Crockpot Red Lentil, Chickpea, and Tomato Soup with Smoked Paprika

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion, diced small
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. Vege-Sal
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
• 5 C chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cans petite dice tomatoes with juice
• Sour cream or vegan sour cream for serving, optional

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan, then cook the diced onion until it has softened and is just beginning to take on a little color, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, dried thyme, Vege-Sal, and black pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, just until the seasonings smell toasty and fragrant.
3. Transfer the onion and spice mixture to the CrockPot. Pour 1 cup of the stock into the frying pan to loosen the flavorful bits, then add that liquid to the CrockPot too, along with the red lentils, rinsed chickpeas, and remaining stock.
4. Set the CrockPot to high and cook for 2-3 hours, until the lentils are beginning to soften and melt into the soup. This may take about 2 1/2 hours, depending in part on the age of the lentils.
5. Once the lentils have started to soften, stir in the 2 cans of diced tomatoes with their juice. Continue cooking on high for 1-2 hours more, until both the lentils and chickpeas are very tender.
6. Ladle about 1/2 the soup into a bowl, or into a large 8-cup measuring cup if that’s handy. Blend that portion with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender until smooth. If using a food processor or blender, handle the hot soup carefully and work in batches if needed.
7. Pour the blended soup back into the CrockPot and stir it into the rest of the soup. Taste, then adjust with more salt or freshly ground black pepper if you’d like. Cook for about 15 minutes longer, then serve hot.