Tomato and Red Lentil Soup | Slow Cooker Soup

I've been in the garden planting lettuce and salad seasoning herbs this week, in the hope that summer is just around the corner...  But the garden centre lady tells me there is still a chance of frost in these parts until the end of the month - hope not!  So it is still soup weather here, at least, so I thought this week I'd share with you a favourite tomato soup recipe.

You can used dried stock if you want to, if that is convenient, but it takes no time at all to put a few rough chopped veg in the slow cooker with some water and turn it on low before you go to bed, so you have hot stock to start the soup with in the morning... just a thought :)  I've got used to doing it this way now, to ensure a low salt diet.  So, instead of putting the slow cooker away at night when it's washed up, I sometimes have enough energy to think about what I could put in it that will save me time later or give me something I can use tomorrow - like stock, beans, lentils, chickpeas, barley etc. If you are not sure how to cook these things in your slow cooker, here's how from previous posts: Crock Pot Cooking Times for red kidney beans, chickpeas and pearl barley.

This soup goes great with some garlic buttered rolls or freshly baked ciabatta bread or a grainy loaf.

Tomato and Lentil Slow Cooker Soup

Serves 4
Cook on low 4 to 6 hours

1 onion finely chopped
1 rib of celery finely sliced
1 carrot finely sliced
½ tsp dried mixed herbs
3 cups hot vegetable stock
1 cup split red lentils
440g/14oz can crushed tomatoes
140g pottle tomato paste
1 bay leaf
Add all ingredients to slow cooker, stir to combine, cover and cook on low 4-6 hours or until onion is tender.

Serve as is, or blend all or some of soup until smooth, reheat to serve.

Check and adjust seasonings as necessary, serve with a crusty loaf or rolls.

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Find more slow cooker recipes for Kiwis (and other cooks who use metric measurements here at... Slow Cooker Recipes NZ - and check this out - the easiest way to see all my Slow Cooker Recipes!