By Little Northern Bakehouse

Easy High-Protein Slow Cooker Soup: Creamy Tomato Basil with Red Lentils
(Gluten-free. Plant-based. Allergy-friendly)

Bright flavours and 10-minute prep time aren’t the only things you love about our Tomato Lentil Gluten-free Slow Cooker High-Protein Soup recipe. Made from naturally gluten-free whole food, plant-based ingredients, this simple meal is souper satisfying thanks to nutrient-dense, fibre-filled, protein-packed red lentils!

With a silky but light and creamy finish, our easy, vegan, tomato basil and red lentil gluten-free slow cooker high-protein soup shines in any season. Make it with fresh-picked, sun-ripened tomatoes and bountiful bunches of basil in summer without sweating over a stove. Or warm up in winter and make it with budget-friendly canned tomatoes and dried herbs.

Either way, this scrumptious dump dinner style recipe might be the tastiest—and healthiest— meal you’ll make in your slow cooker all year.

(And it checks all the gluten-free, plant-based, allergy-friendly boxes, too!)

Serve it as a stand-alone main, as a side for a sandwich on your favourite Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free bread, or both!

Because one batch of this creamy vegan tomato lentil slow cooker high-protein soup stretches a surprisingly long way. And that feels extra rewarding for a weekday-easy gluten-free meal that takes so little effort to make!

(Be sure to check out the tips section for swaps and tweaks sure to put this easy high-protein slow cooker soup at the top of your go-to, tried-and-true gluten-free recipe repertoire.)

 

Instructions:
  1. Dice tomatoes, mince garlic, and chop all but a few leaves of fresh basil. Rinse lentils well and drain. Zest lemon, set zest aside, and juice.
  2. Add water, lemon juice, and add all remaining ingredients (except lemon zest and baby spinach (if using)) to a standard-size slow cooker (4.5 – 7 L / 5 – 7 qt). Stir to combine and cook on High for 4 hours with lid on.
  3. At the end of the cooking time, add lemon zest, and give the soup a good stir. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more fresh basil or lemon juice to brighten it up, more plant-based milk or non-dairy creamer to make it extra creamy, or more chili flakes, salt, or pepper to taste.
  4. If using baby spinach, fold it into the hot soup with a wooden spoon until it wilts right before serving.
  5. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

Serves 4 – 6

Tips:
  • Divide tomatoes for a fresh-flavoured take. We gave our plant-based version of this recipe a ‘dump dinner’ treatment for speed and simplicity, but if you’ve got a few extra minutes, set aside half your chopped tomatoes and all but one sprig of your chopped basil. Stir them into the hot soup just before serving.
  • Swap canned for fresh! When your fresh tomato options are limited by seasonality, quality, or budget, use 1 large can (796 ml / 28 fl oz) diced tomatoes as the base for this gluten-free slow cooker high-protein recipe. If available, finish the soup with a pint (284 – 340 g) of fresh cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in halves or quarters, or a couple chopped hothouse tomatoes to add an extra pop of freshness.
  • Can’t find fresh basil? Use dried! A decent bunch of fresh basil can be pricy or hard to come by in the dead of winter—go ahead and use ⅓ cup dried basil in place of the 1 cup fresh basil called for in the recipe (add before cooking, not as the optional finishing step).
  • Out of non-dairy milk? Try coconut milk, coconut cream, or your favourite non-dairy creamer. We picked a nut-free, soy-free plant-based milk for its neutral taste and lighter texture. But if you want this dairy-free soup extra creamy, you have options!
    • Try a non-dairy creamer like Earth’s Own Oat Coffee Creamer Original (use in place of the non-dairy milk, or add a splash or two when you adjust your soup to taste).
    • If coconut isn’t an allergen for you, canned coconut cream or full-fat canned coconut milk works, too (though it will change the flavour profile a little).
    • If you’re using non-dairy milk but still want a creamier soup, reduce the water by 1 cup and use 1 ¾ – 2 cups plant-based milk in total to avoid watering down the bright tomato flavour.
  • Beware double trouble! Unless you have a large capacity slow cooker (7.5 – 9.5 L / 8 – 10 qt or bigger), double our allergy-friendly twist on this Tomato Lentil Gluten-free Slow Cooker High-Protein Soup recipe with caution. Our team’s double-batch test pushed the limits of a 6-quart slow cooker to the rim with no room to spare!
  • Need more than one batch of this dairy-free creamy tomato lentil high-protein soup to feed a crowd but don’t have a large slow cooker? Multiply 1.5× or use 2 cups less water in a double batch. Or double the lentils in a single batch to make it extra hearty and pack in more plant-based protein for a smaller but more satisfying portion.

 

Love this easy, creamy, vegan Tomato Lentil Gluten-free Slow Cooker High-Protein Soup recipe?

Check out some of our other gluten-free, high-protein, high-fibre recipes, including:

Learn more about why protein and fibre are two of the top nutrients gluten-free eaters need in our article, 9 Nutrients Deficient in Gluten-free Diets + How to Get Them.

 

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Recipe inspired by New York Times Cooking