How to Make Chicken Lentil Soup
- Cook the veggies. Begin by cooking the onion, carrots, ginger, and garlic with olive oil in a large pot on the stovetop on medium-high heat until tender.
- Add the lentils and spices. When the veggies are tender, add the lentils and spices, and stir until well combined, the lentils are well coated, and the spices are toasted and fragrant.
- Add the broth and coconut milk. Cover the lentils and veggies with chicken broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil.
- Add the chicken and cook the soup. Add the raw chicken breasts to the soup, ensuring that they are completely submerged in the liquid, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, and the chicken is cooked through.
- Shred the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and shred it into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the green. Return the shredded chicken to the soup along with the kale and cook for a few more minutes until the kale is wilted and everything is well combined.
- Taste and serve. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper as needed and then serve warm with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
Nutrition Tip
The use of full-fat coconut milk in this chicken and lentil soup ensures that it has a rich and creamy texture; however, it does make it a little higher in calories per serving. If you’d prefer to reduce the calorie content to support a calorie deficit, simply use light coconut milk instead.
Tips for the Best Chicken Lentil Soup
- Give the vegetables time. Ensure that the onion and carrots are well coated in oil and softened before adding any other ingredients. This ensures you keep the flavor and provides a bit of sweetness to the broth.
- Toast the spices until fragrant. Give your curry powder and turmeric a bit of time before adding the broth. This brings out their full flavor and aroma, which will be transferred to the soup.
- Use full-fat coconut milk. While you can use any style of coconut milk in this soup, full-fat coconut milk will provide the creamiest texture.
- Use an Indian curry powder. Curry powder is a mix of spices, and a wide variety of curry powders are available. The stereotypical yellow blend in grocery stores is designed to mimic the flavors of Indian cooking, which is recommended for this chicken lentil soup; however, Jamaican, Japanese, and Thai curry powders are available as well.
- Use leftover chicken. If you want to save time, use leftover rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken. Simply add the shredded chicken to the soup once the lentils are cooked.
