Chicken and Lentil Soup

Browning chicken cubes before adding liquid gives you flavor you’d miss by just poaching. The lentils cook right in the soup, no pre-soaking needed.

June Arthurs
September 12, 2025
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Ingredients

  • 1.5 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped carrots
  • 1.5 cups chopped onion
  • 1.5 cups chopped leek
  • 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 1.5 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/4 cups dried lentils, rinsed

Saute the Base

Get a Dutch oven or large stockpot over medium heat and add the olive oil.

Add the carrots, onion, and leek. Cook for ~7-10 minutes, stirring every so often, until the vegetables soften.

Stir in the cubed chicken.

Cook for another ~4-5 minutes, until the chicken is browned on all sides.

Add the garlic, salt, cumin, thyme, pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes.

Cook for one more minute until you can smell the spices.

Simmer the Soup

Pour in the chicken stock and stir in the lentils. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer on low heat.

It will need ~25-30 minutes for the lentils to soften.

Stir it occasionally.

Chicken and Lentil Soup

Browning chicken cubes before adding liquid gives you flavor you’d miss by just poaching. The lentils cook right in the soup, no pre-soaking needed.
prep time15 minutes
cook time45 minutes
total time1 hour
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1.5 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped carrots
  • 1.5 cups chopped onion
  • 1.5 cups chopped leek
  • 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 1.5 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/4 cups dried lentils, rinsed

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add carrots, onion, and leek; cook 7-10 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
  • Add chicken cubes; cook 4-5 minutes until browned.
  • Add garlic, salt, cumin, thyme, pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Pour in chicken stock and lentils.
  • Cover and simmer on low for 25-30 minutes until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.

Notes

Use green or brown lentils for best results. Soup will thicken as it stands.