Red Lentil Dal Soup prepared in the slow cooker is so easy, budget-friendly, and delicious. Fill your kitchen with the amazing aromas of beautifully spiced red split lentils gently bubbling away. Perfect for when you fancy the delicious flavours of a home-cooked curry but are short of time and just need the slow cooker to do all the work.
This Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dal Soup is delicious served with a simple garnish of chopped coriander [cilantro] and a few crushed peanuts. A dollop of mango chutney and a slice of naan bread are also tasty additions.
For interesting information about the origins of lentil dal and for an easy stove-top dal recipe, then do check out our family budget favourite Red Lentil and Kale Dal recipe.
How to prepare
Preparing a lentil dal soup in the slow cooker couldn't be easier. A quick pre-cook of the onions, garlic, ginger, and spices ensure that more flavour is brought out of the ingredients before being added to the slow cooker, and the end result is so worth the extra few minutes.
Alternatively, the precooking can be omitted and all the ingredients can be added at once to the slow cooker.
Step 1: First, heat the coconut oil and cook the onions, garlic and ginger pastes for 5 minutes. The pastes can be replaced with fine chopped fresh garlic and ginger, or the dried varieties.
Step 2: Add the curry powder and turmeric powder, cook for an extra 1 minute.
Step 3: Add the spiced onion mixture to the slow cooker, along with the red split lentils, bay leaf, salt and black pepper.
Step 4: Give it all a good mix and stir through the hot vegetable stock.
Step 5: Switch the slow cooker to the high setting and cook for 3 hours.
Step 6: Once cooked, pour in the lemon juice and stir.
Step 7: Remove the bay leaf and add extra salt and pepper to taste.
Serving suggestions: Serve the red lentil dal soup as it is, or with a variety of garnishes such as mango chutney, chopped fresh coriander [cilantro], crushed peanuts, and slices of naan bread. We like to finish with a drizzle of dairy-free cream.
Recipe notes & FAQ'S
Storage and reheating
Leftover lentil dal soup will keep fresh for up to 3 days, within a covered container in the refrigerator. Or freeze for 3-4 months.
Reheat on the stovetop until piping hot, or use a microwave. Alternatively pour the soup back into the slow cooker, switch to the high setting and leave until the soup is bubbling and piping hot.
Lentil dal is perfect for gluten-free diets as lentils are naturally gluten-free. Although do use a gluten-free vegetable stock and check the ingredients for any curry powder and spices used, just to make sure that they do not have any wheat flour or gluten ingredients added.
This soup is tasty on its own or with a few additions such as chopped coriander [cilantro], mango chutney, crushed or halved peanuts [or your choice of nuts], and a few pieces of naan bread.
A few more ideas to serve with the soup:
1. Add to the soup bowl before ladling in the dal soup:
* cooked rice, such as brown, white basmati, Jasmine rice, long-grain rice, wholegrain rice, wild rice, black rice, etc
* mashed potatoes [white or sweet potatoes]
* mashed veggies [such as swede, rutabaga, turnip, celeriac, parsnip]
* steamed, fried, or stir-fry green veggies such as spring greens, collards, cabbage, kale, beet greens
2. Serve on the side:
* chapatis
* roti
* naan
* flatbreads [three ingredient quick flatbreads]
* vegan crackers
* veggie bhaji, pakoras, samosas
* vegetable spring rolls
* Chana Chaat [spicy chickpeas]
* Crispy Tofu Bites [with a nice dip or sauce, or dunk them in the dal soup]
3. Garnish the dal soup:
* plain or roasted peanuts, cashews, flaked almonds, etc [can roast these in a dry non-stick pan for a few minutes, shaking or stirring frequently to avoid burning]
* plain or roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
* vegan pouring cream, thick coconut milk, dollop of vegan creme fraiche, sour cream, plain yogurt, or mayonnaise
* mango chutney, mint chutney, lime pickle, onion chutney
* chickpea croutons [find an easy recipe over on our Curried Cauliflower Soup recipe]
* sliced spring onions [green onions]
* sliced chives
* fresh coriander [cilantro]
* chilli flakes or paprika flakes
* sliced fresh chilli
Yes of course. The sauteing of the spices, onions, garlic, and ginger can be omitted and all the ingredients simply added to the slow cooker. Whether or not you include the coconut oil is personal preference.
Yes. Simply follow the directions in the recipe card below and add extra vegetable stock if necessary during cooking, as slow cookers require less liquid as it doesn't get a chance to evaporate during cooking in a slow cooker.
No. These ingredients can be replaced with their fresh or frozen counterparts. To replace the garlic paste use 4-6 fresh garlic cloves and to replace the ginger paste use about 1-2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger or about 1 teaspoon of ginger powder.
More easy vegan red lentil recipes
We love plant-based and vegan recipes that feature red lentils as they just taste so good, are wholesome, inexpensive, and quick to cook! We especially love our traditional Vegan Scottish Lentil Soup, and our tasty Harvest Pumpkin and Lentil Pie which could also be called a flan and features a crisp herby wholemeal pastry crust.
We also love this Vegan Pea and 'Ham' Soup that is so easy to prepare in the Slow Cooker, and for another red lentil dal recipe that is prepared on the stove-top our Budget-Friendly Red Lentil and Kale Dahl is pretty tasty.
For more easy vegan meal ideas do check out our Vegan Dinner Recipes and get some new ideas for your next veggie dinner!
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dal Soup
Equipment
- small skillet or fry pan
- cooking spatula
- 3.5 litre slow cooker [3.5-4 quart] [or use a larger slow cooker]
- mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil [or your usual oil or cooking fat, or for a no-oil dal use ½ cup vegetable stock and add extra as required]
- 150 grams onion [1 large, diced]
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste [or 4-6 cloves fine diced, or 2 teaspoons garlic powder]
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste [or 1 tablespoon grated fresh or fine diced ginger, or 1 teaspoon dried ginger]
- 4 teaspoons curry powder [such as a Madras curry powder]
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 250 grams red split lentils [rinsed and drained]
- 280 grams carrots [about 2 medium, diced or grated]
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock [hot]
At the end of cooking:
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil over a medium heat, and cook the onions, garlic and ginger pastes for 5 minutes. Stir a few times. [If preferred, or short on time, this step can be omitted and all the ingredients simply added to the slow cooker]150 grams onion, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 tablespoon garlic paste, 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- Add the curry powder and turmeric powder, stir and cook for 1 minute.4 teaspoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Scrape the pre-cooked onion mixture into the slow cooker, and add the rest of the ingredients.250 grams red split lentils, 280 grams carrots, 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
- Give everything a good stir and pour in the hot vegetable stock.1.5 litres vegetable stock
- Set the slow cooker to the high setting and cook the soup for 3 hours. Or for the medium setting about 4-5 hours.Or the low setting for 6-7 hours.[exact times will depend on your slow cooker and how thick you chop your carrots, tip: grated carrots will cook quicker]
- Once cooked, remove the bay leaf, add more salt and pepper to taste, and stir through the lemon juice.1 tablespoon lemon juice
Optional serving suggestion:
- A few crushed peanuts and some fresh coriander [cilantro] is a nice garnish, and a tasty naan bread for dipping in the soup is usually welcomed by everyone!
Notes
- We used a 3.5 litre slow cooker with a ceramic inner pot. As many slow cookers or crock pots may cook at different times do consult your slow cooker manual for guidance, or use your own personal experience with your particular slow cooker, for more guidance on cooking times.
- Store leftover lentil dal soup for 3 days within a refrigerator.
- Or freeze for 2-3 months.
- Leftover soup can be reheated on the stove-top until piping hot, or within a microwave, or pour back into the slow cooker and switch to the high setting and leave until the soup is heated through.
- For a gluten-free dal soup simply use a gluten-free vegetable stock and check the ingredients for your spices and curry powder to ensure that no gluten ingredients have been added.
- To prepare on the stove-top, follow the recipe but add extra vegetable stock as and when necessary during cooking. The soup is ready when the carrots are soft, the lentils cooked and the soup nice and thick.
- If preferred the sauteing can be omitted and the ingredients all added to the slow cooker. Its personal preference whether to also include the coconut oil.
- For an oil-free soup, omit the coconut oil, and either saute the spices, onions, garlic, and ginger in about ½ cup [120mililitres] of vegetable stock or omit the sauteing.
Nutrition
Comments
Prepared our tasty Slow Cooker Red Lentil Dal Soup? We would love to know how you got on with the recipe. Do leave us a comment below as it helps us to know which recipes you are loving. Thanks so much, Jacq x
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