Red Lentil Chicken Soup – A hearty and delicious soup loaded with lentils and chicken, spiced with turmeric, cumin and smoked paprika.
Lentil soups are delicious! This soup is right up there with my favorite dumpling soup. You could easily turn this into a vegetarian dish if you wanted to, just skip the chicken. It is an exceptionally hearty and full of flavor soup. A bowl of this is really a meal on its own.
Lentils
Lentils are low in calories, rich in iron and an excellent source of protein. They come in a variety of colours, such brown, green, yellow, red and black. They are easy to cook, taking anywhere from 5-20 minutes and can be used in a wide variety of dishes. One serving of lentils a day is said to drastically reduce bad cholesterol.
Do I have to soak lentils?
You do not have to soak lentils, but if you want to reduce the cooking time by about half, you can.
How to soak lentils
- Pour your lentils in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Lentils only require 2 to 4 hours of soaking. Drain the water and give them another quick rinse with fresh, cold water.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
- Olive Oil – Substitute for canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil or avocado oil.
- Onion – Chopped.
- Carrot – Chopped.
- Garlic – Fresh is best! Minced.
- Spices – Turmeric, Cumin, Smoked Paprika.
- Red Lentils – Dry. I used red lentils, but any kind of lentils will work here! Red, green or whatever other color they may come in.
- Tomato Paste –
- Chicken Broth – I used low sodium or no sodium added.
- Chicken Breasts – Cooked and shredded.
- Salt & Pepper – To taste.
Garnish
- Parsley – Chopped.
- Green Onions – Chopped.
How to make red lentil chicken soup
- Cook Mirepoix – Heat the olive oil in a Dutch Oven or a soup pot. Add the chopped onion, carrot and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Make Soup Base – Add the spices (turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika) and stir. Next, add the red lentils, tomato paste and stir in the chicken broth until the tomato paste dissolves.
- Add the Chicken – Add the shredded chicken, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through. You will have to stir occasionally.
- Finish & Serve – Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with parsley and green onions. Serve.
*Note – If you want a thinner soup (because this is a really thick soup) just add more chicken broth, totally up to you.
How to serve
This is a hearty soup on its own, but I served it with a Swiss cheese grilled sandwich. In my opinion, it’s the best way to eat it! I did not include the sandwich in the recipe, but in case you’re wondering: butter, Swiss cheese and bread. I’m sure you can figure out the rest! Just trust me on the grilled cheese sandwich.
Now go make this, eat it and then snuggle under a blanket with a good book!
How to store leftover soup
Leftover lentil soup that has been continuously refrigerated will keep for around 3 to 4 days.
If you don’t end up eating your leftovers within that time period, you can freeze the rest. Freeze in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 6 months. Keep in mind, the longer you let the soup sit, the more likely chance of texture and flavor change so it’s best to eat it before that time.
More soup recipes to try:
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Beef Barley Soup
- Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Minestrone
- White Chicken Chili
- Potato Leek Soup
- Baked Potato Soup
- Bacon and Beer Cheese Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Egg Roll Soup
- Easy Hamburger Soup
- French Onion Soup
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Red Lentil Chicken Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 medium carrot chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup red lentils dry
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups chicken broth low sodium or no sodium added
- 2 cups chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp pepper or to taste
Garnish
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Cook Mirepoix: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch Oven or a soup pot. Add the chopped onion, carrot and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Make Soup Base: Add the spices (turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika) and stir. Next, add the red lentils, tomato paste and stir in the chicken broth until the tomato paste dissolves.
- Add the Chicken: Add the shredded chicken, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through. You will have to stir occasionally.
- Finish and Serve: Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with parsley and green onions. Serve.
Recipe Notes
- If you want a thinner soup (because this is a really thick soup) just add more chicken broth, totally up to you.
- If you don’t end up eating your leftovers within that time period, you can freeze the rest.
- Freeze in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 6 months. Keep in mind, the longer you let the soup sit, the more likely chance of texture and flavor change so it’s best to eat it before that time.
