Slow Cooker Lentil Stew with Bacon
German-style green lentil soup made in a slow cooker with root vegetables, bacon, and aromatic herbs. Zwiebeln are sweated and caramelized with carrots, celery, leeks, and parsley root before joining lentils and bacon in the pot for a long, gentle cook. Finished with broth and optional tarragon for depth.
Ingredients
- 9 oz green lentils, dried
- 1 onion, peeled, diced
- 1 bunch vegetable stock greens, cleaned, diced (celery, leek, carrot, parsley root)
- 3 potatoes, medium
- 1 ½ tsp granulated broth
- 5 ½ oz Gelderland bacon, rind removed, diced or slicedpancetta or smoked ham1:1porkcured
Similar fat and smoke profile
- ½ tsp mustard
- ½ tbsp tomato paste
- 3 ¼ cups water
- oil, for sweating
- salt, to taste(optional)
- pepper, to taste(optional)
- tarragon, optional(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Peel and dice onion. Sweat onion in oil in a pan until translucent.
- 2
Clean and dice remaining vegetables. Add to onion and cook until lightly browned.
- 3
Stir in mustard and tomato paste. Toast briefly. Deglaze pan with water and remove from heat. Cool slightly.
- 4
Remove skin from bacon and place in slow cooker. Dice or slice bacon and add to pot.
- 5
Distribute lentils over bacon. Add vegetable mixture to pot. Pour water over contents, adding more if needed.
- 6
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
- 7
When lentils are tender, stir in broth. Season with salt and pepper. Add tarragon if desired.
Tips
Do not skip browning the vegetables; this builds depth of flavor before slow cooking.
Add more water if needed before cooking starts—slow cookers do not reduce as much as stovetop methods.
Good to Know
Refrigerate up to 4 days in airtight container. Freeze up to 3 months.
Prepare vegetable mixture and store separately up to 1 day ahead. Assemble slow cooker pot before cooking.
Ladle into bowls. Serve with crusty bread or alone as a hearty main course.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the initial browning of vegetables to avoid flat, one-dimensional flavor.
Do not add broth at the start; add after cooking is complete to avoid oversalting.
Substitutions
Similar fat and smoke profile