SLOW COOKER MADRAS LENTILS

Slow Cooker Madras Lentils are full of red beans, lentils, tomatoes and wonderful spices. This madras lentils recipe is so simple to make, just toss some ingredients in a slow cooker and walk away!

This dish of madras lentils can be served over rice for an incredible, healthy meal the whole family will enjoy. Make this crock pot lentils recipe on busy weeknights, start it in the morning and come home to a fully cooked delicious meal.

Slow Cooker Dinner Idea: Madras Lentils

My kids are involved in a LOT of after-school activities and I just don’t have much time for dinner prep every evening. That is why I love our slow cooker and being able to get home at dinner time and have a meal ready and waiting. You can eat Madras Lentils as more of a soup, but we like to pour it over rice and sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top, it feels more like a full meal that way. I also used Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes in this recipe because I love the taste of them. They are easy to find at any grocery store and I usually have several cans in my pantry since I use them a lot. Hunt’s tomatoes are vine ripened before picking and then are steam peeled using only water instead of chemicals. Many other companies don’t follow this process and you can definitely taste the difference!

WHY WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS LENTILS RECIPE

If you were not already sold on this easy dinner recipe, here are a few more reasons to convince you.

• It is customizable. One of the great things about this recipe is you can change up the ingredients if you’d like. If kidney beans are not your families favorite, use pinto beans. Or if you would like to add some type of meat, feel free.
• So easy to make. With a few minutes of prep work, you can have this dish ready and cooking. It is a great way to prepare dinner ahead of time and come home dinner made and ready.
• Makes a lot of servings. If you measured it out you’d get about 10 servings from this dish, which is almost enough for everyone to go in for another bowl. A great idea is to eat half at one dinner and freeze the rest for an easy future meal.

Slow Cooker Madras Lentils Ingredients

Lentils: For the base of this delicious and hearty meal, use ½ lb of dried lentils.

Green chilis: Adding in one 4-ounce can of diced green chilis will give this dish great flavor.

Kidney beans: You will need one 15-ounce can of small red kidney beans to add some protein to this meal.

Tomatoes: Using two 14-ounce cans of Hunt’s diced tomatoes will give this dinner fantastic taste and nutrition.

Onion: Add in 1 medium white onion, minced, for a slightly sweet and mild flavor in this dish.

Beef broth: To create the perfect consistency, use 6 cups of beef or vegetable broth.

Chili powder: Adding in 1 tablespoon of chili powder will give this meal a little punch of heat and flavor.

Cumin: For more great seasoning, use 1 tablespoon of cumin.

Heavy cream: You will need to add ½ cup of heavy cream to make the dish nice and creamy and lighten up the taste a bit.

Salt and pepper: Add in salt and pepper according to your taste preference.

How to make Slow Cooker Madras Lentils

Prep

Start by mincing the onion into small pieces.

Assemble

Next, in the pot of a slow cooker or crock pot, combine the lentils, diced green chilis, red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, minced onion, beef broth, chili powder, and cumin (this is everything except the heavy cream, salt and pepper). Stir the ingredients to combine.

Proceed to cook on low heat for 4-5 hours.

Complete & Serve

Once cooking is complete, stir in the heavy cream. Then, using a immersion blender (or a standard blender or food processor, in batches), puree the mixture until it is the desired thickness.

Than, add salt and pepper to your taste preference.

Serve alone as a soup, or serve over rice with a little bit of cheese and/or sour cream. Enjoy!

Is this dish a vegetarian meal?

We do eat meat in our home, but I like having at least a couple of dinners each week that are meatless and this recipe is one that makes it in our regular rotation. You have the option of using beef broth in the recipe, but you can swap that out with vegetable broth for a completely vegetarian meal.

HOW LONG WILL THIS MADRAS LENTILS DISH LAST?

It can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 days in an air-tight container. To reheat, simply place it in a pot on the stove and stir until warmed through or reheat it by the bowl’s worth in the microwave.

CAN YOU FREEZE THIS LENTILS SOUP?

Yes, you can freeze this dish, it actually freezes beautifully. Simply let the mixture cool completely, then package it in an airtight container, and it will last up to 3 months. When you are ready to serve, defrost in the refrigerator or heat on the stove until defrosted and hot.

Like this easy crockpot recipe? Try these other crock pot recipes:

• Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken recipe
• Crock Pot Beef Stew recipe
• Crock Pot Pork Roast
• Crock Pot Turkey Breast
• Crock Pot Sweet Pork
• Crock Pot Shredded Chicken
• Crockpot Pork Carnitas
• Crockpot Madras Lentils
• Crock pot Roast with Dr.Pepper
• Crockpot Chili
• Crockpot Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

Slow Cooker Madras Lentils is loaded with hearty red beans, lentils, nutritious tomatoes and tasty spices. This madras lentils recipe is so easy to make, just put some ingredients in a slow cooker and walk away!