Slow Cooker Baked Lentils

Its like baked beans, hold the beans.

This came to be because I did a food sensitivity test and scored quite high on many beans and legumes but not lentils! Since it is camping and BBQ season and I love baked beans, I created an alternative that satisfies my craving for a can of beans on a fire. These are slow cooked with carrots and onion from the garden for added nutrients. Lentils are packed with fibre, protein and minerals like folate, iron and phosphorus so load up on these baked lentils.

There are many types of lentils so make sure to sue a heartier lentil for this recipe. Red lentils cook very quickly and if used in this recipe it will turn to mush. Green and brown lentils take longer to cook so they will withstand the slow cooker and become perfectly cooked over the 6 hours. I would also experiment subbing out the coconut sugar for maple syrup for a more Canadian baked beans feel. You could definitely make this vegan by omitting the bacon and adding a tbsp more molasses and a small can of diced tomatoes.

Slow Cooker Baked Lentils

Ingredients

1 purple onion

3 strips bacon - nitrate and sugar free

2 lg carrots - finely chopped

1 sm can tomato paste

1 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chile powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 cups green lentils - rinsed well

3 cups water or bone broth

Directions

1. Dice the bacon and cook in a small saucepan. Add in the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened

2. Add bacon and onion to the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours

3. Enjoy immediately or freeze some for future use