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    Home » All-Recipes

    Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Baked Sweet Potato

    Published: Feb 20, 2015 · Modified: Jan 2, 2022 by Margaret · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 17 Comments

    Vegan, gluten-free and low fat—this healthy slow cooker lentil soup recipe is delicious and easy to make. The baked sweet potato is a delightful addition.

    A bowl of slow cooker lentil soup in front of a crock pot and tray of baked sweet potatoes
    This hearty lentil soup is perfect for lunch or dinner!
    Jump to:
    • Crock Pot Perks
    • Baked Sweet Potatoes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • More Slow Cooker Recipes
    • 💬 Comments

    Crock Pot Perks

    When it's cold outside, there's nothing better than the warm cozy smell of soup simmering in a Crock Pot or slow cooker.

    top view of vegan, gluten-free lentil soup in a slow cooker with baked sweet potatoes on a try nearby
    Fresh spinach greens are added at the end of cooking.

    Using a slow cooker is also a great way to bring peace and harmony to the dinner hour. You prepare the bulk of the meal in the morning and it’s ready when you are tired at the end of the workday.

    Baked Sweet Potatoes

    two sliced baked sweet potatoes on a foil lined tray
    Sweet potatoes can be baked separately or added to the slow cooker with other ingredients.

    I bake the sweet potatoes separately in this recipe for two reasons:

    1. I absolutely love the sweet taste and texture of baked sweet potatoes.
    2. My husband doesn’t care for sweet potatoes, so he is able to enjoy the slow cooker lentil soup with a crusty piece of whole-grain bread in their place.

    You can bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time and warm them in the microwave. (I always like to keep some baked sweet potatoes on hand to add to different recipes.) Or, you can bake them approximately one hour before you plan to serve the soup.

    📖 Recipe

    slow cooker lentil soup being ladled into a bowl
    Print Pin

    Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Baked Sweet Potato

    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 5 hours 30 minutes
    Total Time 6 hours
    Servings 4

    Ingredients

    Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

    • 1 cup dry brown or green lentils
    • 1 cup chopped Vidalia or Spanish onion
    • 2 stalks of celery chopped
    • 1 cup carrots chopped
    • 1 clove garlic crushed
    • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth - or water (add an extra ½ teaspoon salt if using water)
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ½ tsp. dried thyme
    • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
    • 2 cups packed baby spinach (or other chopped dark leafy greens)
    • ⅛ tsp. Himalayan cooking salt (or to taste*)

    Baked Sweet Potatoes

    • 2 large sweet potatoes or yams

    Instructions

    Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

    • Rinse and sort lentils and place in slow cooker.
    • Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, vegetable broth and bay leaves.
    • Cook on high** for approximately 5 hours or low for 8 hours.
    • Remove bay leaves and add thyme, pepper and baby spinach and continue to cook on low for approximately 30 minutes.

    Baked Sweet Potatoes

    • Preheat toaster oven*** to 400 degrees.
    • Scrub sweet potatoes and pat dry.
    • Prick the top of each potato several times with a fork.
    • Place potatoes on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
    • Bake approximately 1 hour (convection setting) or until potatoes feel soft when squeezed gently with tongs or oven mitt.

    Serving

    • Slice sweet potatoes in half and then run the knife lengthwise and crosswise to dice the potato in the skin.
    • Scoop out each half into a pasta or soup bowl.
    • Ladle approximately ¼ of the slow cooker lentil soup over each portion of sweet potato.
    • Add salt to taste and serve.

    Notes

    *I salt individual servings instead of adding salt when cooking. This provides a stronger flavor while reducing the overall sodium content.
    **I make this soup in my 25 year-old Crock Pot. A newer slow cooker would likely require less time or a lower setting.
    ***I found baking potatoes in our toaster oven on the convection setting is quicker, more economical and yields better results. Of course a conventional oven can also be used, but it may require a little more time.

    Recipe Options

    If you don't want to take the time to bake the sweet potatoes, you can dice them (leave the skin on) and add them to the slow cooker with the other ingredients.
    You can also add frozen chopped greens—such as kale or collard greens—at the start of cook time instead of fresh chopped greens at the end.
    Nutrition information is a rough estimate per serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 1091mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 22840IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 6mg

    More Slow Cooker Recipes

    • Slow Cooker 3 Bean Chili - vegan and gluten-free
    • Slow Cooker Cream of Broccoli Soup
    • Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes and Spinach
    • Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Soup
    « How A Slow Cooker Can Save Your Marriage
    Plant-Based Nutrition Facts »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda Erts

      October 25, 2015 at 6:24 pm

      Hi Margaret, I'm pleased to tell you that this was our dinner tonight! It was delicious! My hubby looked a little worried at first glance but really enjoyed it and pronounced it a "keeper". The sweet potatoes really go very nicely with the soup. Thanks again for another winner.

      Reply
      • Margaret

        October 25, 2015 at 7:07 pm

        What a coincidence - I made it for dinner tonight too! Glad you and your husband enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Joyo

      October 27, 2015 at 11:57 am

      I am making it for tonight. It is windy and cold where I live today, signs of winter are in the sky. A perfect day to warm up my house with the aroma of this soup. Thanks so much for posting =)

      Reply
      • Margaret

        October 27, 2015 at 2:04 pm

        You are very welcome! Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    3. genkikitty

      November 08, 2015 at 6:27 am

      This was delicious! I hope you don't mind but I linked your recipe to my blog page for others to enjoy this delicious dish! Thanks for the dinner idea!

      Reply
      • Margaret

        November 08, 2015 at 8:06 am

        Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it and pleased to have you share the recipe link. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Freda

      December 28, 2015 at 4:33 pm

      I'm making this soup this evening for tomorrow; was wondering if I could peel and cut up the sweet potatoes and cook them all together???

      Reply
      • Margaret

        December 28, 2015 at 7:18 pm

        I think that would probably work - it's certainly worth a try. I just love the flavor and texture of baked sweet potatoes and I hate peeling and chopping hard raw potatoes. Let me know how it goes! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Jenny Dickison

      January 26, 2016 at 6:15 am

      Will this soup freeze well?

      Reply
      • Margaret

        January 26, 2016 at 10:20 am

        Hi Jenny - I haven't tried freezing it - but I don't see why it wouldn't...

        Reply
    6. TruenLovely

      February 22, 2016 at 3:05 am

      This is delicious (despite having cooked it too long HeHe)! I decided to cook my sweet potatoes with it & I added a smoked turkey leg to the pot for seasoning. This will be a new regular! Simple, tasty & healthy!

      Reply
      • Margaret

        February 22, 2016 at 7:07 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Macey

      February 20, 2017 at 7:23 pm

      Tried to make this for dinner tonight but after having it on high for 5 hrs, lentils were still too firm. Put on stove to boil for a while and they aren’t budging. Guess I failed us for dinner tonight :/

      Reply
      • Margaret

        February 21, 2017 at 4:09 pm

        Sorry it didn't go well for you... Sounds like your lentils may have been on the older side and required longer cooking...

        Reply
    8. deepika singh

      September 15, 2017 at 2:08 pm

      Just made this for dinner and it was fantastic. I’m not much of a soup eater, but with all of these clean and wholesome ingredients, I will definitely make this again. It is popping with flavor and I feel great about eating it

      Reply
      • Margaret

        September 16, 2017 at 6:42 pm

        Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    9. Atkin Smedley

      May 05, 2018 at 7:01 pm

      Has anyone made this on the stove? How long did you cook it for?

      Reply

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    Hi! I'm Margaret. I created Veggie Primer to share what I've learned since adopting a plant-based lifestyle in 2011.

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