Curried Lentil Spinach Soup

This Curried Lentil Spinach Soup made in a slow cooker is flavorful, hearty, and the perfect antidote to a gloomy day. It’s gluten-free and can be made vegan with a simple ingredient swap.

This slow-cooked Curried Lentil Spinach Soup is all you need to brighten up those cool, cloudy days. It’s hearty, flavorful, and will leave you feeling light, satisfied, and energized—not uncomfortably stuffed.

Onion, ginger, garlic, garam masala, curry powder, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes lend authentic Indian-style flavors to this lentil soup recipe, while wilted spinach, green lentils, celery, and carrots give the recipe its hearty texture—and a mega-dose of phytonutrients.

Topped with earthy fresh cilantro and cooled plain yogurt, you’ve got the perfect variety of textures and savory flavors, guaranteed to make your tastebuds smile. To make this recipe vegan, use vegetable broth and swap the yogurt for your favorite dairy-free sour cream or yogurt alternative.

For some people, the hard-to-digest fiber in lentils can cause stomachaches and bloating. Slow cooking them all day is one way to get around that. The longer cook time helps break down the fiber, making them much easier to digest.

This lentil soup recipe takes only ten minutes to prep before it slow-cooks for 6-8 hours (or 3-4 hours if you choose the high setting). As far as prep goes, all you need to do is sauté the ginger, onions, and garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Then, lightly toast the lentils, stir in white wine, and transfer the mixture (along with the rest of the ingredients) to the slow cooker.

Ten minutes before the cooking time is up, you’ll come back to add the spinach and let it wilt. Then get ready to serve it and top with the cilantro and yogurt. I hope you enjoy it, and I would love to hear your feedback in the comments.

Slow Cooker Curried Lentil Spinach Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 6 reviews

• Author: Sharon Chen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 6-8 hours
• Total Time: 6 hours, 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: Indian
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Flavorful, hearty, and the perfect antidote to a gloomy day. It’s gluten-free and can be made vegan with a simple ingredient swap.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken bone broth or low-sodium vegetable broth if vegan
• 1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt for serving

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Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, ginger, and garlic until translucent, about 1 minute.
2. Add lentils; stir to slightly toast them, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, but don’t remove the pan from the heat. Stir in wine and scrape the goodies from the bottom and the sides of the pan.  
3. Transfer the onion mixture to a slow cooker and add all remaining ingredients except the spinach, cilantro, and yogurt. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
4. 10 minutes before end of cooking, add spinach and let it cook until wilted.  
5. Stir in cilantro and serve with a spoonful of plain yogurt. 

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Notes

Please be mindful of the sodium content in the broth you use. I love using bone broth in my soups. Try to use a low-sodium broth and add salt to taste if necessary.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 304
• Sugar: 6.4g
• Sodium: 815.6mg
• Fat: 8.1g
• Saturated Fat: 1.2g
• Carbohydrates: 43.2g
• Fiber: 8.4g
• Protein: 13.5g
• Cholesterol: 8.1g

About the Author

Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.