The Best Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup Recipe - Pinch of Yum
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The Best Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup

358 reviews / 4.8 average

Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup – a clean and simple soup made with onions, garlic, carrots, olive oil, squash, and LENTILS! Super healthy and easy to make.

Ohhhhhh crockpot lentil soup. The love of my winter life.

I see you, hungry reader whose life is crazy right now, who has a hard time finding the time to cook even though you love food, who opens the fridge to grab a quick lunch to take to work in the morning rush only to find NOTHING that seems good enough, who values the big bowl of comfort food pasta above all else, who is not asking for much other than GOOD FOOD that is made for REAL LIFE.

I see you. I know you think I’m not watching because I’m on the other side of this computer-ma-jig, but I’m watching (um, in a not-creepy and not-literal way – just felt like I should clarify. pls don’t leave.).

So since I see you and understand you because I am just like you in these feelings, today I honor you (us?) with this super cozy, big-time nutritious, easy to prepare soup.

This is called Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup, which means nothing scientifically as you’ll notice that my bowl of DETOX soup is topped with a few thick chunks of Parmesan cheese and served with that addicting crusty-warm bread. Right, about that. We did sneak a few good foods into this soup (kale, onions, garlic, carrots, and olive oil) and anyways, in my book, the best kinds of healthy foods are the ones that ACTUALLY TASTE GOOD.

And while this soup tastes good without the extras, it tastes BETTER with them. Cue the bread and cheese.

In This Post: Everything You Need To Make This Soup

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

White hands holding a bowl of lentil soup

Ingredients For Lentil Soup

This soup is jam-packed with so many wholesome, feel-good ingredients. Let’s count them up, shall we?

  • butternut squash
  • carrots, celery, and onion (or mirepoix)
  • potatoes
  • green lentils and yellow split peas (you can use more green lentils if you can’t find split peas)
  • garlic
  • broth
  • herbs de provence
  • kale and fresh parsley
  • a swish of olive oil and red wine vinegar at the end

How To Make This Lentil Soup Recipe

As is my goal with most recipes I make for Pinch of Yum, this crockpot lentil soup was made for real life. Because it’s literally for my real life.

We’re starting with a solid base: onions, garlic, carrots, celery, spices, salt, and broth.

Then we’re getting awesome by adding butternut squash, which partially melts into a creamy textured miracle, lentils (always lentils), and yellow split peas because WOW color.

After all your feel-good vegetables simmer up into the best house smells and then we do the magic thing that takes it over the top: puree a portion of the soup with that olive oil to form a silky emulsion that then gets added back into the soup. YES PLZ 4EVR.

I ended mine with a splash of sherry and red wine vinegar because I’m currently having a moment with tangy foods.

Peeled carrots on a cutting board
Split yellow peas and lentils

What To Serve with Lentil Soup

There’s a lot going on in this soup, but if you want to round it out for a whole meal, I’d recommend a few extras:

Lentil soup in a bowl with a spoon.

That’s it. That’s the soup. SO EASY. It requires a bit of front-end chopping to prep the veggies, but I’d guess it took me 30-45 minutes to cut everything up and get it in the crockpot, and in return I was gifted with 8 soup servings of this nutritious + cozy wonderfood. NOT A BAD DEAL.

Cheers to you and your people enjoying many glowing bowls of crockpot lentil soup for all the days to come. 👍👍👍

Lentil Soup: Frequently Asked Questions

What type of lentils should I use in this soup?

We’d recommend brown or green lentils. Red lentils are split which means they’ll soften a lot faster.

Can you make this soup in the Instant Pot?

Yes! Place the first group of ingredients below in the Instant Pot and cook on the soup setting for 30 minutes with a quick release at the end. Follow the same blending instructions and then add kale and parsley.

My lentils are still hard! How do I fix this?

Let the soup cook a little longer on the high setting to soften them up! If using the Instant Pot, you could re-pressurize to cook for another 5 minutes, or turn on the sauté mode until they soften.

How big of a crockpot or Instant Pot do I need to use?

This makes a lot of soup! We’d recommend at least a 6-qt. for both.

Can you freeze this lentil soup?

Yes! You could freeze leftovers to keep in the freezer for three months, or make it a freezer meal by following the instructions in the recipe card notes or by checking out this post.

Print
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Detox Lentil Soup in a bowl with a spoon.

The Best Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup


  • Author: Pinch of Yum
  • Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Description

Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup – a clean and simple soup made with onions, garlic, carrots, olive oil, squash, and LENTILS! Super healthy and easy to make.


Ingredients

Scale

For the crockpot:

  • 2 cups butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
  • 2 cups carrots (peeled and sliced)
  • 2 cups potatoes (chopped)
  • 2 cups celery (chopped)
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 3/4 cup yellow split peas (or just use more lentils)
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 5 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 810 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons herbs de provence
  • 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

Add at the end:

  • 23 cups kale (stems removed, chopped)
  • 1 cup parsley (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil – rosemary olive oil or other herb infused oil is delicious
  • a swish of sherry, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice to add a nice tangy bite

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
  2. Place about 4 cups of soup in a blender with the olive oil. Pulse gently until semi-smooth and creamy-looking (the oil will form a creamy emulsion with the soup). Add back to the pot and stir to combine. Stir in the kale and parsley. Turn the heat off and just let everything chill out for a bit before serving. The taste gets better with time and so does the texture, IMO!
  3. Season to taste (add the sherry, vinegar, and/or lemon juice at this point) and to really go next level, serve with crusty wheat bread and a little Parmesan cheese. It’s called Detox Balance. 😉

Equipment

Notes

Instant Pot Instructions: Place same first group of ingredients in the Instant Pot using only 6-7 cups of broth instead and cook on the soup setting for 30 mins with a quick release. Follow the same blending instructions and then add kale and parsley.

Freezer Meal Version

  1. Freeze together:
    2 cups chopped butternut squashfresh or frozen
    2 cups mirepoixfresh or frozen
    1-2 cups chopped potatoesfresh or frozen
    1 cup uncooked brown lentils
    3 cloves garlicminced
    1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (or other spices you like)
    1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
    4-5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  2. Instant Pot Instructions: From frozen, 15 minutes on high pressure + 10 minutes natural release.
  3. Slow Cooker Instructions: From frozen, 6 hours on high.
  4. Final Step: Blend a little of the soup with 1/4 cup olive oil, return to pot, and stir in 1-2 cups chopped kale. Finish with some lemon juice or red wine vinegar. 
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: lentil soup, crockpot soup, slow cooker soup, vegetarian soup, vegan soup

Frozen meals stored in bags.

More Delicious Crockpot Soup Recipes:


Time To Show You Off!

Instagram images of lentil soup.

One More Thing!

This recipe is part of our collection of best healthy soups. Check it out!

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1254 Comments

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Also what is serving size for your nutritional information can be grams or ounces but 8 servings is not helpful for diabetics..

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            I think it could be helpful to remember that this is a free recipe and that you’re not paying for diet-specific information. Please be kind!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        This was really good with such an interesting flavor! Even my inlaws enjoyed it—and they were definitely skeptical about the name of it. Delicious!

      2. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Hi. This looks delicious. Can I use frozen butternut squash chunks in lieu of fresh? If so, do I need to thaw it first? Thanks!

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          as I’m not the author, but have cooked a lot I’ll say no you don’t need to defrost the squash. I’m also thinking of just using frozen squash. It’s going to be much easier to handle.
          When I clicked on the Lentil recipe, I wasn’t expecting to see butternut squash needed. I may try it without. I have everything but that.
          Did you make it already and how was it?
          Happy Cooking

        2. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Hi! Yes, we think that’d be a great shortcut! You shouldn’t need to thaw first.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      This is one of my favourite soup recipes, I make it all the time. Do you think I could replace the kale with cabbage or would that be yucky.

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I suggest seeing a doctor because it sounds like you’re having severe lived problems. Your liver removes all toxins/bad stuff for you, so if you’re having to “detox” yourself, your liver is probably failing.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Wooww that’s not at all what this is talking about but okay. And hello there are plenty of toxins we expose our bodies to on a daily basis that your liver is unable to fully filter out no matter how healthy it is. Eating good healthy food does actually help with that. It boosts your liver as well as your digestive and immune system. Don’t comment on something just for the sake of being rude.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Just love this video, lots of silly people out there fall for all the nonsense re detox don’t they realise they are only out to get your money and laugh all the way to the bank!

        2. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Of course you can detox. You change what you are eating and your body purges out the bad stuff you had in it. It’s how people cute their diabetes or high cholesterol. For those who can stick with it. I have detoxed several times and had crazy amazing results that we could see in my bloodwork. I will take that any day over some article some random person wrote. Where is there real proof. I have proof. And so does my mom. All you have is there opinion. Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it and measured it.

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            I fully agree with your comment. You eat the right foods – you reap the benefits. I feel way better on a plant-based diet. It’s true

    2. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Haha agreed. The ‘detox’ gimmick has gone too far. On another note, I made this soup and it is divine, even without the promise of ‘inner purity’.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        I think the whole “detox” thing was written as a joke and yes, to catch more readers. I don’t think any lentil soup is detoxifying, but yes, celery and kale are foods that help detoxify the body when eaten minus the soup. Lol

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          it’s the broth that has all the healing power! 🙂 especially if it is bone broth made from pastured chickens! there is a reason why soup is so life-giving!

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            I’m always looking for nice, delicious veggie en vegan recipes. Every time I read something like ‘you can use veggie or chicken sto

    3. Pinch of Yum Logo

      This is the best soup ever I tried and I am a lentil lover wow.
      Christy, if you don’t like it just leave instead of being smarty pants. You are not just rude you are uneducated because if you know the nutrition value of lentils you will say something like that.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Hi! Loved this soup but I don’t have my own crockpot. Is there a way to make this without one? Thanks!

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Yes, you can easily make this on the stovetop. Saute the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil. Add in the seasonings. Then add in the lentils, peas, potatoes, squash, and broth. Simmer until the veggies are tender. Then continue onto Step #2 of the recipe!

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            Thanks. I’m making one in a crockpot and one in a Le Creuset DouFeu. Will combine the two later. I was curious about cooking time on a stovetop.

          2. Pinch of Yum Logo

            Great question. We’ve never tested this on the stove, so it’s hard to give an exact cook time. I’d start with 30 minutes, test the tenderness of the vegetables, and add more time if needed!

    4. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Christy, you seem to be one of those people who assume a little bit of knowledge gives you full knowledge. It doesn’t. It should just make you want to learn more. If you don’t follow up and learn nothing more, you were better off not knowing anything at all.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        This is one of my favourite soup recipes, I make it all the time. Do you think I could replace the kale with cabbage or would that be yucky.

    5. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I suggest you see a doctor because perhaps your brain is failing. Just because she called the soup “detox” does not mean she thinks she is detoxing her body.

    6. Pinch of Yum Logo

      You might want to learn to spell before sending a message. It “Might help so that you don’t sound like a complete fool. OR, use spell check 😉
      Back on subject: soup sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try It.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        This recipe looks delish and I have most ingredients already. Did you use dry lentils and split peas? Thx!

    7. Pinch of Yum Logo

      My comment was in regards to Christys comment!

      This recipe was wonderful! ThankYou!

    8. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I find it ridiculous that the only comment you could find to make was this stupid thinking. You are so wrong in your statement you sound like an idiot

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Love this soup. Do you think I could sub the yellow split peas with red lentils? Thanks.

    9. Pinch of Yum Logo

      “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all…” (Bambi, 1942). Looking forward to healthy hearty lentil soup lunches this week.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        You can! From the FAQs: Place the first group of ingredients below in the Instant Pot and cook on the soup setting for 30 minutes with a quick release at the end. Follow the same blending instructions and then add kale and parsley.

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Soup soup soup! I used to hate soup because my mom would make it eve-ry single day and it tasted so méh to me… but now, I I learned to make it myself from scratch. Chopping those onions, stirring all the veggies, mixing it all and poooff adding a little parmezan. Yes! I already made soup today but I’m gonna add this one to my ‘to make’ list. Thanks Lindsay

    xx B

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Virtual HI FI lindsay!!
    I made a similar soup but with loads and loads of garlic ! It is for sure a detox..lovey anything veggies and green’s!

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This looks so cosy. I love soups with split peas in them as they’re so satisfying and filling even without the bread. But of course the bread makes everything better and the cheese is just a no-brainer! Gorgeous photos as always!

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Thoughts on using sweet potatoes instead of regular? I have a few that probably need used up before I buy more potatoes.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Did you end up using sweet potatoes? I am also wondering if using them would be okay, they are my favorite.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          That’s me sorted for tonight then!!! I was thinking about using sweet potatoes as i don’t have squash in the fridge today. thanks!

    2. Pinch of Yum Logo

      How was the sweet potatoes in the soup? I though of doing that as well. Making it tomorrow in crock pot cooking it all day. I love the idea of putting cups of if in the blender. I like that texure. That sounds yummy. I love soup pkease send more

    3. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I can’t wait to make this soup. It’s got everything I love to eat. I plan to pair it with a loaf of 5 minute Artisan bread and of course the cheese. Thank you for sharing.

    4. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I made the soup with rutabaga, a.low calorie, healthy substitute for white potatoes. Just discovering this alternative which held together in the soup. The soup is delicious.

    5. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I used both sweet potatoes and regular and didn’t bother peeling them as that’s where a lot of the nutrition is. It came out DELISH!

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Mmmm! I made a soup really similar to this the other day, but now i’m wishing I had added split peas to it! Also I made a easy vegan parm cheese with almonds and nutritional yeast if you decide to go the full “detox” route 🙂

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Can you tell me how to make that vegan parm?? Sounds delicious, and I’ve got almonds and nutritional yeast in my pantry right now!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Have all the ingredients and can’t wait to try the soup. I have some vegan parm 😉 So simple, fist full of cashews, tablsp nutritional yeast, garlic powder and some salt. Blitz. Yum on lentil spag bol.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        for a good recipe for vegan parmesan go to the Minimalist Baker website. I have used their recipe and it is great!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Yes! Where are these bowls from? Please tell – I’ve been searching all over the internet for them!

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This may be a silly question, but should dry beans or canned beans be used? I assumed dried but want to be sure before I ruin dinner for all of us! Can’t wait to try this!

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          I usually soak beans first as, well you know what they can do to your system without soaking. Did anyone soak first?

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            I’m wondering the same. Does the cook time change if I soak the lentils the night before? Or is that not necessary when cooking in crock pot?

          2. Pinch of Yum Logo

            Hi Linda and Megan:

            Split peas and lentils do not require soaking.

          3. Pinch of Yum Logo

            While not a have-to, pretty much all grains and legumes get soaked at my house. I would soak in salted water, rinse well, and proceed with the recipe. You might want to go with the lesser cooking time, but crockpots can vary so much anyway.

          4. Pinch of Yum Logo

            I didn’t soak the lentils and split peas but I think I will next time. And yes, the soup was delicious and definitely there will be a next time! The dried legumes were still a bit crunchy after 8 hours in the crockpot so I’ll try soaking them first.

        2. Pinch of Yum Logo

          I made this soup yesterday, enough for lunches all week…healthy choices! It is delicious:) I did it in the InstaPot, took about 1.5hr in total:)

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Hi Lindsay, love your blog. This soup is right up my alley and it’s on my “make soon” list. Any idea how large each serving would be?

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I think the only thing those photos are missing is a warm fire in the background because all that cozy and vivid color just has me curled up with a blanket! This is what my sickly (recovering) self is craving and then you added lentils and a crockpot…SOLD. <3

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Looks easy enough! I’m hoping to prep this tonight for dinner tomororw, but I have sweet potatoes at home. Think they could be used instead of the regular potatoes or butternut squash?

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Yes! I would use them in place of the squash so that it doesn’t get overly sweet (the squash itself is already pretty sweet). 🙂

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        what would be the best kind of potato to use.. I am guessing Russet but for some reason I can never remember and the ones I use turn a funny colour when I use them in soup.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Did you ever get a response for what kind of potato to use? I’m seeing this for the first time and it sounds amazing!!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Funny! but I’m sure I wouldn’t laugh – I’ve taken some bad pictures in my day, too. 🙂 Thanks for the comment Faith!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Hi! I only have a big bag of red lentils, do you think they would work in this soup? I know they get way more mushy than the green ones.
        Thanks!

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Hmm we’re not sure that red lentils would work well here since, like you said, they cook faster and might overcook if you cook the soup for the same amount of time. You could try cooking the lentils separately and adding them to the soup once everything is done.

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            Hi Lindsay! Love your recipes!! Could you tell me what kind of potatoes you used?
            Thanks so much for sharing these delicious recipes!!

            Luane

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I cooked lentil soup by adding various veggies depending of season, but adding butternut squash for additional creaminess is something I just have to try it – asap 🙂

  12. Pinch of Yum Logo

    My obsession with lentils is strong lately so this soup is calling my name.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Just finished this recipe at 3:30am because when I came across it on Facebook it was about 4pm and I couldn’t wait to try it because it looked so good! I mist say it came out delicious! Well worth waking up in the middle of the night! I’m also obsessed with lentil soup and split pea soup and was afraid to learn the recipe because I knew I’d be making it all the time. We’ll, I already can’t wait to make this delicious soup again!

  13. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I so want to try this! My problem is that with my work schedule I’m usually out of the house for at least 9 hours, sometimes more, and most things in the crockpot turn to mush by then. Any suggestions? Do you think this dish will hold up for that long?

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I do, if you turn it on low. It gets mushy anyways, like the squash sort of breaks down which is why the broth is more creamy and yellow. Otherwise if you’re really nervous I would make it on a weekend – it makes so much that then you’d have it for the week. 🙂

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        I use a light timer to turn on and turn off crockpot so food does not get mushy or over cooked.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          This is why I read the comments section. I never would have thought of using a light timer; thank you so much.

        2. Pinch of Yum Logo

          BRILLIANT, Pipa!!!!! Never had the thought cross my mind, This soup is so delicious so your idea makes it even easier for weekdays

    2. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I actually had an issue with the lentils and split peas getting soft, even after 7 hours and wound up leaving it cooking all night long! I turned it down to super low (I have temperature settings, not low/high) and it was fine in the morning. We didn’t eat that night and are about to dig in tonight!

    3. Pinch of Yum Logo

      During the week I’ll make things like this overnight and then reheat for supper. It takes care of the “away a bit too long problem” during the day but most of all it give some time for the flavors to blend together.

  14. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This is EXACTLY the sort of thing I want to come home to after a long day in the lab. Crusty bread and cheesy topping a must.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Wow. I am not really a soup guy, but my wife is. In the nearly four years we’ve been married, I have never made her soup before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. This wasn’t my first PinchOfYum.com recipe, so I knew from experience that it was likely going to be good.

        Long story short, she was dealing with some cramps this morning before work and I was working from home all day so I decided to surprise her with this. I ran to the store, got all the ingredients I didn’t have and got right to work. Took me about 45 minutes to an hour to prep and then I put it in the slow cooker for about 5 1/2 hours on high. I only have a 4 qt slow cooker, so what I did was I put in 6 cups of vegetable broth and then later at the final step I transferred to a large pot and added an extra two cups after taking out the 4 cups to put in the blender with the olive oil, then just left on low heat for a bit.

        I asked my wife for a rating from 1-10 and she gave it a 100, saying it’s the best lentil soup she’s ever had shy of her late grandmother’s (which is obviously irreplaceable for psychological reasons). She was in disbelief that I, a man who hardly cooks and had never made soup, was able to make such a delicacy for her. She was so excited to have soup leftovers for the week since it’s just the two of us.

        I am so grateful to the people running this site. Between this and the pad thai, I think I have enough here to keep my marriage alive for decades.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          We’re thrilled to hear this, Adam! So glad the recipe was a hit. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      How long will this last in the fridge after it’s made?

      Also if it’s stored in an air vaccume sealed container, thanks!

  15. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I have a bag of lentils burning a hole in my pantry and was going to make classic Greek lentil soup this week–change of plans!!

    Thoughts on using frozen butternut squash for this? I have a bag that I’ve had for MONTHS, but I’m worried it’ll water down the soup too much. And since everything goes in at once, I’m worried I won’t be able to adjust for the extra moisture (if there is any). Thanks in advance!

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          Thank you!! I made this yesterday and it is FAB. I made some adjustments:

          – sweet potatoes for reg potaotes
          – no squash
          – a full cup of yellow peas/1.5 cups lentils/8 cups of broth (I wanted it a little less soup-y)
          – skipped the blending part (to make oil-free)
          – only cooked for 4ish hours on high (impatient!!)

          Served with shaved parm and rye Wasa crackers. SO GOOD!! Thank you again!