Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup is a vegetarian soup with tomatoes, spinach, and Feta cheese and this is delicious! This is a must-make soup if you’re a fan of Greek flavors and if you check the nutritional it’s relatively low in net carbs.
PIN Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup to try it later!
I’ve been a lover of lentils for quite a few years now so there are many variations of Lentil Soup on my blog, but when I spotted a recipe for Greek Lentils with spinach and Feta in the American Heart Association Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook (affiliate link), I couldn’t resist turning it into a soup. And I added other ingredients like celery, tomatoes, and lots of stock so I could have a larger serving.
This Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup starts with just lentils, chopped celery and onion, garlic, vegetable or chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and spices, and if you chop the vegetables the night before it’s easy to throw in the slow cooker in the morning and let it cook all day. When you get home, add chopped spinach to the soup with some lemon juice and cook a bit longer, then scoop into bowls, add Feta, and you have a tummy-warming soup for dinner. I’ve never used Feta as a soup topper before, but I loved how it added a vibrant burst of flavor.
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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
What gives this recipe Greek flavors?
The ingredients that give this recipe Greek flavors are thyme, Greek oregano, Greek Seasoning, tomatoes, spinach, lemon, and of course Feta Cheese!
Want more tasty ideas for soup?
Use Soup Recipes to see all the soups that have been featured on Kalyn’s Kitchen. You can also use the Soup or Stew index to see all the slow cooker or Instant Pot soups featured on my other site!
How to make Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Start with 2 cups regular brown lentils. (Lentils that are fresher will cook more quickly, so take that into account when you’re timing the soup.)
- You’ll also need 1 medium onion, chopped small, and 1 cup of celery, also chopped fairly small. (Do this the night before if you want to get this in the slow cooker early in the morning!)
- Put the lentils, onions, celery, vegetable or chicken stock, Greek Seasoning (affiliate link), Dried Thyme, dried oregano, minced garlic, black pepper, and canned tomatoes with juice into the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for about 4 hours or on low for 8-9 hours, until the lentils are as soft as you prefer. (Slightly longer cooking time won’t matter much, either on high or low.)
- Here’s how the soup looked after we cooked it nearly 4 hours on high. The lentils were soft but still kept their shape.
- When the lentils are softened to your liking, chop the spinach (and wash in salad spinner if needed.)
- Add the chopped spinach to the soup with the lemon juice, turn to high if cooking on low, and cook on high for 30 minutes more. (Add a little more stock at this point if the soup seems thicker than you’d like.)
- When the spinach is nicely softened, serve soup hot, garnished with Feta cheese if you’d like!
This is great with a tablespoon or two of crumbled Feta on top of each bowl if desired.
More Meatless Dinners You Might Like:
Vegetarian Index ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
Mexican Red Lentil Stew
Spicy Red Lentil and Chickpea Stew
Indian-Spiced Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown lentils (washed and picked over if needed)
- 8 cups vegetable broth (or more)
- 1 medium onion, diced small
- 1 cup chopped celery, chopped into fairly small pieces
- 1 T Greek Seasoning
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 tsp. dried Greek or Turkish oregano
- 1 T minced garlic
- fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- one 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 bunch spinach leaves, stems cut off, chopped and washed
- 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (or a little less if you’re not that into lemon)
- crumbled Feta Cheese for serving (optional, but good)
Instructions
- Chop onions and celery and measure 2 cups brown lentils. (Do this the night before and store in the fridge in a Ziploc bag if you want to get this into the slow cooker quickly in the morning.)
- Put the lentils, onions, celery, vegetable broth, Greek Seasoning (affiliate link), dried thyme (affiliate link), dried oregano, minced garlic, black pepper, and canned tomatoes with juice into the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for about 4 hours or on low for 8-9 hours, or until the lentils are as softened as you’d like them. (Cooking time will partly depend on how fresh your lentils are; lentils that have been on the pantry or store shelf for a while will take a little longer to cook.)
- When the lentils are softened as much as you’d like, chop the spinach and wash in salad spinner if needed.
- Add spinach and lemon juice to the soup, turn slow cooker to high if you were cooking on low, and cook about 30 minutes more. (A little longer won’t hurt, but the longer you cook the spinach the darker green it will get.
- Add another cup or two of stock at this point if the soup seems thicker than you’d like.)
- Serve soup hot, with a tablespoon or two of crumbled Feta sprinkled on each serving if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 108Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 1367mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup is not super low in carbs but if you check the nutritional information you might be pleasantly surprised that it’s relatively low in net carbs. And low-glycemic dried beans or lentils are approved for all phases of the original South Beach Diet although portion size is limited for Phase One.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there. Click here for Slow Cooker / Instant Pot Recipes on my other site!
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2014. It was last updated with more information in 2021.
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Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.
The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.
But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.
Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.
And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.
What makes the best keto chili?
Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.
In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.
Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.
Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.
But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.
Can you make keto chili ahead of time?
I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.
It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.
So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.
The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!
Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.
Tips for making Short Rib Chili
Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.
Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.
Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.
Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.
Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.
Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.
Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.
Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?
Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.
Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 428kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone in short ribs
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅓ cup beef bone broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.
Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Short Rib Chili
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)
Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319
% Daily Value*
Fat 35.4g54%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 22.6g45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
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