Filled with tender chicken, red lentils, curry powder, and creamy coconut milk, this chicken lentil soup is a hearty one-pot meal that is high in protein and fiber. This heart-warming and hearty meal is great for lunch, dinner, or an easy meal prep idea.

If you like lentil curry and chicken soup, you are going to love this chicken lentil soup recipe! Not only is this soup full of flavor and color but it’s incredibly easy to make but it’s hearty nature is sure to keep you full for hours to come.
Over the years, I’ve probably made a dozen different variations of this soup. Whether you use chicken breast or chicken thighs, full-fat coconut milk or light coconut milk, mild or spicy curry powder, or kale or spinach, this soup seems to turn out perfectly every single time.
This easy chicken lentil soup recipe makes a hearty and healthy meal that works equally well for lunch or dinner. Whit up a double batch for dinner tonight and you’ll have leftovers for healthy lunches all week long.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy – Made in one pot and ready in under 45 minutes, this lentil soup is simple and fast to make.
- High in Protein – The combination of chicken and lentils makes this soup a protein-packed meal, with over 20 grams of protein per serving.
- Full of Fiber – Filled with carrots, kale, and red lentils, this lentil soup contains 8 grams of fiber per serving.
- Great for Meal Prep – This chicken lentil soup recipe keeps well in the fridge and freezer, which makes it a great make-ahead meal or meal prep idea.

Ingredients for this Chicken Lentil Soup
- Chicken Breasts – To add some lean protein to the soup. If needed, you can also use leftover chicken, cooked chicken thighs, or store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Red Lentils – To add additional vegetarian protein and boost the fiber content of this chicken lentil soup. If you don’t have red lentils, you can use green or brown lentils, however, it will slightly change the texture and flavor of the soup.
- Curry Powder – To add some spice, heat, and flavor. Feel free to use mild curry powder if you don’t like spicy, or hot curry powder if you like things with a kick.
- Turmeric – Ground turmeric enhances the golden color, adds flavor, and provides anti-inflammatory properties. You can use minced or grated fresh turmeric if you prefer.
- Onion, Ginger, and Garlic – Some aromatics for additional flavor. You can use onion powder, ginger powder, or garlic powder if you don’t have fresh, but they will not provide the same depth of flavor.
- Coconut Milk – To provide a curry-like texture and taste to the soup, both full-fat and lite coconut milk will work well. If you’re not a fan of coconut milk, you can use whole milk with a bit of heavy cream instead.
- Chicken Broth – To make the broth and create a deeper flavor. Feel free to use low-sodium chicken broth if you prefer.
- Carrots, Kale, and Cilantro – Some veggies for a boost of fiber and nutrients and a bit of cilantro to serve.
- Olive Oil – To add some healthy fats and cook the veggies.
- Salt and Pepper – To season the soup.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: No adaptations are needed, this soup is gluten-free.
To Make it Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed, this soup is dairy-free.


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.


Red’s 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.

What to Serve with Chicken Lentil Soup
This delicious soup is a balanced meal on its own, complete with protein, fiber, and healthy fat, however, it pairs well with crusty bread, fresh baguette, focaccia, and/or a side salad. You can also serve it with a dollop of yogurt or creme fraiche on top.
Do lentils need to be soaked for chicken lentil soup?
While it is best to rinse lentils before cooking and pick them over to remove any pieces of debris, the lentils do not need to be soaked for chicken lentil soup.
Can I use canned lentils?
I do not recommend using canned lentils in this chicken lentil soup recipe. Not only is it difficult to find canned red lentils, but cooking the lentils in the broth helps to break them down and create a creamy lentil soup.
Can you make chicken lentil soup in a slow cooker?
To make chicken and lentil soup in a slow cooker, add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and simmer the soup on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours until the chicken is cooked. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the slower cooker, place it on a cutting board, and shred it into pieces before returning it to the soup. Stir everything until well combined, season to taste, and serve.
Can you make chicken lentil soup in an instant pot?
To make chicken lentil soup in an Instant Pot, place all the ingredients in an Instant Pot, stir to combine, and cover. Press the “soup” button and cook for 30 minutes until the pressure releases. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred it on a cutting board, then return it to the soup and stir until well incorporated.

Storage + Reheating
To Store: Allow the soup to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To make grab-and-go meals and reheating easier, you can freeze the soup in individual portion-sized containers.
To Reheat: To reheat from the fridge, place the soup in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat and warm for 5 minutes or until heated through. To reheat from frozen, thaw the soup overnight in the fridge and then place the soup in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat and warm for 5 minutes or until heated through. To reheat the soup in the microwave, place thawed soup in a microwave-safe bowl and warm for 1-2 minutes, with 30 additional 30-second increments as needed depending on the strength of your microwave.
More Healthy Soup Recipes:
- Chicken and Rice Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper and Lentil Soup
- Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Soup
- Wild Rice Chicken Mushroom Soup
- Chickpea Chicken Soup
- Turmeric Chicken Stew
- Chicken Peanut Stew

Golden Chicken Lentil Soup
This golden chicken lentil soup is high in protein, rich in fiber, packed full of flavor, and ready in under one hour making it a great weeknight meal! Not to mention, it makes great leftovers and works well for meal prep too.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
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Cook Time: 40 minutes
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Total Time: 45 minutes
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Yield: 6 servings
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Category: Soup
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Method: Stovetop
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Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup red lentils, dry
- 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- 14 oz. can coconut milk
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1″ fresh ginger, grated
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups kale, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh cilantro, to serve
Instructions
- In a large pot heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger, and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender.
- Add lentils, curry powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper, and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in broth and use a spoon or spatula to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot. Add coconut milk and again stir to combine.
- Add raw chicken breasts to the pot, ensuring they are submerged in liquid, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the lentils don’t stick to the bottom of the pot, on a low simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Return shredded chicken to the pot with the chopped kale, stir to combine, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed and serve with fresh cilantro.
Notes
To Use Leftover Chicken: If you’d prefer to use pre-cooked chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken, skip adding the raw chicken breasts in step 4 and only cook the lentils for 15 minutes. While the lentils are cooking, shred the leftover chicken into small pieces and then add the shredded chicken as per step 7.
A hit with the whole family!
This is delicious!! Easy to make, too. I had chicken thighs in the freezer, so I (thawed) used them.
I’m going to serve it over some yummy black rice I have to make it a little more filling. Next time I might add some cut yellow potato to make more of a stew consistency.
Delicious soup! So flavourful and filling. Great family recipe – my kids even like it 🙂
The recipe is easy to make and it’s so good
I haven’t made this yet, but sounds amazing. Quick question….can this be made in a slow cooker? If, so..how long and on high or low?
Yes, there directions to make it in a slow cooker are noted in detail on this page above the recipe card. 🙂
Made this tonight. Super yummy comfort food. Definitely a hit!
I LOVE making this soup
LOVE this one! A winter staple!
May I use yellow lentil instead of red, pls?
Absolutely!
Delicious soup…….perfect when recovering from the flu
So happy you enjoyed it, thanks for sharing!
Will definitely be a winter staple in this house! So good.
This was delicious! The whole family loved it, and we’ll definitely be cooking it again. Thank you!
I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it, thank you so much for sharing!
Great recipe super easy and flavorful. my picker eater (husband) loves it so much he ask for it regularly.
I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed it, thank you so much for sharing!
I made the soup today on a perfect cold day in Florida 🙂 It’s a winner in my book and I will definitely make it again.
So happy you liked it, thanks for sharing!
really loved this stew, will definitely make again!
So happy you liked it! 🙂
If I have cooked shredded chicken and do not have to cook the raw chicken, do I just skip that step? How long do I cook the broth and coconut milk?
Thank you.
Yes! Just combine all of the ingredients, as per the instructions, and cook the soup until the lentils are tender, roughly the same amount of time, then add the cooked and shredded chicken as per the step.
Steph Kay for another win! So delicious – even without the frest ginger (which I didn’t have)! I threw in 1/2 tsp of cinnamon instead. Cheated and used pre-shredded chicken. Easy and fast.
Amazing! So happy you liked them and love the swap and subs – not cheating, just clever cooking. 🙂
Very good.
Everyone loves this soup! I made it for a friend whose husband was in the hospital. She said it was the best soup she’d ever had. My daughter-in-law loves it so much she takes it to her mom who is battling cancer. Such a hearty, healthy, easy to make soup! This is a ‘must try’ recipe. You’ll be hooked!
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Making this for the upmteenth time. It’s delicious! Would it be ok to use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?
I have not tested it, but it could work. They may end up being a little rubbery if you boil them, so you may want to cook them separately (in a pan or baked them, for example) and the shred them instead. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Love this recipe! I make it without the chicken most of the time and it’s just as delish! Thank you!
I’m so happy you like it, thank you so much for sharing!
Could you spinach instead of Kale?
Absolutely!
The recipe is easy to make and it’s so good
Best soup ever! I made it twice in one week. Delicious!
Loved this soup, will be making it.
This is one of our favourite family recipes. It’s really tasty and nutritious.
This soup is amazing! I made it last week for the first time and it was a hit with the whole family. Today, I made 4X the recipe and am freezing for many delicious meals this fall/winter!
I’m so happy the family likes it, thank you so much for sharing!
Made it today. I made it slimming world friendly by cutting out the oil & using Alpro coconut milk as a A choice & It was still absolutely amazing. Will be making this again
I love your soups – just started on low carbs due to being diagnosed as pre diabetic borderline diabetic and researching healthy soups.
Thank you
Loved the soup. It is easy to make and perfect t for a cold night!
So I am just finishing cooking this soup for the first time. I followed the recipe excactly and although it is very good, I think a splash of lime juice and a tsp of honey might give it a little zing without altering the wonderful flavour. Am waiting for my husband to come home to try a taste test….
Thank you for sharing!
This soup was so good that I made another batch after we finished the first one. Lots of flavor!
I make this meal every week I just love it ❤️ this is my favourite meal
This soup was great!! I didn’t have kale so used red chard. I also didn’t have cilantro so just used some parsley.
Made it late at night and ate it the next few days. We added goat cheese to it one meal which made it creamy and more filling with a smaller serving. It will be a regular recipe!!
Love the swaps for red chard and parsley, Barb! hank you for sharing. 🙂
Hello!
Would dry brown lentils work instead? Thank you!
Yes, but you will need to extend the cooking time slightly as they can take longer to cook. 🙂
Okay good to know thank you! I went ahead and got red ones to use anyway. Excited to try this recipe!
Made this last night for supper. Creamy and delicious, very satisfying!
Thank you for sharing, Wendy!
Can I use veg broth?
Absolutely! You can use water too. 🙂
Can i ask what a serving is please. Would that be 1 1/2 cups
The nutrition facts are based on 6 servings, so 1/6 of the recipe. The portion size can be any size you like. 🙂
Another winner, Steph. Such a vibrant & fresh flavour. I’ve made this several times. I used spinach instead of kale sometimes. Prep time for me is more like 30 minutes not 5. 700g of chicken thighs, good quality coconut cream plus 200ml of water were the only tweaks I made.
Divine! This soup is definitely 5 star and is a one pot meal with all the protein from lentils and chicken. I make sure to add extra carrots and have used kale or spinach, both of which are delicious. This is truly a must-keep and frequently made recipe in our household.
This is SO good! I made it in a pressure cooker and only cooked for 20 mins and then added the coconut milk and kale and then let that heat up for about 5 minutes. The lentils almost disappeared but it made the soup thick and creamy. Will for be making this again!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you for sharing, Dottie!
Easy, nutritious and the family loved it!
Thanks for sharing, Dawn!
I made this today with whole chicken drumsticks to add more flavor to the broth from the bones. I also finished it with lime juice and honey for some brightness. It was wonderful! Did not expect to enjoy lentils so much
Those sound like lovely additions, thank you for sharing, Masuma!
This soup is absolutely delicious and full of flavor! Made it exactly as outlined. Thanks for a wonderful, protein and fiber packed recipe. Also, I appreciate you sharing the tips. Will definitely be making this again (and again).
Yay! Thank you so much for sharing, Tracy. 🙂
We love this soup! I’ve made it twice now in a pressure cooker and just did it on high for 15 minutes and did a natural release for 10-15 and everything is cooked well. We leave out the onion and garlic due to dietary restrictions but it is still so flavourful!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, and good tips on the pressure cooker! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This was delicious! I used leftover cooked chicken, and spinach instead of kale. The whole family loved it.
Thanks for sharing, Heather!
can I use yellow lentils instead of red?
Yes 🙂
WE ENJOYED this soup, using leftover chicken instead of raw chicken. I didn’t have any kale or spinach, so substituted a bag a frozen peas. Red lentils are a great time saver and also full of protein.
Thank you so much for sharing, Carol!
Great and healthy recipe. I served this over rice and it perfect.
Thanks for sharing!
This was really good! Thank you for the recipe!
Happy you liked it!