WW Recipe of the Day: Slow Cooker Brown Rice & Lentils
As I was stirring together the ingredients for this savory slow cooker brown rice and lentils, it dawned on me just how much my eating habits have changed over the past several years.
As soon as I saw the recipe in Betty Crocker Whole Grains: Easy Everyday Recipes (affiliate link), my most recent GoodWill cookbook bargain, I knew I wanted to try it.
A few years ago I wouldn't have given a recipe featuring brown rice, wild rice, mushrooms and lentils a second look. And I started to giggle when I realized that I now just might be one of those Lifetime Weight Watchers members I used to admire: A woman who bounced into a meeting once a month and confidently stepped onto the scale at or below goal, declaring, "This is my new normal."
Eating the light, healthy, delicious food that I make these days feels just as natural to me now as stuffing myself full of jumbo Costco muffins, Cheez-Its, Whoppers, french fries, nachos, all-you-can-eat Chinese food, and pints of Ben & Jerry once did 🙂
And I soooo wish I could reach out and tell everyone who is struggling with their weight and working to develop healthier habits to just stick with it.
Don't stop. Don't give up. It's a process that takes time and patience.
You'll get there too if you just keep working at it!! If this lazy food lover can do it, anyone can 🙂
I had a feeling I was going to love this slow cooker brown rice and lentils. But it was a pleasant surprise to discover that Rod really liked it too.
Skinny on Savory Slow Cooker Brown Rice and Lentils
In the recipe's headnotes, Betty says that "This savory slow cooker brown rice and lentils is a great starter recipe if you are new to whole grains. Using a slow cooker is a terrific way to prepare them because some grains take a while to cook."
Uncooked Green Lentils
Hearty, flavorful, and satisfying, this recipe for slow cooker brown rice and lentils makes 8 cups, enough for 6 generous 1-⅓ cup main dish servings, with 330 calories and:
8 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
6 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
8 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Are You Ready To Slow Cook Yourself Slim?
We've been enjoying it as a side dish. Last night it was perfect served with broiled salmon and a simple Asian slaw.
Next time I'll probably make a half batch in my 2-Quart slow cooker to cut down on the leftovers. Or plan to freeze some of it in individual ZipLock bags for quick and easy lunches. Enjoy!
If you've made this Slow Cooked Lentils with Brown Rice, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Savory Slow Cooker Brown Rice and Lentils
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- ½ cup uncooked wild rice
- ½ cup uncooked green lentils
- 3 cups (8 ounces) coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms
- 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots, 2 medium or a big handful of baby ones
- ¾ cup chopped green onions (8 to 12)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (affiliate link)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 4-Quart.
- Grease the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix together everything except the parsley in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-½ to 7-½ hours or until the rice and vegetables are tender and liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in the parsley just before serving.
- To prevent overcooking, do not let this slow cooker brown rice and lentils sit in the slow cooker on warm. As soon as it's done transfer it out of the slow cooker insert into a large serving bowl.
Recipe Notes
Recipe source: slightly adapted from Betty Crocker Whole Grains: Easy Everyday Recipes (affiliate link)
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
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Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Peter
Hi Martha,
Thank you so much for sharing some of this dish with Neal and me. We thoroughly enjoyed it with a simple dinner of grilled chicken breasts and a little avocado and red bell pepper salad we like to make (that's easy too). The brown rice with lentils was very hearty and delicious and way too easy to go back for seconds. Now that I am venturing into crock pot cooking myself, I'll definitely want to try to make this sometime soon.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Peter,
Glad you guys liked it. And am looking forward to following you as you begin your own crock pot cooking adventures 🙂
Malen
I am definitely adding this to my list. I am collecting a variety of rice recipes and this one looks great, thanks for sharing.
Martha McKinnon
Thanks, Malen. We really liked it a lot.
Sherrie
Hi Martha! Once again your insight about intuitive eating encourages me and gives me hope in my own journey for a peaceful relationship with food. Thank you for sharing yourself so openly and honestly. This recipe looks fabulous -- can't wait to try it!
Elizabeth
Hi, I'm wondering a little about this recipe, do you soak your lentils beforehand or is it okay to just put them right into the crock pot? I've never done this before, so I apologize if it's a silly question!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Elizabeth,
There's really no such thing as a silly question! Lentils, unlike other beans, don't require pre-soaking. You can just give them a quick rinse and toss them right into the crockpot. Hope this helps and hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did.
Claire
Hello,
I'm keen to try this and wondreed if I can use prepared lentils. I have a box (same size as can), but no dry lentils at home.
Thanks so much for thes recipes!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Claire, Yes, you can use prepared lentils, but I would wait and add them at the end, just to heat through. You will want to use about 1 cup of prepared lentils in place of the dry ones. Hope this helps!
Lisa Harrison
Shoot I think I overcooked it, the rice was mushy. Decent savory flavor,
but family didn't think it looking appetizing enough. But, love trying your recipes!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Lisa, sorry this one didn't work out with you. Rice can be tricky in the slow cooker. It can go from undercooked to overcooked pretty quickly, but usually tastes just as good. I wonder if a bit of garnish could help with the presentation - chopped parsley or a dollop of salsa perhaps?