Lentil Soup with Chicken and Vegetables

Name: Lentil Soup with Chicken and Vegetables
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 2 cups diced) (250 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice; 3 medium (250 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces; 3 ribs (150 g) celery ribs, cut into ½-inch pieces; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin; 1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme; 2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves; 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (about 6 thighs); 1½ cups (300 g) brown lentils, rinsed and drained; 6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 2 cups (480 ml) water; 1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 4 cups, packed (120 g) baby spinach, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 1 lemon); ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A hearty one-pot soup of earthy brown lentils, tender shredded chicken thighs, carrots, celery and onion in a savory, lightly spiced broth. Spinach and a squeeze of lemon at the end keep it bright.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: About 10 cups (2.4 L), 6 generous bowls

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 2 cups diced) (250 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
3 medium (250 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 ribs (150 g) celery ribs, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme
2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves
1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (about 6 thighs)
1½ cups (300 g) brown lentils, rinsed and drained
6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups (480 ml) water
1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
4 cups, packed (120 g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 1 lemon)
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

Equipment (6)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) heavy-bottomed soup pot with lid
Fine-mesh sieve
Chef's knife and cutting board
Two forks or tongs for shredding
Instant-read thermometer
Wooden spoon and ladle

Steps

Before you start

Use brown or green lentils. Red lentils collapse into mush and will change the texture.
Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve and pick out any small stones or shriveled lentils. Brown lentils don't need soaking.
Cut the vegetables into similar ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces so they cook evenly.
Low-sodium broth lets you control the salt. Season at the end, since lentils and broth concentrate as they simmer.

1
Prep the ingredients
- Dice the onion, carrots and celery into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces and mince the garlic.
- Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water, picking out any debris, and let them drain.
- Trim any large pieces of fat from the chicken thighs and pat them dry with paper towels.
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Ready when: Vegetables are in even ½-inch pieces and lentils are rinsed with clear draining water.
Tip: Uniform vegetable pieces cook at the same rate, so none turn mushy while others stay hard.
2
Season the chicken
- Sprinkle the chicken thighs on both sides with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.
- Set aside on a plate while you start the vegetables.
3
Sauté the vegetables
- Heat the olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart soup pot over medium heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery with ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent and the edges of the carrots begin to look glossy.
- Don't let them brown.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft; vegetables smell sweet.
Tip: If the vegetables start to brown or stick, lower the heat to medium-low.
4
Bloom garlic and spices
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, cumin and thyme.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, until the tomato paste darkens slightly to a brick red and the garlic smells fragrant.
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Ready when: Tomato paste has darkened and the pot smells fragrant.
Tip: Garlic scorches fast and turns bitter, so keep stirring and move on at 1 minute.
5
Add liquid, lentils, chicken
- Pour in the chicken broth and water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the rinsed lentils, bay leaves and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Nestle the chicken thighs into the liquid so they are submerged.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 8 minutes.
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Ready when: Large bubbles break across the surface of the liquid.
Tip: Skim off any gray foam that rises to the top for a cleaner-tasting broth.
6
Simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup simmers gently, with small bubbles breaking the surface.
- Partially cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar.
- Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the lentils are tender all the way through but still hold their shape and the chicken reaches 175°F (80°C) in the thickest part.
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Ready when: Bite a lentil: it should be creamy and tender with no chalky center. Chicken reads at least 175°F (80°C) and pulls apart easily.
Tip: A hard boil breaks the lentils apart and toughens the chicken; keep it to a gentle simmer. If the soup gets too thick, add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water.
7
Shred the chicken
- Turn the heat to low.
- Use tongs to move the chicken to a cutting board or large plate and fish out the bay leaves.
- Let the chicken cool for 5 minutes, then shred it into bite-size pieces with two forks.
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Ready when: Chicken shreds easily with no pink remaining.
Tip: Keep the soup at the barest simmer or turn off the heat while the chicken cools.
8
Wilt in the spinach
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Add the chopped spinach in two handfuls, stirring after each.
- Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, until the spinach is dark green and wilted and the soup is steaming hot.
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Ready when: Spinach is fully wilted and the soup is steaming.
9
Finish and season
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice and taste.
- Add more salt, ¼ teaspoon at a time, until the flavors taste bright and full.
- Stir in the parsley, if using.
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Ready when: The soup tastes savory and lively, not flat.
Tip: Adding lemon off the heat keeps its fresh flavor. Lentils absorb salt, so always taste before serving.
10
Serve
- Ladle into warm bowls, making sure each gets plenty of chicken, lentils and vegetables.
- Serve hot with crusty bread if you like.
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Tip: The soup thickens as it sits; thin with a splash of hot water or broth if needed.

Good to know

Tips

Don't salt heavily at the start: salting lightly while cooking and adjusting at the end prevents an over-salted soup.
Check lentils for doneness by tasting a few; older lentils can take 10 minutes longer.
For a creamier body, blend 1½ cups of the soup (lentils and broth, no chicken) and stir it back in.
A pinch of red pepper flakes or smoked paprika added with the cumin gives a gentle heat or smoky depth.

Make ahead

Make the soup through step 7 (shredded chicken stirred back in) up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently, then add the spinach, lemon juice and parsley just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: cool and store in airtight containers up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months (freeze without the spinach for best texture). Reheat in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C), adding a splash of water or broth because the lentils thicken the soup as it sits. Thaw frozen soup overnight in the fridge first.

Substitutions

boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Breasts are leaner and cook faster; simmer until 165°F (74°C), about 15–18 minutes, then shred.
brown lentils → green or French green lentils. Use the same amount; French green lentils may need 5 extra minutes and hold their shape even better.
baby spinach → chopped kale (stems removed). Add the kale 8–10 minutes before the end of simmering, since it needs longer to soften.
lemon juice → apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar. Use 1 tablespoon; vinegar is sharper than lemon juice.