Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup


For soup-and-bread Sunday last week, we went Italian. This time I decided to head west and go French. I love so many things about this soup. First, it's done in the slow cooker, leaving me free to do other things, like make breadsticks to go with it. Second, it makes the house smell amazing. Third, it uses lentils, a perfect source of protein that is often overlooked. Plus, it's totally customizable. Don't like red lentils? Use brown or green. Out of white rice? Choose your favorite (I used Jasmine). Don't have herbes de provence? Use thyme. Ok? Ok. Here we go...

Red Lentil Soup
Makes 4 servings as a main dish or 8 servings as a starter
Adapted from food.com*
(But originally found at Diaries of a Well Intentioned Wife)

What I use:

• 6 c. chicken broth
• 1 c. dry red lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 c. diced onion
• 3 Tbsp. uncooked Jasmine rice
• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. herbes de provence
• 1/2 tsp. salt

How I do it:

1. Place all ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker.

2. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

3. Puree half of the soup in a blender and return to slow cooker.

4. Stir and serve.

*I didn't change much from the original recipe. I left out the celery and pepper because Andrew would rather chop off his big toe than eat either one of them and I skipped the cream and parsley because optional means just that.

How did you make it? What's your favorite variation?