Cozy Chicken Lentil Soup

Chicken lentil soup is pure comfort in a bowl – warm, hearty, and absolutely soul-satisfying! This easy recipe combines tender red lentils, aromatic spices like smoked paprika and cumin, fresh vegetables, and juicy shredded chicken in a rich, golden broth. Perfect for busy weeknights when you need something nourishing and delicious on the table fast!

Love More Soup Recipes? Try My Cozy Minestrone Soup or this Chicken and Rice Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ready in just 30 minutes – perfect for busy weeknight dinners
• Uses simple pantry staples and ingredients you likely already have
• Naturally thick and creamy thanks to the red lentils breaking down
• Packed with protein and fiber to keep you satisfied
• Freezer-friendly – make a big batch and save some for later

Ingredients You’ll Need

The Basic Stuff:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil (whatever’s cheapest)
• 1 big onion, chopped up (doesn’t have to be perfect)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (or that pre-chopped stuff in a jar)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste (those little cans that cost too much)

Spice Cabinet Raid:

• 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika (regular paprika tastes like nothing)
• 1 teaspoon cumin (probably expired but whatever)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric (makes it pretty)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

The Rest:

• 1 cup red lentils (orange colored ones from the health food aisle)
• 2 big carrots, sliced (thick chunks are fine)
• 6 cups chicken broth (the cheap kind works)
• 2 cups shredded chicken (buy the rotisserie one, don’t be a hero)
• Cilantro if your family doesn’t hate it

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Why These Ingredients Work

Red lentils are magic because they completely fall apart and make everything creamy without adding any dairy. Took me three tries to figure this out because I kept using regular lentils like an idiot. Those stay hard and chunky no matter how long you cook them.

Smoked paprika smells incredible and makes people think you actually know how to cook. Regular paprika just sits there doing nothing. That tomato paste adds something I can’t explain but when I skip it the soup tastes flat and boring. The other spices make your house smell like those fancy restaurants where they bring you bread.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Big pot – biggest one you own
• Sharp knife that doesn’t suck
• Something to stir with
• Measuring stuff
• Spoon for tasting

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Start with the Aromatics

Get your pot hot and dump in the oil. Add the chopped onion and let it cook until it’s soft and golden, maybe 5 minutes. Don’t crank the heat up because burnt onions ruin everything and you’ll have to start over.

Step 2: Add the Garlic

Throw in the garlic and stir for like a minute. Don’t leave it alone or it’ll burn and taste bitter. I learned this making spaghetti sauce and had to order pizza instead.

Step 3: Bloom the Spices

Add the tomato paste and dump in all the spices – paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper. Stir this around for 2 minutes and try not to cough from the spice cloud.

Pro Tip: Don’t skip this even if you’re rushing. This 2 minutes is what makes it taste like you didn’t just dump stuff in a pot. I used to skip it and wonder why my soup sucked.

Step 4: Add Lentils and Broth

Pour in the lentils first, then carrots, then all the broth. Crank the heat up and get it bubbling.

Step 5: Simmer Until Tender

Turn it down so it’s barely bubbling and stick a lid on it. Set timer for 20 minutes and go deal with whatever chaos is happening in your house. The lentils will start dissolving and making it thick.

Step 6: Stir in the Chicken

Add the shredded chicken and stir until it’s hot, couple minutes. If it’s straight from the fridge it might take longer.

Step 7: Final Seasoning

Taste it and add more salt because it probably needs it. Mine always does. Put cilantro on top if people will eat green stuff.

You Must Know

Red lentils only. Not green, not brown, not black – red ones that look orange. They cook different and turn to mush which is exactly what we want. I wasted so much food learning this lesson.

Don’t skip cooking the spices with the tomato paste. Seems like extra work but it’s what makes homemade taste different from canned. Takes 2 minutes and makes all the difference.

Personal Secret: I make double every time and freeze half in old yogurt containers. When soccer practice runs late or I forget about dinner again, I microwave one and look like I planned ahead.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Go easy on salt at first because you can’t fix oversalted soup. My mom tried adding potatoes once and it was still terrible. If it gets thick sitting in the fridge, just add more broth when you heat it up. Sometimes I stir in coconut milk at the end because it makes it fancy and my kids think I’m a good cook.

Buy rotisserie chicken every week. Use it for this, sandwiches, whatever. Cooking your own chicken is too much work and this tastes better anyway.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

I throw in spinach sometimes during the last few minutes because it disappears and adds vegetables. My friend adds bell peppers with the onions which is actually good. If you like spicy add red pepper flakes or a chopped jalapeño.

Make it vegetarian with vegetable broth and no chicken. Add chickpeas if you want protein or just eat it with grilled cheese. I’ve thrown in random vegetables that were going bad – zucchini, extra carrots, whatever needs to be used up.

Make-Ahead Options

Perfect for Sunday meal prep if you’re one of those organized people. Keeps in the fridge for days and tastes better after sitting overnight. Everything blends together and it’s less watery.

Freezes great for months but gets really thick when you thaw it. Just add broth or water when heating up. I use freezer bags laid flat because they stack better and thaw faster than containers.

What to Serve With Chicken Lentil Soup

My kids want grilled cheese every time. I use whatever bread and cheese we have. Sometimes I put out crackers or that bakery bread if I went to the good grocery store.

Greek yogurt on top is good and cools it down if you made it too spicy. I put out hot sauce and cheese so everyone can fix it how they want. It’s filling enough by itself so I don’t stress about sides unless I’m trying to impress someone.

Allergy Information

No dairy, eggs, or nuts. Check your broth label for gluten if that matters to you. Make it vegetarian with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Add chickpeas or more vegetables if you want it more filling without meat.

Storage & Reheating

Keeps in the fridge for like a week in whatever containers you have. Gets thick when cold so add liquid when reheating. I heat it on the stove stirring occasionally or microwave in 30 second chunks stirring between.

Frozen soup needs to thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat like normal leftovers. Always needs more liquid after freezing so don’t be surprised when you have to add a bunch of broth.

Emily’s Kitchen Secret: Always have one container in the freezer for dinner emergencies. When everything goes wrong I microwave it while yelling at kids to do homework and feel like I have my act together. Better than drive-through and cheaper too.

FAQs

Can I use other lentils?

Nope. Red lentils cook fast and turn to mush which makes it creamy. Other lentils stay whole and you get chunky soup instead. Learned this the expensive way.

My soup is too thick help?

Happens every time because lentils keep absorbing liquid after you turn off heat. Add more broth or water until it looks right. Taste after because you might need more salt.

Slow cooker work?

My sister does it. Cooks onions and spices on stove first then dumps everything in crockpot for 4 hours on low. Adds chicken last hour so it doesn’t get gross.

Make it spicier how?

Red pepper flakes with other spices or chop jalapeño with onions. Start small because you can’t take it back. My kids cry if there’s any heat so I keep hot sauce on table.

No rotisserie chicken?

Use any leftover cooked chicken or cook raw chicken right in the soup. Add raw chicken with lentils and cook full 20 minutes then shred with forks right in pot.

💬 Made this soup? Tell me in the comments! Love hearing about other people’s kitchen disasters that turned into wins.