Chicken Lentil Soup is a practical one-pot dinner with tender chicken thighs, earthy lentils, sweet vegetables, and fresh greens in a savory broth. Browning the chicken first builds flavor, while the lentils simmer directly in the same pot and thicken the soup naturally. The result is hearty without being heavy, and the flexible greens make it easy to use kale, chard, or spinach. Set aside about 75 minutes for a generous six-serving meal that keeps well for lunches.
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Why this chicken lentil soup works
This chicken Lentil Soup layers flavor in a useful order. The chicken gets a browned surface before the vegetables go in, and the tomato paste, oregano, garlic, and pepper briefly cook in the flavorful oil. Chicken broth then carries those browned bits into the lentils as they soften. Because the chicken finishes in the broth, it stays moist while adding savory depth.
Choose ordinary brown or green lentils that hold their shape while becoming tender. Sort and rinse them first, since lentils can occasionally contain small bits of debris. The soup should be brothy at the beginning and pleasantly thick by the end. If it becomes too thick while standing, a splash of broth or water brings it back to serving consistency.
How to make chicken lentil soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1 celery rib, finely diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces lentils, sorted, rinsed, and drained
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 5-6 ounces fresh kale, or chard or spinach, washed
Method
Sort the lentils and remove any foreign objects, such as tiny rocks, twigs, misshaped beans, etc. Rinse the lentils with cold water and drain.
Season the chicken thighs on both sides with the salt.
Heat the Olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook another 4-5 minutes to brown on both sides.
Take the pot off the heat. Remove the chicken from the pot and place them on a pan or plate, keep warm. Don’t worry that the chicken is not cooked through, it will finish cooking in the lentil soup.
Place the pot back over medium heat and add the onions carrots and celery. Gently cook the vegetables for 3 minutes, while stirring frequently.
Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and Black Pepper to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
Add the chicken broth, lentils and the reserved chicken thighs (including any juices collected in the pan) back to the pot. Stir well.
“Made the Chicken Lentil Soup with Kale and Tender Chicken tonight and wow — perfect weeknight dinner. Will definitely make again!”
Raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil.
Lower the heat to medium when the broth is at a full boil. Cover the pot and cook the lentils for approximately 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste the lentils to see if they have almost reached the desired tenderness. If they are still a bit hard for your taste, continue cooking them for 10-15 more minutes and taste again. Stir more often as they thicken.
Lower the heat to medium-low (to low). Remove the chicken from the pot and place them on a cutting board or platter.
Add the greens to the soup. Give everything a good stir until they wilt and fit comfortably in the pot. Cover the soup and continue cooking.
Shred the chicken and add it back to the soup.
Continue cooking 2-3 minutes until the chicken is heated through (or until the lentils reach the desired consistency). Stir often to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Taste the lentils and add salt if needed. As a reference, didn’t add any extra salt to ours.
Sort, rinse, and drain the lentils. Season the chicken thighs with salt. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; when hot but not smoking, brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side. It does not need to be cooked through yet. Transfer it to a plate and keep it warm.
Return the pot to medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, cooking for 3 minutes while stirring. Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and black pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly so the garlic does not scorch.
Add the broth, lentils, chicken, and any juices from the plate. Stir, raise the heat, and bring the broth to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the lentils; if they are still firm, cook another 10-15 minutes, stirring more frequently as the soup thickens.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, add the greens, and stir until they wilt into the soup. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is hot and the lentils are tender. Taste and add salt only if needed.
Serving ideas
Serve this soup in warm bowls with a slice of crusty bread for dipping. It also works over a small scoop of white rice when you want a more substantial bowl. For a weeknight use case, make it on Sunday and portion it into containers for several lunches; the lentils make the broth satisfying without needing a separate side dish.
“New family favorite! This Chicken Lentil Soup with Kale and Tender Chicken was so flavorful and ridiculously easy. Crowd-pleaser for sure.”
Tips and an optional variation
For the best texture, stir more often during the final cooking stage and watch the bottom once the lentils begin to soften. The vegetables should be tender, the lentils creamy at the center but not collapsed, and the chicken easy to shred. If the broth tastes flat, check salt before adding anything else.
Optional variation: replace the kale with an equal amount of washed chard or spinach. Spinach wilts faster, so add it only during the final few minutes. This changes the greens, not the primary recipe’s chicken-and-lentil base.
Storage and reheating
Cool leftovers promptly, then refrigerate them in covered containers for up to four days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring once or twice. Lentils absorb broth as they sit, so loosen each portion with a little water or broth before reheating. Warm only the amount you plan to eat.
Search questions about chicken lentil soup
Can chicken lentil soup be a complete meal?
Yes. It combines chicken, lentils, vegetables, greens, and broth in one bowl. Bread or rice is optional.
How do you know lentils are done?
They should be tender when pressed or tasted, with no hard center, while still retaining enough shape to give the soup texture.
Why is my soup too thick?
Lentils continue absorbing liquid as the soup rests. Stir in warm broth or water until it reaches the consistency you want.
FAQs about chicken lentil soup
Final notes for chicken lentil soup
With one pot, a short list of pantry-friendly ingredients, and greens stirred in at the end, chicken lentil soup turns a simple simmer into a balanced, comforting dinner.
Chicken Lentil Soup with Kale and Tender Chicken
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt plus extra if needed
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and cut into rounds
- 1 rib celery finely diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces lentils sorted, rinsed, and drained
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 5-6 ounces fresh kale washed; chard or spinach may be used
Instructions
Instructions
- Sort the lentils and remove any foreign objects, such as tiny rocks, twigs, misshaped beans, etc. Rinse the lentils with cold water and drain.
- Season the chicken thighs on both sides with the salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook another 4-5 minutes to brown on both sides.
- Take the pot off the heat. Remove the chicken from the pot and place them on a pan or plate, keep warm. Don’t worry that the chicken is not cooked through, it will finish cooking in the lentil soup.
- Place the pot back over medium heat and add the onions carrots and celery. Gently cook the vegetables for 3 minutes, while stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and black pepper to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Add the chicken broth, lentils and the reserved chicken thighs (including any juices collected in the pan) back to the pot. Stir well.
- Raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium when the broth is at a full boil. Cover the pot and cook the lentils for approximately 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste the lentils to see if they have almost reached the desired tenderness. If they are still a bit hard for your taste, continue cooking them for 10-15 more minutes and taste again. Stir more often as they thicken.
- Lower the heat to medium-low (to low). Remove the chicken from the pot and place them on a cutting board or platter.
- Add the greens to the soup. Give everything a good stir until they wilt and fit comfortably in the pot. Cover the soup and continue cooking.
- Shred the chicken and add it back to the soup.
- Continue cooking 2-3 minutes until the chicken is heated through (or until the lentils reach the desired consistency). Stir often to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Taste the lentils and add salt if needed. As a reference, didn’t add any extra salt to ours.
