Easy Chicken Lentil Soup Recipe

Enjoy an easy chicken lentil soup that's full of Mediterranean flavor. Seasoned with warm spices and packed with veggies, this soup is all you need for a hearty dinner.

Our love for lentil soup recipes has no end, as our regular readers know! We've had great reviews on our turmeric red lentil soup recipe, easy Mediterranean green lentil soup, and curry lentil soup. Today's lentil soup is a variation made with chicken and veggies, flavored with spices and brightened up with some lemon juice. 

This soup is packed with vegetables, chicken and spices, making it a complete meal in one bowl. It's perfect for meal prepping since you can make a big batch and enjoy during the week.

Ingredients

Vegetables - In addition to onion and garlic - which are the two most common veggies in any soup - we also use carrot and celery to make this soup. Other possible additions are bell peppers and green beans. 

Chicken - Boneless skinless chicken thighs work perfectly for this recipe. However, you can also use boneless skinless chicken breast as well. 

Lentils - Green lentils are perfect for soup because they hold their shape. You can also use brown lentils if that's what you have on hand. I don't recommend using red lentils because once they're cooked, they turn mushy and won't keep their form. 

Spices - For this recipe I've used a combination of warm Mediterranean spices including paprika, oregano, cumin, allspice and coriander. If you like your soup spicy, add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. 

Chicken broth - Nothing beats homemade chicken broth but if you don't have time for it, you can use store-bought. Just make sure it's low sodium.

Final touches - I love finishing soups with some fresh herbs and adding some zing from lemon or lime. Fresh dill adds even more flavor to this soup and a squeeze of lemon is always great for extra brightness. 

1. Sauté onion and garlic in the instant pot using the sauté function.
2. Add in carrots and celery and sauté for a couple of minutes. 
3. Add in the chicken and spices, cook for a few minutes, and then add the lentils. 
4. Fill the instant pot with 2 cups chicken broth and 1 ½ cup water. 
5. Seal and lock the lid, press the pressure cook function and set the timer for 18 minutes. 
6. Let the pressure naturally release. This takes about 10-15 minutes. 

1. Start by sautéing garlic, onion, celery and carrots in a pan. 
2. Sauté chicken and spices with the vegetables. 
3. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to the slow cooker and add the lentils. 
4. Pour in 2 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water.
5. Cook on low for 5 hours and serve warm. 

Frequently asked questions

More soup recipe

Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!

Step-by-Step Recipe

Easy Chicken Lentil Soup Recipe

Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Enjoy an easy chicken lentil soup that's full of Mediterranean flavor. Seasoned with warm spices and packed with veggies, this soup is all you need for a hearty dinner.

4.93 from 28 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 6 servings

Calories 423 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
• ▢ 1 white onion chopped
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 large carrot diced
• ▢ 2 stalks celery chopped
• ▢ 4 chicken thighs boneless and skinless, cut into ½ inch pieces
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon all spice
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
• ▢ 1 ½ cup green lentils
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 cups chicken stock homemade or store-bought
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 1 lemon juice of
• ▢ ½ cup fresh dill chopped

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. 
• Saute chopped onion and minced garlic until golden. 
• Add in diced carrots and celery. Cook for two minutes. 
• Add in chicken pieces and all the spices. Stir well and cook until the chicken is lightly brown. 
• Add in the lentils and salt. Stir and cook for a minute. 
• Add chicken stock and water. Stir well and bring the lentil soup to simmer. 
• Cover and slowly simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken and lentils are fully cooked. 
• Adjust the salt, and add lemon juice and fresh dill to the soup. 
• Serve warm. 

Notes

• You can use leftover or precooked chicken thighs or breast for this lentil soup. 
• If you have veggies in your fridge that are about to go bad, use them in this soup. Anything from potatoes to spinach and whatever in between can be used.
• Store the leftover Mediterranean chicken and lentil soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• To make this soup spicy, add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper with other spices. 
• Serve this soup with warm pita for a tasty dinner. 

lentil soup in instant pot

1. Saute onion and garlic in the instant pot using the saute function.
2. Add in carrots and celery and saute for a couple of minutes. 
3. Add in the chicken and spices, cook for a few minutes and then add the lentils. 
4. Fill the instant pot with 2 cups chicken broth and 1 ½ cup water. 
5. Seal and lock the lid, press the pressure cook function and set the timer for 18 minutes. 
6. Let the pressure naturally release. This takes about 10-15 minutes. 

lentil soup in crock pot

1. Start by sauteing garlic, onion, celery and carrots in a pan. 
2. Saute chicken and spices with the vegetables. 
3. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to the slow cooker and add the lentils. 
4. Pour in 2 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water. 
5. Cook on low for 5 hours and serve warm. 

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 27gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 595mgPotassium: 852mgFiber: 16gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2616IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 5mg

Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!