Hearty Chicken and Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (~1.5 cups)
• 1.5 lbs bone-in chicken (thighs or drumsticks work well)
• 1 lb brown or green lentils, rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, to start
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped

Start by Sautéing the Vegetables

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the chopped carrots and onion. Let them cook for ~5-7 minutes, until they’ve softened and the onion is translucent around the edges.

Simmer the Chicken and Lentils

Add the bone-in chicken, rinsed lentils, bay leaves, cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and give it a good stir.

Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for ~40-50 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the chicken is cooked through and the lentils are tender.

Shred the Chicken and Finish the Soup

Carefully take the chicken out of the soup and set it on a cutting board to cool for a few minutes.

Once it’s cool enough to handle, shred the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones.

Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir in the chopped fresh dill. Let it cook for just another minute to let the dill’s flavor bloom without disappearing. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Remember to remove the bay leaves before serving.

Hearty Chicken and Lentil Soup

Simmering bone-in chicken with the lentils creates a rich soup base while the main components cook. Use brown or green lentils; they hold their shape, unlike red lentils which tend to turn to mush.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots chopped
• 1 large yellow onion ~1.5 cups, chopped
• 1.5 lbs bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks work well
• 1 lb brown or green lentils rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt to start
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup fresh dill chopped

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Sauté carrots and onion 5-7 minutes until softened.
• Add chicken, lentils, bay leaves, cumin, salt, pepper, and broth.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 40-50 minutes until chicken is cooked and lentils are tender.
• Remove chicken, let cool slightly, then shred meat from bones.
• Return shredded chicken to pot, stir in dill.
• Cook 1 minute more.
• Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes

Taste and adjust salt as needed.