Slow Cooker Turkey Lentil Soup

Slow cooker turkey lentil soup is a hearty and delicious one pot meal. This warm and welcoming crockpot dish is filled with nutrition and flavor. The perfect way to end a busy day.

This crockpot lentil soup recipe was a surprise hit in my household. Not sure why I didn't expect it. But, the whole family loved it just as much as they love lentil soup with hot dogs!

This is one of the best lentil soup recipes because it is a great source of protein and fiber. It is one of those rare healthy recipes that everyone loves. This makes it perfect as both an easy weeknight meal or a lazy weekend dish - any time of year.

📝Shopping list

To make this hearty soup, you will need:

• ground turkey - browned
• mirepoix - diced in small pieces (or one medium onion, two medium carrots, and two medium celery stalks)
• lentils - green*
• tomato sauce
• diced tomatoes - with all juices - fire roasted is great if possilbe
• cabbage - chopped
• broth or stock* - I use beef broth
• Worcestershire sauce
• fresh thyme
• bay leaves
• soy sauce 
• kale - chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• non-stick cooking spray

🔪Instructions

Start by browning your ground turkey. This can be accomplished stovetop in a large skillet.

I prefer to meal prep by browning ground turkey in bulk in my slow cooker. I then freeze it in recipe-size portions for easy toss-and-go future slow cooker meals!

Next, place lentils into a strainer and rinse thoroughly over the sink. You want to wash away any dirt while ensuring there are no small stones or other foreign items.

Spray your slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray. Add all ingredients other than kale, thyme and bay leaves to slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Place bay leaf and thyme on top of other ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

You want to make sure all lentils are soft and cooked through. Once cooked, remove thyme and bay leaves and discard.

15 - 30 minutes prior to serving, stir kale into soup. Don't worry if it seems like a lot to mix in. The kale will shrink as it starts to cook.

Ladle soup into serving bowls and add salt and pepper to taste.

🍽Serving suggestions

This delicious crock pot lentil soup is really a full meal on its own. Serve it with some warm, crusty bread.

A crisp garden salad makes this an even more perfect meal. A warm veggie side dish such as whole cauliflower dijon or maple vanilla carrots is also a great option.I love to top mine with some freshly grated parmesan cheese or shredded cheddar cheese.

This recipe is written as "salt and pepper to taste" to keep it lower in sodium. However, to bring out the best flavor, you will definitely want to add plenty of each.

🔁Substitutions

1. Meat lovers can use ground beef in place of ground turkey in this lentil turkey soup recipe.
2. Brown lentils can be used as a substitute for green lentils. Red lentils can be used as well, but will most likely break down during cooking giving the final dish a less defined consistency.
3. Chicken broth or vegetable broth can both be substituted for beef broth.

Storing leftovers

Store leftovers of your hearty turkey lentil soup in an airtight container or bag. It will last for 3-4 days in the fridge and several months in the freezer. This is one of those healthy meals that I think tastes even better the next day!

😉Hints & hacks

1. This easy slow cooker turkey soup recipe calls for diced carrots, celery and onion. You can buy prepackaged, cut celery, carrots, and onion to keep things extra lazy. Both fresh or frozen work equally well and tend to be readily available in grocery stores.
2. This is one of those slow cooker recipes that are great if your people will be eating at different times. After cook time, turn your slow cooker to warm and everyone can have a hot and filling meal - anytime.
3. Slow cooker lentil soup is a great freezer soup. I like to freeze leftovers in meal-sized portions for easy reheat-and-eat.
4. I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. Of course, this is an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
5. In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine.