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Hearty Chicken Lentil Soup Recipe for a Cozy Dinner

Hearty Chicken Lentil Soup

This hearty chicken lentil soup is a one-pot dinner made with tender chicken, nutritious lentils, vegetables, tomatoes, and fragrant herbs. It serves 6 and comes together in about 1 hour.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup Base
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 cup dry brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked over
  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Chicken and Seasoning
  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon, plus more to taste kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Finishing Ingredients
  • 2 cups, optional chopped kale or baby spinach
  • 1 tablespoon, optional lemon juice
  • as needed chopped, for serving fresh parsley

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, then cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
  2. Add the minced garlic, cumin, and dried thyme. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic and spices are fragrant.
  3. Stir in the rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, bay leaves, kosher salt, and black pepper. Nestle the raw chicken into the liquid.
  4. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot partially and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
  5. Remove the chicken and bay leaves from the pot. Shred or chop the chicken into bite-size pieces, discard the bay leaves, and return the chicken to the soup.
  6. Stir in the kale or baby spinach, if using, and cook for 2–4 minutes until the greens are wilted. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper.
  7. Stir in the lemon juice, if desired, for a brighter finish. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Notes

Do not soak brown or green lentils; rinse and pick them over before adding them directly to the pot. Add lemon juice or vinegar at the end because acidic ingredients added early can slow the softening of lentils. If the soup thickens after standing, loosen it with 1/2–1 cup additional chicken broth before reheating.