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Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Lentil Soup
Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be grown fresh or purchased for little to nothing at most grocery stores. There are probably other combinations that work extremely well, but for my purposes, this combination has proven the most effective.
As I have spoken previously, growing up with fresh vegetables from the garden, it was extremely common to search for recipes which could be utilized in recipes from produce being freshly picked from the garden, or that could be obtained from the foods we had canned. This recipe has those requirements, as well as the beauty of also having ingredients that most people already have in their homes or that are cheap to purchase at the local grocery store.
When one considers the history of lentils in terms of Scriptures, many believe it was a lentil soup which Esau would give up his birthright to his brother Jacob for. Alongside this, lentils are a healthy meal option, and instead of being beans, are actually a form of seeds. In ancient times, many Greeks and Romans believed that lentils were something only for the poor. Nonetheless, it was still a popular meal and has remained so in many parts of the world.
Cook Time
Ingredients
- 4 c. vegetable broth
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and in chunks
- 1 bunch leeks, the white part only, washed and diced
- 1 c. yellow onion, chopped
- 3-5 stalks of celery, diced (depends on personal preference)
- 2 c. brown lentils
- 4 c. tomato juice
- 3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp. oregano, dried or fresh
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tbsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 dash boullion
- Place all ingredients into slow cooker, and stir together.
- Cover and cook 6-8 hours, depending on the slow cooker. During this time, the soup does not need to be stirred, only allowed to cook.
- When preparing to serve, stir all ingredients together and dip.
A simple bread is an excellent addition to this meal. I have also add parsley on top before serving, or even placed spinach with 1/2 tsp. vinegar in 30 minutes before the meal finished cooking to make a great meal as well.
The beauty of lentil soup is that you add a variety of vegetables for different preferences and flavors. While I will probably be adding several more lentil soup recipes, this has become one of my favorites. Perhaps the sweet potatoes are why I enjoy this recipe so much, or instead it is something as simple as the combination.
As mentioned, the choice of the amount of ceclery is more of a personal preference, and I have discovered I enjoy more celery in my soup than most. It is also a personal preference if you would prefer diced or chopped celery. Occassionally, if I am pushed for time, I prefer to refrain from dicing and there is no impact on the flavor, you just have larger chunks of celery!
That being said, whenever I prepare a lentil soup, I find myself drawn to Genesis 25:28-34, when Esau would sell his birth right for a serving of stew which Jacob was preparing. While no one can be sure of the type of stew/soup that was being prepared, many believe that it is lentil soup that would earn the birth right of Esau!