Red Lentil Chicken Soup

4.99 from 136 votes

This hearty, healthy and filling red lentil chicken soup is ready to serve in 30 minutes. Perfectly spiced and loaded with flavor and protein

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This red lentil soup recipe is inspired by my Lebanese crushed lentil soup, but it’s bursting with a vibrant orange color and has a different spice mix. I also like to include chicken in this recipe to make it more hearty, so you can enjoy this soup like a full meal!

Two bowls of red lentil chicken soup with spoon in one, both topped with cilantro

Ingredients & substitutions

  • Red lentils: Lentils are a great source of protein and iron, and are low in calories and fat. This is the base of the recipe. While you can substitute with other lentils, the texture won’t be the same.
  • Oil: I used olive oil, but you can use another one like vegetables, canola or avocado if you prefer.
  • Vegetables: Onion, garlic, carrots. Feel free to add other aromatics like celery or even fennel!
  • Tomato Paste: for a rich tomato flavor; but canned diced tomatoes work well too!
  • Spices: Smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper – so much flavor!
  • Chicken broth: You can use your favorite store bought brand, or use homemade broth. I like to use chicken, but vegetable broth will work well too.
  • Shredded chicken: I like to use a mix of thigh and breast meat, but you can use either or. I make the chicken broth by cooking the chicken this way.
Ingredients to make the recipe portioned out

How to make red lentil soup

  1. Soften the onions. Add the garlic, tomato paste and spices and stir until it’s nice and fragrant.
  2. Add the carrots and lentils and you can give everything a quick toss, but it’s not necessary.
  3. Add the chicken broth
  4. Bring the mixture a boil and simmer with the lid on.
  5. Add in the shredded chicken once the vegetables soften and the red lentils plump.
  6. The mixture may look liquidy but will continue to thicken as it sits. Adjust the liquid here if needed, and serve.
6 image collage to show how to make the recipe

Tips for making the recipe

  1. Don’t swap red lentils for green lentils. The texture of red lentils breaks down much faster and more easily than that of green lentils. So it creates a thick consistency that you won’t be able to match with green lentils.
  2. Fry the spices with the onions. The spice combination in this soup is everything and truly so aromatic. To release their best flavor though, make sure to toast them with the oil and onions.
  3. Keep it vegan and skip the chicken. I often make this soup without the chicken and it’s still incredibly hearty, filling and delicious. You can add ¼ cup more lentils or add up to 2 cups of chopped vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms or cabbage
  4. Allow the soup to rest for best consistency. It may seem too liquidy at first, but the lentils will continue to absorb the liquid as it sets so keep in mind that it will get thicker over time.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the best chicken to use?

For ease and convenience, you can buy pre shredded chicken or use a rotisserie chicken. You can also bake a couple of chicken breasts in the oven, shred them with two forks and stir that in. I make mine chicken by making chicken broth using chicken breasts

Can you make this soup with green lentils?

I like to use red lentils in this chicken soup because they have a quicker cook time. Green lentils will take longer to soften, so increase the cooking time by around 20 minutes. Green lentils hold their shape more when cooked, so the texture will be slightly different. It will still taste delicious though!

Can you make it ahead of time?

Yes! This lentil soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 3 months. Frozen soup should be thawed in the fridge overnight, then you can reheat it gently on the stovetop to serve.

Close up of one bowl of red lentil soup garnished with cilantro

This hearty red lentil chicken soup is sure to warm you up from the inside out! Quick and easy to make in one pot, it’s a hearty and filling meal the whole family will love!

More healthy soup recipes:

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Red Lentil Chicken Soup recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

Red Lentil Chicken Soup

This hearty, healthy and filling red lentil chicken soup is ready to serve in 30 minutes. Perfectly spiced and loaded with flavor and protein
5 from 136 votes
Servings 6 servings
Course Soup
Calories 285
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic clove minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup dry red lentils
  • 2 large carrots sliced
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • Cilantro for serving

Instructions

  • In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions; cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, one more minute.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper and cook until the spices are fragrant, and everything is well coated in the paste, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the lentils, carrots and chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer until the lentils and carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.
  • Stir in the shredded chicken and serve with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last around 4 days in the fridge.
Freezing Instructions: You can also freeze the soup in for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing it individual portions but easier thawing. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and and microwave until heated through or reheat on the stovetop.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However you can add in more vegetables if you like and omit the chicken to make this soup vegan.

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 1170mg, Potassium: 783mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 3806IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Soup

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Comments

  1. Followed the recipe as best I could, (had to cook chicken bits to add, no cicken broth, used stock cubes, missed out the salt).
    turn out so well and made so much, had my fill (twice 🙂 ) and froze the rest.
    easy and cheap. added to my batch cooking list ( Cooking 4 1).

  2. Oh man, this is going into permanent rotation! Amazing flavors and quite easy to prepare. I added a little chilli for some heat too.

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