heat olive oil, then cook the onions until they’re starting to slightly brown.
- Add minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, garam masala, and ground cinnamon and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Put the spiced onions in the slow cooker.
- 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.
- We used canned vegetable broth and added enough water to make 4 cups.
- 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.
- After 2 hours, the ground turmeric had given the lentils a beautiful yellow color and they were starting to dissolve into the soup.
- Turn the slow cooker to low and add coconut milk and chopped spinach and cook about 30 minutes more.
- Season the soup generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.
- This soup is delicious with a squeeze of lime added at the table!
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 (Slow Cooker)
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Pick over the lentils and remove any discolored ones. Put lentils in a colander and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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 inย 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker (affiliate link)ย
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount 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.
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 Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm 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.
47 Comments on “Indian Lentil Soup (Slow Cooker)”
I just made this today, and it is soooo gooooood!!! It doesn’t need anything added to it; it’s so yummy just the way the recipe says (although I did add 1/2 cup more lentils just to use up my package, and some extra broth as well, but otherwise, I followed the recipe). I made some homemade naan with avocado hummus to go with it, and my husband and 14 month old both loved it! Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
Thanks Sarah, so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I think you are pushing it with a 3 Quart size; maybe you already figured that out!
I’m attempting to make this with a 3 quart slow cooker. Think that’d be big enough or should I use half of the ingredients?
I was skeptical, couldn't imagine how this would taste with the combination of spices, but wow was it great! Thanks for posting a great non meat protein rich meal! Green too, just in time for st Patrick's day!
So glad you enjoyed it! I think this is one of my best meatless soups on the whole site; need to make it more often!
nice
I haven't made this without a slow cooker, so I can't tell you an exact recipe to adapt it. But in general, use more liquid for stovetop cooking, and simmering time will be about 1/3 as long. I would add the ingredients in the same order for cooking on the stove. You'll just have to watch it to see how long to cook the lentils before you add the spinach and coconut milk.
Looks amazing! I want to cook it for Rosh Hashana this week, but I don't have a slow cooker, how can I adapt the recipe for stovetop in a pot? Thanks!
I love this; so glad you liked it!
This is one of the first recipes on this website I tried, and now I'm hooked! Rich, warming, easy, and delicious make this a staple in our omnivorous household. Thanks kalyn!
This is one of the first recipes on this website I tried, and now I'm hooked! Rich, warming, easy, and delicious make this a staple in our omnivorous household. Thanks kalyn!
One cup = 8 ounces. There are a lot of places online where that info is available.
I'd like to try this, what size is an American cup please?
So glad you enjoyed it!
Searching for lentil recipes for a half marathon tomorrow. I've tried several Indian recipes and I can't seem to get the spices right, something is missing or there's a bitterness, but this was perfect! I just had some for lunch, gave your link to a facebook recipe group, and had to how amazing this was. Thank You!
So glad you enjoyed it!
All I can say is SupercalafragalisticExpaladelicious. I am a devout carnivore and hunter of wildgame. My wife and I decided that we would go vegan for a while (well she decided)… I was assigned the responsibility of cooking and wasn't too sure this thing was going to work for me. I love soups (especially with Grilled Cheese) … I digress. When it was time to taste it I found myself immersed face deep with a ladle as my spoon. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe.
You could certainly add chicken if you wanted. I would poach and shred the chicken and add it for the last 30 minutes or so of the cooking time.
The soup looks delicious and beautiful! I have a ton of red lentils sitting around, and now I know precisely what I need to do with them! I know this is for meatless Monday meal, but suppose I wanted this to be a complete meal with chicken; could I add a chicken breast or two to this?
I made this yesterday with white/brown lentils and it was DELISH!!! Will be making this again!!
So glad you enjoyed it. You can use green lentils in place of red ones, but the red lentils cook a little more quickly.
Kaylen…This was fantastic. My husband and I really loved it. I used up my red lentils (which I had bought for another recipe). What is the difference between red and green lentils? What I have in my cupboard now are lots of green lentils….
Fiona, that makes me sad. Couldn't imagine not having a slow cooker.
Christina, glad you enjoyed it as much as we did. And ditto on the slow cooker love.
This was so delicious! The spice mixture was perfect. I love making lentil stews/soups in the slow cooker.
That looks lovely! I'm wishing I hadn't given away my slow cooker now!
I promise, you would LOVE the slow cooker!
Aah! I really need to get myself a slow cooker! This (and all the rest of you slow cooker recipes) sounds wonderful!
Jeanne, I do love it if I think like you! xoxo
Great minds think alike! I made something very similar last Sunday (although not in a slow cooker) – and it was stupendously delicious! Lots of cumin for warmth – definitely going on permanent winter dinner rotation!
Thanks Krithi!
Holly-girl, your version sounds great. I bet this is so good over rice.
I made this tonight and it did not disappoint! ๐ I served it like a sauce over the top of brown rice and also added a can of garbanzos to the soup. Super delish! Thank you for sharing!
Delicious and decadent. Next on my to-do list ๐
Jeanette, you were definitely having soup weather!
I love dal and all Indian food, so this definitely appeals to my senses Kalyn. I am also a big fan of red lentils. After the big blizzard we just had, soup is definitely on my mind.
Lindsey, me too! So glad you like it. Will watch for your post too.
I'm just getting a post ready for tomorrow using white beans and spinach. ๐ I'm out of red lentils, but as soon as I stock up again, I'm making this! I absolutely love lentils with Indian spices.
Thanks; hope you enjoy it!
I have this in the slow cooker for dinner tonight. It smells so good! I love all your recipes.
Glad people are liking this, and Alyssa pretty cold here too!
I love red lentils and Indian flavors so this soup is really appealing to me! Especially today – it's so cold and grey!
Wowser, that does look so good to me. Into the pot it goes!
Joanne and Jen, thanks, and I just can't say enough good things about this one!
One the best soups I've ever had. It taste so good
Glad you liked it !
This looks amazing! I can't wait to try it. I love any new lentil recipe that you give us.
I'm all about the red lentil love! The spices in this sound so rich and delicious.