Chard, Lentil & Potato Slow Cooker Soup Recipe (2024)

Published: Oct 18, 2012 · by Nicole · Updated: Jan 1, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links.

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You're going to love this Chard, Lentil, & Potato Slow Cooker Soup. It's filling, easy to make, and totally healthy!

Chard, Lentil & Potato Slow Cooker Soup Recipe (1)

I own a ton of cookbooks, but if I had to choose the one I use the most often in my kitchen, it's Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson. This is my book that has notes scrawled all over the pages and food spatters on the most frequently used recipes. If you're a vegetarian and you own a slow cooker, you should really buy this book!

This recipe is adapted from a kale and lentil soup that's in Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. It's not super fancy, it's not a show-stopper, but it's a delicious, hearty soup for a chilly fall evening. I replaced the kale with chard—and used a lot more than the original recipe calls for. We love Swiss chard, and if I was buying a whole bunch anyway, why not use it? I even threw in the stems, so nothing goes to waste! I also added some Yukon potatoes to make this soup even more filling, but sweet potatoes or butternut squash would probably be just as tasty.

How to Make Chard, Lentil, & Potato Slow Cooker Soup

Chard, Lentil & Potato Slow Cooker Soup Recipe (4)

Heat oil in a skillet.
Add veggies and cook until softened.
Add veggies and ingredients to slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Season with salt, pepper, and boiled chard leaves.

Full directions for how to make Chard, Lentil, & Potato Slow Cooker Soup are in the printable recipe card below.

Chard, Lentil, & Potato Slow Cooker Soup FAQs

Chard, Lentil & Potato Slow Cooker Soup Recipe (5)

Why do you love this cookbook?

The thing I love about Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker is that the recipes are mostly unfussy. You might have to sauté some ingredients before putting them in the crockpot. But other than that, things are pretty uncomplicated—which is what I like in a cookbook. I want realistic, everyday meals. I want a cookbook I can use, not one with lots of pretty pictures of recipes that are a such pain to assemble that I'll probably never make.

When I was working full-time and going to library school full-time (yeah, that happened), I worked my way through a good half of the recipes in this cookbook. They were so easy to put together! I could let them cook in the crockpot all day and dinner would be ready when we got home. Without fail, they were all winners. The best part was that there were always leftovers, so we could have them for dinner the next day or freeze them. The only thing easier than a slow cooker meal is a leftover meal! Or stopping at Chipotle on the way home from work. (Yeah, that happened too.)

Can I freeze this soup?

You can easily freeze this soup. Simply let it cool down a bit, pour it into freezer-friendly containers or ziplock bags, and pop it in the freezer until you're ready to eat it again! I recommend separating the soup into serving-size portions so you don't have to thaw all of your frozen soup when you only want to eat one cup.

Recipe

Chard, Lentil, & Potato Slow Cooker Soup

A hearty fall soup adapted from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker's Lentil Soup with Ribbons of Kale.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 stalk celery sliced
1 large carrot sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 large bunch Swiss chard leaves torn into bite-sized pieces and stems sliced
1 cup dried brown lentils picked over and rinsed
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and stems from Swiss chard.
Cover and cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cooked vegetable mixture, lentils, potatoes, broth, and soy sauce in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
Stir to combine, cover, and cook on low heat for 8 hours.
Just before soup is finished cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place reserved chard leaves in boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Drain leaves well and stir into soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 13gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1119mgPotassium: 954mgFiber: 15gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2713IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 4mg

Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!

There are affiliate links in this post, so if you click through and buy Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, I'll get a few cents out of the deal. I promise not to spend it all in one place!

Chard, Lentil & Potato Slow Cooker Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my lentil soup so thick? ›

Go easy—if you purée the soup too much, it will get too thick and you'll lose the integrity of the lentils. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer a few cups of the soup to a standard blender and purée, then return the blended soup to the pot.

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Is it better to cook soup slowly? ›

If you're debating on which method to use, there are a few things you should keep in mind. For instance, slow-cooking soup keeps all the ingredients and flavor sealed in, but you have to be careful not to cook it too long because the flavors can get muddled and the texture can become a little mushy.

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Can you overcook lentils in soup? ›

Yes, you can overcook lentils; they will become mushy. Much depends on the type of lentil you're using. Some cook quicker and hold their shape better than others. To avoid overcooking them, always follow the cooking directions in your recipe and use the type of lentils called for in the ingredient list.

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Should lentils be soaked for soup? ›

Lentils do not require it but can be soaked in order to reduce cooking time by about half. Before cooking, rinse lentils in cold water, pick over to remove debris or shrivelled lentils, then drain.

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What vegetables should not be added to a slow cooker? ›

Tender vegetables

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker. Stick to heartier root vegetables like potatoes, onions, leeks and yams, or wait to add the tender vegetables until the last 30 minutes or so of cooking time.

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Can you overcook soup in a slow cooker? ›

"When a slow cooker is too full, it may not heat the food evenly," explains Leal. As a result, some parts of the dish may overcook, while others remain undercooked. "This can also increase the risk of foodborne illness, because the food might not reach a safe temperature throughout," she says.

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How long is too long for slow cooker soup? ›

It's generally safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours—that's what they're made for.

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How do you make lentil soup less watery? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

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What to do if soup is too thick? ›

Add more liquid: The simplest solution is to add more liquid, such as water, broth, or milk. Start by adding a small amount and gradually add more until you reach the desired consistency. Use a blender: If you have a blender, you can puree the soup in batches, adding more liquid as needed.