Throw everything in the slow cooker and let this healthy chipotle lentil soup simmer away all day long. Pureed avocado and chipotle peppers add plenty of flavor! Thank you to California Avocados for helping me share this recipe with you.
There was a time in my life when taking university-level calculus seemed like a good idea. It’s possible that I made that decision after a night of drinking kamikazes, which produces a mindset that hovers between invincible and stupid. And what was I going to do with all of that calculus knowledge? Become an astronaut, of course. That is, until discovered that astrophysics actually required taking physics. Huh.
The one redeeming quality of taking calculus was going into the old, stone math building at UBC (University of British Columbia), which is covered with a tangle of ivy creeping from the ground to the roof. In the autumn, the crisp air and fog rolling off the ocean prompted the forlorn, eerie moaning of the foghorns near the university. The red autumnal leaves of the ivy broke through the gray mornings and suggested warmth and comfort in the changing of the seasons.
At the end of the day, I’d stumble home, valiantly warding off thoughts of calculus homework, and sit down in front of a warm meal. Ever since I was a kid, soup has had the power to soothe my soul, and this lentil soup, with the smoky heat of chipotle peppers, is no different.
Everyone needs a good lentil soup recipe in their arsenal, and this slow cooker version is not only easy, but is packed with healthy protein (16.1 grams per serving!) and fiber (16.2 grams per serving!), and plenty of flavor. And to top it all off, it’s finished with a swirl of blended California avocado to add a dose of healthy fats and flavor that naturally compliments the chipotle peppers and cumin in the soup. Just throw most of the ingredients in the slow cooker first thing in the morning or the night before. All that you need to do before serving up the soup is to blend a portion of the soup with the avocado to add texture and creaminess.
We’re eating as many California avocados as we can get our hands on while they’re still at their peak. We use them to top chili, tuck it into cucumber cups and mini quesadillas for healthy snacks and serve in salmon dinner salads with finger licking dressings. Adding avocado is an easy way to add healthy fats, while also benefiting from the loads of vitamins in each fruit.
Other healthy vegetarian recipes:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry with Sweet Potato & Chickpeas
Cookin’ Canuck’s Quick Vegetarian Barley Risotto
Well Plated’s Honey Lime Tofu Stir Fry
Last Ingredient’s Peanut Udon Noodles with Grilled Vegetables
Green Healthy Cooking’s Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Cilantro Pecan Pesto
Slow Cooker Chipotle Lentil Soup with Avocado
Ingredients
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2 carrots chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups brown lentils
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1 chipotle pepper seeded & minced
- 7 cups vegetable broth
- 1 14 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from chipotle can
- 1 California avocado chopped
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, combine the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, lentils, cumin, oregano and chipotle peppers.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes and adobo sauce.
- Cook on LOW until the lentils are tender, 8 to 10 hours. Transfer 3 cups of the soup to a blender and let cool for about 15 minutes. Add the avocado to the blender and puree until the mixture is almost smooth. Pour the mixture back into the slow cooker. Stir in the lime juice and parsley.
- Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is part of my ambassadorship with California avocados. All opinions are my own.
Heather | girlichef
Soup is definitely good for the soul, and I can just imagine how amazing a pot of this smells – such a comfort after a full day. Love how you’ve pureed the avocado into the broth, it looks delicious!
Angie
This looks amazing, definitely more exciting to me than calculus. I never took it, but the biochem I took was pretty bad. It was required 🙁
The avocado pairs great with this!
Lauren @ Hall Nesting
You are so right – everyone needs a good lentil soup recipe and this sounds like it could be mine! And the thought of calculus right now makes my head hurt haha.
Liz
Thank you for the nice recipe.
Peabody (Culinary Concoctions by Peabody)
Love that this uses the crock pot! And yum on the avocados!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet
I am slowly getting into the mood for soups. The weather is still summer-like but I am getting ready for comfort in a bowl. This soup looks crazy good! And so good for you!
Anne-Marie @ This Mama Cooks!
The other wonderful thing about lentils is that they’re cheap, especially if you buy them in bulk. So many things you can do with them – casseroles, soup, veggie burgers, dips, etc. Using with avocados and chipotle to make them more flavorful and attractive was a smart move. Looks fabulous!
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Lentil soup is one of my go to all time favorite weekly soups. It’s so healthy and easy to make. Adding Ca Avocado, yes please!!!!
Danielle
I have tried many of your recipes and have loved them.. I can’t wait to try this one as well! Can you recommend an accurate/reliable nutrition calculator for recipes? Thanks!!
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Looks like a perfect bowl of comfort for a fall evening! Love avocados!
Lana | Never Enough Thyme
Soup is my comfort food of choice for those days when life just seems to suck the energy right out of you! I’d love to come home to a slow cooker full of this delicious lentil soup!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet
This sounds so wonderful! I love lentils and absolutely adore cooking with chipotles en adobo – what a great combination here!
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Dara,
Definitely a wonderful winter soup recipe to have and being able to make it in the crock pot is all the better. Pinning it for later. thanks
Kristyn
This sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try! 🙂
Lora @cakeduchess
I make my usual Italian recipe for lentils and sometimes make it in the slow cooker (I just love knowing it’s there simmering!). But now I’ve got to try your version with all the different flavors and spice!
Justine | Cooking and Beer
I’ve been all about the slow cooker lentil soups lately! This one looks so comforting and perfect for winter! Love the freshness of the avocado!
Dana
I discovered you on the Pioneer Woman blog. This recipe is exactly what I want! Easy, healthy, ready after work. Congrats on the weight transformation. I dropped 15 pounds when I trained for, and ran a Half Marathon.
Run On!
Carla (@charliesue)
An absolutely beautiful and healthy soup! What a brilliant combo of smoky chipotle and lentils- YUM!
(Also, I applaud your Calculus efforts- I am sure when the opportunity arose I sprinted in the opposite direction. :))
Erin @ Texanerin Baking
Wow, that’s a lot of protein! That’s great. And did you really want to be an astronaut? I am completely fascinated by all things space but I don’t understand a bit of it. I still find it so interesting. 🙂
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness
I have just recently learned how magical my slow cooker is! How awesome is it to throw everything in and come home to a delicious dinner? ESPECIALLY when my beloved California Avocados are involved! Pinned!
Des @ Life's Ambrosia
I have always wanted to make more things with lentils but I have yet to actually try. This looks like the perfect way to introduce the family to them. How comforting!
Anita
This looks so wonderfully hearty and cozy! I love the addition of the chipotle!
Mary-louise Mcgill
I did a math class in that old building!
Sharon Mervin
How much is XX cups to a blender? Can’t wait to try this!
Sharon
Dara
I apologize for the omission. It’s fixed now!