This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
This slow cooker lentil stew is here to make dinner practically effortless. Just dump in the veggies, lentils, and spices, then let it do its thing. With a hit of harissa and curry for bold flavor, this isn’t your average stew. Toss in some sausage if you’re feeling fancy, or leave it veggie-packed and call it a day.
Here is Why This Lentil Stew Recipe Works
Dump-and-Done: Minimal prep and maximum flavor. Just throw it all in the slow cooker and let it handle the hard part while you go about your day.
Bold, Warming Spices: With harissa, curry, and a hint of cinnamon, this stew brings serious flavor without a million ingredients.
Veggie-Packed Comfort: Loaded with lentils, cauliflower, carrots, and sweet potatoes, it’s filling and delicious. No sad, skimpy bowls here.
Easy to Customize: Keep it veggie or add sausage or your favorite protein in the last half-hour.
The Ingredients
- Pantry: Olive oil, lentils, chicken broth, crushed tomatoes
- Spices and Seasonings: Harissa powder or paste, curry powder, ground ginger, ground cardamom, cinnamon, salt, cayenne pepper, bay leaves
- Produce: Onions, red bell peppers, celery, garlic, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, lemon
- Meat (Optional): Chicken sausage, Andouille sausage, or cubed raw chicken, beef, or lamb
Variations
Mediterranean Chickpea Lentil Stew: Add a can of drained chickpeas, ½ cup chopped Kalamata olives, and ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes.
Butternut Squash and Kale Lentil Stew: Swap the sweet potatoes for cubed butternut squash and replace spinach with kale.
Spicy Chorizo Lentil Stew: Add ½ pound of sliced chorizo sausage and finish with a dash of smoked paprika.
Tips for Success
- Harissa can vary in heat, so if you’re unsure, start with half the amount, then add more to taste once the stew is cooked.
- If you have a few extra minutes, sautéing the onions, peppers, and celery with the spices really brings out their flavors before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the lemon juice just before serving for the best brightness. It’ll make the flavors pop without getting lost in the long cooking process.
- Feel free to swap in your favorite vegetables! Zucchini, butternut squash, or even green beans work well in this stew.
- his stew freezes beautifully, so consider making extra and freezing individual portions for quick, cozy meals on busy days.
Serving Suggestions
While the slow cooker works on the lentil stew, here are some side dishes to consider.
- Bread: A loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread would be perfect for sopping up the flavorsome broth.
- Rice or Quinoa: Serve the stew over a bed of coconut rice, sprouted brown rice, or quinoa
- Fresh Salad: A simple Caesar salad
Storage and Reheating
- In the fridge: Store in a sealed container, and it will last up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezing: Allow stew to cool completely before transferring into an airtight container and freezing for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or broth as needed. If reheating in the microwave, be sure to cover with a lid and stir frequently. You can also heat the stew in the crockpot.
More Soup and Stew Recipes
- Crock pot beef stew with onion soup
- Instant Pot 15 bean soup
- Instant Pot lentil soup
- Slow Cooker Beef barley soup
Lentil Stew in the Slow Cooker
This slow cooker lentil stew is the ultimate hands-off comfort meal. Rich in flavor, easy to customize, and perfect for batch cooking. Ideal for chilly nights, it’s a warm, hearty dish you’ll want to make on repeat all season long!
Helpful Tools
Some of the following are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission if you click on these links and purchase something. You don’t pay any extra, but it will help us keep the lights on.
Pin this now to find it later!
Pin It
Slow Cooker Lentil Stew
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 red bell peppers chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste or powder
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1-½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 cups lentils
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower
- 4 large carrots, diced
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
- juice of 1 to 2 lemons
Instructions
- If you have time, this step will develop the flavors in the spices. Otherwise, skip to step 2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, red peppers, and celery, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, harissa, curry, ginger, cardamom, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne, and cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant.
- Transfer the spice and onion mixture to a slow cooker. Toss in the lentils then add the cauliflower, carrots, sweet potato, broth, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, about 4 to 5 hours on high or 8 to 9 hours on low.
- In the final 20 to 30 minutes of cook time, remove the bay leaves and stir in the spinach and chicken sausage (if using). Season with salt and pepper if needed. Just before serving stir in the lemon juice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I made this soup last week and it turned out amazing! And the spinach is a great addition since it reduces so much that you can a whole lot of it… plus it adds a nice color and it made me grow some muscles!
ha ha, just like Popeye! Well I agree. I really like this soup, it is healthy and incredibly filling
OMG! That is a HUGE biking challenge. 82 miles would be a challenge as far as I was concerned, but the elevation climb—–noooooooo that’s beyond my kin for a challenge for me. But I will be in your corner cheering you on, so please keep us up to date in your endeavor. Yes you are insane and Yes this looks like insanely good soup. I love lentils.
Thank you Carol, I need all the support I can get. I will keep the posts coming on my training, it will help keep me on track 🙂