Currently writing to you from Detroit! I’ve been here since Friday hanging with my bestie Sarah while we bake, photograph, shop, drink Kombucha beer and jam out to Christmas music. I leave later today to get back into the groove of being at home for a while, working and recovering from turkey overload.
’Tis the season for Mariah Carey Christmas music on repeat while I sit in my pajamas and refuse to leave the house (besides grocery shopping and hitting up the gym).
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Lately I’ve had to dial my workouts back to the crack of dawn due to a busy holiday schedule. Testing holiday cookies and slow cooker soups consumed my days last week and I find little time to get outside. And somehow my birthday is in less than a month. Life is really in full swing, isn’t it? Are you feeling it too? Tell me!
What I’m craving right now is a SLOW DAY. A day where I sip coffee until 10am, read a book, watch a show and wear wool socks that don’t match. I haven’t had one of those in a while and this taco lentil soup is reeling me in. You too? Oh good!
We can have a slow day together, hibernating in our respective homes with a cup of hot cocoa. Speaking of new books, what are you guys reading lately? Any good ones you want to share?
Okay now let’s talk about this goodness simmering up because this taco lentil soup has quickly become one of my favorite things I’ve made this fall. The homemade taco spices married with fiber-packed lentils and black beans give the soup incredible flavor like you wouldn’t believe. It’s like eating a taco without the meat!
One of my favorite things to do is top it with Go Veggie Cheddar Shreds (use the vegan shreds!) and dip a few of my favorite tortilla chips in.
Nutrition wise, this soup is insane. Plant based protein takes this soup to nearly 35g per hearty bowl, to keep you full and content well past the lunch hour.
Make it on the stove top
- Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add in olive oil, garlic, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño; sauté for 5 minutes or until onions begin to brown and soften.
- Bring heat to medium-low and add in crushed tomatoes, broth, black beans, and all of the spices. Simmer for a few minutes until the soup comes together.
- Next stir in lentils, salt, and black pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium-low for 20-30 minutes or until lentils are soft and tender. The soup should thicken up, but if it gets too thick for your liking, feel free to add 1/2-1 cup water or broth. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, adding additional salt and pepper as needed.
Another thing I love about this cozy lentil taco soup is that it’s freezer friendly. Make a big batch, then freeze half for lunches later this Winter. Meal prep like a boss!
More healthy vegetarian recipes you’ll love:
Healing Thai Butternut Squash Lentil Soup (with a slow cooker option!)
Vegan White Bean & Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut Squash, Chickpea & Lentil Moroccan Stew
Homemade Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
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If you make this recipe, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram so I can see your creations. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Slow Cooker Taco Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetarian broth
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like a little heat!)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup frozen organic corn
- For topping: 1/2 cup Go Veggie Plant-Based Cheddar Shreds
- To garnish: Diced cilantro, sliced jalapeno, tortilla strips/chips
Instructions
- Place a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add in olive oil, garlic, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño; sauté for 5 minutes or until onions begin to brown and soften. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add in the remaining ingredients (except for the corn) to the slow cooker: lentils, crushed tomatoes, vegetarian broth, black beans and spices. Stir ingredients together to combine, then cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. 20 minutes before serving, stir in frozen corn.
- Once soup is done, distribute into bowls (or do a meal prep) and top each with two tablespoons of Go Veggie cheese. Garnish with with extra fixin's such as cilantro and jalapeno. Makes 4 servings. Double the recipe for a crowd!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz | Photography by: Sarah Fennel
This recipe is in partnership with Go Veggie! All recipes, opinions and text are my own. Thanks for continuing to support AK and the brands that help make this site possible!
This looks great and I love that it’s slow cooker! I hope you get a cozy day in.. I’ve been reading Norwegian by Night (https://www.amazon.com/Norwegian-Night-Derek-B-Miller/dp/0544292669) lately and it’s so good. Plus reading about Scandinavia just feels cozy.
Thanks for the recommendation!
This looks amazing!! For clarity, what size slow cooker did you use? I have a large oval one ( 7 qt) and was concerned to might be too big and the soup might lose moisture. Cannot wait to try it this week!
I used a large slow cooker. But it didn’t reach the top. I think you should be fine!
Oooooh, this looks soooooo delicous! Love that it’s gluten-free. Soups are needed this time of year.
Book recommendation: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. It was great and incredibly thought-provoking!
Omg this looks amazing! I think I’ll make it over the weekend! Anything with the word “taco” in it always grabs my attention…
This looks delicious! Do you have any idea how much sodium each serving has?
Try Selden Standard while in Detroit, Lunchroom if in Ann Arbor. You won’t be sorry! Welcome to the Mitten.
This looks amazing. I love so many of your recipes and can’t wait to try this one. I have red lentils on hand. Will those work for this?
Thanks for the great recipes. I recommend your blog to friends all the time!
Sometimes red lentils tend to fall apart so I would not recommend using them. However it will still be delicious if you do end up going with those.
I’m going to make this over the weekend to eat while watching some football. One question – your list of ingredients has crushed tomatoes, but the instructions say diced tomatoes. Which one did you use? Thanks!
Oh shoot! It’s crushed tomatoes, but diced will also work 🙂 I will fix.
“Meal prep like a boss.” haha! But, anything that can be frozen for future use gets an A in my book. And bonus points if the word “taco” is involved!!! A+++
Just FYI – Go Veggie Shreds are NOT vegan at all. The second ingredient, after water, is casein which is milk protein. They are lactose free but that is very different from being vegan.
I love the combination of flavours here! So delicious!
Lovely flavors…Yum!
Looks awesome- just got all the ingredients at the store! I’m thinking this would be extra tasty with some avocado on top?!
Hope you enjoyed your time here in the D! I just made this soup and it’s phenomenal. It was so easy to make too!
Made this for dinner tonight – we’re having a snowstorm in Toronto and this felt just right to enjoy in front of a good fire. I cut the spices in half and it was perfect for me. I also added a sweet potato and used an immersion blender to thicken it up a bit – loved it!! Thanks!
I made this earlier in the week and it was SO delicious!
I do not have a slow cooker. How long should I cook this on a gas stove or in the oven?
I brought to a boil and then cooked at a simmer around 35-40 minutes, adding the corn the last 10 minutes or so. I knew it was done because the lentils were soft.
This was delicious!
I made this soup this weekend and it was excellent. Easy to make and makes a good size batch to freeze too. I made according to recipe and then added one extra cup of broth since mine was really thick. So good definitely making it on a regular basis .
I am making this soup for the second time today. It is so delicious and the spices so great that it can even be modified with other veggies on hand and still taste wonderful. For instance, I didn’t have frozen corn so I used frozen mixed veggies and it was delicious. I didn’t have shredded vegan cheese so I garnished with fresh, chopped avocado, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Thank you for this recipe. This has become a weekly go to for us.
I would like to know the sodium content…..very important for some us.
Just check your tomato and bean cans then divide by the number of servings.
This was a great dish. I used a more red bill pepper, which is just what I had on hand, but the whole family enjoyed it. It is definitely worth trying, and I will be making it again.The taste and recipe method is amazing.Before this i made Russian Salad For my Mom his taste also awesome.Sharing a link with you: ( https://www.sooperchef.pk/russian-salad-recipe/ )
Can’t wait to try your healthy recipes!
Enjoy!
Love your site and recipes but it seems something’s wrong. The videos that follow as we scroll don’t match. They seem random and completely unrelated. Can you please fix the link so the videos match the recipe we’re looking at? It’s really confusing and frustrating.
This is absolutely delicious. Even though I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, I have decided to start experimenting with various types of recipes outside of my meat-loving list. This is a definite keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed! This one is perfect for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike 🙂
Those Go Veggie! shreds aren’t vegan, just so you and everyone else who sees them and thinks they’re safe to buy knows.
This sounded so good that I doubled the recipe, but wish I had not done that. I followed this recipe exactly, with exception of adding a can of diced tomatoes for one can of the crushed (so I used one can of 28 oz crushed and one 28 oz can of diced tomatoes). My husband and I found this to be a rather “sour soup”. I cook all the time, and make many different kinds of soup. Liked how this sounded, but will now divide this up into 4 batches. Went totally vegetarian on this, but now I will brown a lb of grass fed ground beef, onions and garlic, then add one batch of the soup to it. This soup just needed something to round off the bitterness…….perhaps diced carrots would have done that. Other than that…..loved the spices and it made a huge batch of soup. Thank you!
Hi Rose! Not really sure where the bitterness came from – I haven’t found that sour flavor when I make it. I’m glad you enjoyed it otherwise!
I wanted to make sure…do you use dry green lentils or canned lentils when you make this soup? Thank you for your help!
I use dry lentils!
Hi. I’ve just found your lentil-based recipes and they look great. i’m wondering if you are soaking your dry lentils before hand? Last time I tried a red lentil dish and didn’t soak long enough, there were some unwanted results 🙂 Thanks
I made this recipe and cooked it for 8 hours on low. It smells and tastes great, but the lentils are hard. Was I supposed to soak them before cooking? I restarted the cooker for 4 more hours but I’m not sure it will work. Advice?
I’ve had the same issue with my batch – the lentils were still hard after 4 hours on high.
Hi there. I made this soup a few weeks ago and it was a hit with my little family. I am going to make it again for a group tomorrow.
Here’s my question- If I add some uncooked quinoa to this recipe, do I need to up the liquid and would you add it in the morning (will be on low all day) or later in the day? I have never experimented with quinoa in the crockpot before. I am going to omit the black beans this time because they bothered someone’s tummy last time I made it. I’m thinking quinoa will be a good way to sub for the black beans.
Thanks for your help!
Hi! It really depends on how much quinoa you are adding, but please know that this soup make A BIG CROCKPOT FULL. So if you add quinoa, I would only add 1/2 cup. You can keep liquid as is and then if you want to you can add more broth. It should be fine on low!
Hi Monique. I made the soup on Monday and added 1/4 cup of quinoa. It worked perfectly. It thickened the soup so it was more like a stew. It was a hit with our meat eating friends!
I’m so happy to hear that, and glad that everyone enjoyed! Thanks for letting me know how it went 🙂
I made this in the pressure cooker. Sauteed in pressure cooker, then added all ingredients (except corn was after cooking) Cooked 10 mins on ‘lentil\bean’ setting. Topped with cilantro,scallion,cheese ,sour cream, a squeeze of lime & a few tortilla strips. So good!
Perfect!! I’m glad the pressure cooker worked out!
How would I figure out the nutritional value per 1cup when I eat for dinner
I would see about how many 1 cup servings there are (about 5-6 I think!) then then divide it by the total of the nutritional info.
This is in essence an excellent chili. My non-vegetarian husband loves it. It makes a very large batch, and is easy to double and freeze. We made on the stovetop by bringing to a boil and then simmering 35-40 minutes, adding the corn the last 10 or so. I knew it was done with the lentils were soft. Definitely on the regular rotation list!
Perfect! Glad that you two love this one 🙂
Btw, if you have a taco mix you like, this is about 1 packet.
Perfect!
Super good flavor! I used dried black beans and green lentils, soaked both beforehand for about 4 hours, then cooked it all together for about 8 hours. Also threw some chipotles in adobo sauce in there for extra smokiness. Turned out great, but a tad spicy (I had really fresh cayenne pepper), so I had to add 1 cup cashew cream to cool it off. Great with sliced avocado, cilantro and chips!!!
Perfect! Great idea with the cashew cream and yummy toppings 🙂
Love this recipe. Made several times but with a pressure cooker.
Perfect!! Glad you loved it.
Awesome recipe! Just made this soup tonight for dinner. Only about 45 minutes total prep & cook time. Turned out delicious and lentils were soft.
Here is what I did:
1) rinse & soaked lentils for 15 minutes, mean while…
2) Blend red bell pepper & garlic, saute in olive oil until paste like for 5 minutes — stirring often (oil should be runny)
2) chopped 1 yellow onion and 1 tomato
3) Cook lentils for 15 min in boiling water, then drain half the water.
4) Add all veggies, paste mixture, pre- cooked black beans, corn & seasonings. Cook on low for 15 minutes.
Perfect! Glad those little tips worked out 🙂 such a great dinner.
We made this for lunches….it is amazing! Great flavor!
Love that! Perfect lunch for fall 🙂
Love this plant-based protein packed recipes!
How big is a serving?
About 1 1/2 cups!
SO GOOD. We are trying to be more plant based and this recipe is perfect. We made no modifications and it has turned out perfect 2 times. It makes a lot and is delicious as leftovers so we have meal prepped this a couple weeks in a row. Definitely recommend
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Really liking the look of everything on here, I only recently discovered the site and made the first recipe earlier today. Looking forward to tasting it later 😁
So happy you found Ambitious Kitchen! I hope you find some new favorite recipes 🙂
My 5 year old ate this soup the fastest he’s ever eaten a meal in his life….he’s always the last to leave the table! He absolutely loved it (me too)! I substituted several things, but I’ve found your recipes to easily adaptable and always full of flavor! Thanks!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Found this while looking for folate-rich lentil recipes during cancer treatment. It tastes like chili, so my husband does not even notice the lentils and that it is packed with veggies. We love it! I have added browned ground turkey and substituted salsa for crushed tomatoes in a pinch. Loved being able to do it in the slow cooker.
I’m so glad you found this recipe! So nourishing and delicious. Sending healing vibes your way!
Monique ~ This is a wonderful recipe – we make it a lot throughout Fall and Winter – really delicious. One question – if you don’t have access to a slow cooker are there cook top instructions we could try? We will be traveling and plan to make this while we are gone but debating on whether or not to pack the slow cooker for this soup!
This was delicious and I’m always a fan of easy crockpot meals! My husband has been requesting more meatless meals lately and this was a hit all around! Our 11 month old loved it too!
This will definitely be in my soup rotation this season! So delicious and it makes really big and hearty portions! My lentils took a lot longer to cook than the recipe said, more like 6 hours on high, but I’m wondering if it was just the type of lentils I bought.
It could’ve been the type of lentils, but I’m glad it was delicious regardless!
Delicious recipe. I cannot wait to try it in my slow cooker but I decided to make it on the stove at the last minute. I had all of the ingredients on hand except for frozen corn (I was out). I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil to saute the onion, garlic, peppers, etc. Since I knew 1 teaspoon wouldn’t be enough (the veggies would have stuck to my stainless steel pot). After 50 minutes, the brown lentils were completely cooked. I also needed to add about 1/2 cup water to loosen it up a bit. Great flavors, especially after a day or two. The family loved it topped with grated cheddar and sour cream. I think this would be a great potluck to bring to a work party. Looking forward to when this will be possible again.
I’m glad that worked out well! Such a great dinner 🙂
This was absolutely delicious! My husband (a carnivor) loved it too, he said he didn’t even miss the meat. Always trying to find recipes that he enjoys as well so I don’t have to make two meals, saved to my favorites, thank you so much for sharing!
The best dinner! So happy to hear that 🙂
Go Veggie is NOT VEGAN. For those with a Milk Allergy (allergic, not lactose intolerant), PLEASE AVOID!!! This is dangerous thing to write, please update this post for those with serious food allergies like myself.
I’ve updated to specify using their plant-based shreds 🙂 Thanks for your note!
For me this soup just didn’t turn out well. There was too much liquid and it is super spicy. Added some dairy to cut the spice and another can of beans but still don’t love it personally. I often don’t love crock pot meals though.
Sorry to hear that! Feel free to adjust spices as you see fit. I’d suggest leaving out the cayenne pepper and/or jalapeño!
This was easy, delicious and had so much flavour! It was so filling as well. I didn’t seed the jalapeño because we like a little extra spice. Served with cheddar cheese and avocado and garlic naan bread for dipping. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Perfect! Such a great dinner 🙂
Is this spicy? I’m planning to make it tomorrow and I have 3 kids 5 and under. Thanks!
Hi, Angie! I’d recommend omitting the cayenne, removing the jalapeño seeds, and reducing the amount chili powder (you can taste a little on your finger before adding it to see if the brand you have is hot) 🙂
This is a yummy soup and makes the house smell delicious all day! 🙂
Can this be made in an instantpot? If so how long?
I haven’t done that so not sure, sorry!
This recipe is just like the chilis on this website, but with a nutritious twist! Even though the chilis are healthy too. It’s consistently flavored perfectly and a great consistency.
I absolutely love this recipe, and have made it several times – there is nothing I’d change about it, good as is! I have tried adding some vegan “ground beef” and a little extra vegetable broth for an higher protein option and it was a super delicious as well. Very easy for meal prepping.
Love that! Glad it’s a favorite!
Of all the soups I’ve made this is the one I most get asked for the recipe after people try it. It managed to be a restorative as the best hug whilst being as fresh and zingy as laughing with good friends. One thing I will say is that US chilli powder is not the same as UK, so if making in the UK dial that chilli powder down! In the UK our chilli powder is what Americans refer to as cayenne and in th US chilli powder is a blend of chilli with other spices. I like to serve it with tortilla chips, fresh coriander, a wee bit of homemade Guac and a squeeze of lime, oh and a margarita! Cocktails and soup is totally a thing 😊
So happy you love this one! And great tip re: the chili powder in the UK. I had no idea!
Found this to be a bit bitter. Had to add sugar to make it better. Not sure what happened, maybe too much cumin?
Could be! Feel free to tone it down next time!