It’s early March, spring is SO close, yet we’re still getting those 30 degree winter days that remind us to be patient. Today we’ve got a delicious comforting bowl of chicken lentil soup for those not-yet-spring days that’s perfect with your favorite crackers crushed on top.
COME ON DON’T ACT LIKE YOU DON’T LOVE THE SALTINES.
Listen up, because this is the kind of soup you can make with minimal ingredients, yet it boasts so much flavor. When I initially made this soup (4 years ago!) I hadn’t grocery shopped in a week and needed to use up whatever was lurking in my fridge…
Carrots! Leftover chicken! Chicken broth! Fresh ginger! Cilantro! Chopped onion!
As I peeked in the pantry, I knew that this soup might be even more delicious than what I hoped for. I found:
Light coconut milk! Garlic! Lentils! Turmeric, cumin, cayenne!
The soup simmered away for about 45 minutes and thickened to golden perfection. It’s beautiful, incredibly flavorful, protein and fiber packed, comforting and full of healthy goodness.
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Ingredients in this chicken lentil soup
As I mentioned, this easy, creamy chicken lentil soup uses simple ingredients and plenty of pantry staples. The turmeric, garlic, cumin and fresh ginger add a delightfully fresh flavor to the dish. The coconut milk brings just the right amount of richness. What else? This soup is incredibly FILLING! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Produce: you’ll need a white onion, carrots, garlic and fresh ginger for the soup. Don’t forget a little olive oil for cooking the veggies down.
- Herbs & spices: this soup gets its golden color and cozy flavor from turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper.
- For the broth: the delicious creaminess comes from a can of light coconut milk and some low sodium chicken broth.
- Protein: this coconut chicken lentil soup packs almost 30g of protein per serving thanks to brown lentils and cooked shredded chicken breast!
The best ways to cook & shred chicken
Because we’re just adding cooked, shredded chicken right into the soup, be sure to get our best methods for cooking chicken here and plenty of ways to shred it here!
Customize your soup
Yes, this chicken lentil soup is easy to customize based on what you have on hand! Here’s what I can recommend:
- Make it vegan/vegetarian: simply swap the chicken for a can of chickpeas and be sure to use a vegetarian broth.
- Add veggies: feel free to stir in some spinach or kale for extra greens.
- Turn up the heat: if you love spice like I do, add a little more cayenne pepper into the soup and feel free to top your bowl with your fav hot sauce!
The key to cooking with lentils
Lentils are an all natural food, so the package may have some dust and dirt in it. Nothing to worry about! Because of the “extras” that come with a bag of lentils, you’ll want to rinse them off and sort out anything that’s not a lentil before cooking with them.
After you’ve rinsed and sorted your lentils you can add them right to the recipe — they’ll cook directly in the broth!
How to make the coziest chicken lentil soup
- Cook the veggies. Start by cooking down the garlic, onion and carrots for a few minutes.
- Add the spices. Stir in the ginger, turmeric, cumin and cayenne pepper, and let the spices cook with the veggies for about 30 seconds.
- Combine the soup. Add in the rest of the soup ingredients: broth, coconut milk, lentils, chicken, salt & pepper. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it uncovered until the lentils are cooked and the soup is nice and thick.
- Taste & serve. Once the soup is done cooking, taste and add any additional spices as needed, then serve with a little cilantro on top!
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: store this chicken lentil soup recipe in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Feel free to reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop!
- To freeze: let the soup completely cool and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container (or multiple containers for meal prep purposes). Freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, first let the soup thaw in the refrigerator, then heat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More healthy soup recipes to try
- Creamy White Bean Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Vegan Coconut Tomato Lentil Soup
- Healing Ginger Coconut Chicken Brown Rice Soup
- One Pot Moroccan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potato & Couscous
- Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup with Mini Turkey Meatballs
Get all of my wonderful soup recipes here!
I hope you love this golden coconut chicken lentil soup! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Golden Coconut Chicken Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small white onion, roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15 oz) can light coconut milk
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed well
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast* (about 3/4 pound)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For garnish: fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large pot and place over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add in garlic, onion and carrots; saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in ginger, turmeric, cumin and cayenne pepper.
- Allow spices to cook with the carrots and onions for 30 seconds then add in chicken broth, coconut milk, lentils, shredded chicken, salt and black pepper.
- Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes until lentils are cooked and soup thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Pour into bowls, or individual containers for meal prep. Soup is wonderful when garnished with cilantro. Serves 4.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen Photography by: Yoga of Cooking
This post was originally published on October 30th, 2018, and republished on March 3rd, 2022.
This was delicious!! I needed to use up leftover coconut milk, after making a recipe last night that used a tiny bit. Thanks to a Google search, here I am. I had everything on hand for this, and am so glad I did. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers. I made it exactly as is, with my only sub being some bone broth instead of straight chicken broth. Delicious!
Amazing! So glad you found this one!
I have left over chicken curry (english version), left over lentil and some stock that needed to be used – so grateful i have found this recipe. I only have coconut cream so am only going to use half a tin… we’ll see…
I’m glad you found it!
I was a little skeptical but this dish was very delicious! More of a stew than a soup. The only thing I did diffently was add the garlic with the spices versus with the vegetables. I also omitted the cayenne and cilantro. I will definitely be making this again. Thinking rice will pair well with this. The warm, buttery, crusty bread we had with this was perfect, too. Thank you. This will be the go to recipe to use up lentils.
So glad you enjoyed! And yes, love this with rice, naan, or bread 🙂
Has anyone tried making it all in the instant pot (searing chicken and cooking that with the soup ingredients)?
Okay I had to reply to my own question because this turned out so good!!!!! I know Monique’s recipes always blow me away but this one was a show stopper!!!!!
I did make it an instant pot and it was perfect! I sautéed the veggies and onions and spices as directed, added the rest of ingredients, then nestled in two frozen chicken breasts. Cooked on high pressure for 20 min and they shredded perfectly! This was a filling and healthy and cozy dinner! Can’t wait for the leftovers
Amazing!! I actually don’t own an Instant Pot, so I’m glad to hear it worked out well. Such a great dinner during the colder months!
The perfect soup to warm you up on freezing winter days!! I could only find green lentils and they worked fine, just took on the longer side to cook (about 40 minutes). So easy to make, too.
Absolutely! Glad you loved it!
Absolutely divine! My family loved this soup! There are no leftovers! I decided to grate the carrots and doubled the cayenne but otherwise I followed the recipe using brown lentils and shredded chicken. This is a new favourite. Merci beaucoup!
Perfect! So happy to hear that 🙂
Can you cook the chicken in the broth the way you do with your healing chicken noodle soup?
sure! let me know if you try it out. it gets pretty thick so that’s why I don’t recommend in the recipe.
Hi! Thanks for a great recipe. Is there any reason not to dump raw chicken breast in the soup and then take out and shred? I find that to be recommended in your other recipes so just curious if it should be specifically avoided here. thank you!
Hi! That will work, too!
What a brilliant recipe. I substituted garam masala for the cumin for a more well-rounded flavour and increased the turmeric a bit but otherwise kept it per the recipe. Or maybe i used green lentils instead of brown – same same. Anyway it was a stunner and is now going to be my standard go-to for leftover roast chicken. I’m in Australia where it’s currently winter and an unusually cold snap with temps around freezing at dinnertime. This was just so hearty and warming. Didn’t even need rice – just had it with veggies and was truly enough.
Amazing! So glad you found this one!
Another great recipe from you! This one is so simple, flavourful and feels so nourishing. I subbed green lentils because that’s what I had and added chopped kale for extra greens. I also had leftover rotisserie chicken that I used instead of just breasts. Will definitely be making this again and again!
Love that! This one’s great for customizing 🙂
So delicious and cozy! The flavors in this pair together amazingly well. My husband actually made this for us tonight and he likes things on the spicy side so doubled the spices. Turned out great!
Love it! Glad you both enjoyed!
This soup is delicious. I made as written with leftover rotisserie chicken, home made chicken broth and coconut cream. This soup is very Flo or full and didn’t need any extras. Thanks!
Perfect! Great idea to use leftover chicken!
This recipe is always on our Fall dinner rotation. It’s so good!
Yay! Happy to hear you’re loving this recipe, such a cozy soup for fall!
Very tasty. I added a half head of cauliflower, was generous with the spices (other than cayenne which I cut so that my kids would eat it) and let the lentils soak while I was chopping up the veggies and herbs. It turned out so well!
This was SO yummy! I was short on time so I decided to to throw it in the instant pot. I first sautéed onions, garlic an spices on ‘saute’ mode then added lentils and veggie broth. I set timer for 10 minutes and did quick release and lentils were PERFECT. After quick release I added the coconut milk and chickpeas and mixed it all together. I did omit salt and red pepper so my 9 month old could eat it, but otherwise followed exactly. I served over rice and it was a HUGE hit for the whole family.
Another stellar AK recipe!
yay! I am so happy to hear this soup came out great and it was a hit! ❤️🙂
I came across this recipe a year or more ago by accident, and it’s become my go-to. My daughters LOVE it, sans spice. So delicious, easy, and filling. I’ve shared it a dozen times probably and I make it whenever I need to bring a meal to someone (new baby, sick friend, etc)
YUM! So glad you are loving this recipe, thank you so much for sharing ❤️
This recipe is perfect as is. I didn’t make any substitutions. I made this for my family when we all had a cold and we all loved it. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! So glad to hear you all enjoyed it 🙂
Obsessed!! Easy, healthy and delicious. I didn’t make any major adjustments other than using full fat coconut milk and green lentils, and it turned out great! Will be making on repeat this fall!
This is my go to easy recipe to serve anyone with short notice. Every single person who has eaten it absolutely loves it! Great flavor, filling and healthy.
I’m SO happy that everyone’s loved this recipe, Judi! Thanks so much for the kind review 🙂
This is probably one of the best soups I have ever made! The flavor is incredible and the soup is so hearty. The fresh ginger is key so don’t skip that step. I wish I doubled the recipe..now I know for next time!
This was amazing. Perfect for a cold, snowy day. All your recipes have become family favorites. My cayenne was very fresh, so next time I may reduce the amount. Thank you and keep ‘em coming!!
Aw thank you, Ann! I’m so happy you’re loving everything. This one’s so cozy, right?? 🙂
Wow! This recipe was amazing. I made it as written. The flavor combination was incredible. Will make again,
I’m so glad to hear that, Sheila! Thank you!
Delicious! My kids were silent at the dinner table, they couldn’t eat it fast enough. I added cilantro, sour cream and avocado for the toppings. Thanks for another successful dinner!
Hahaha I love that!! So glad the whole fam enjoyed it 🙂
An easy, comforting, hearty dish! I absolutely loved this. I added a diced up winter squash along with the veggies and it was perfect. Thank you!
The ingredients seem fine , but wow looks thicker than old pea soup in that picture, unappetizing I have to say. Instead of there being 45 ratings for this soup, there are none. You just invented that!
Wow! I cannot say enough good things about this recipe. The flavours are incredible and it is easy to make. Appreciated being given the baking time and temp for the chicken breasts since I didn’t have pre-shredded chicken. Didn’t make any ingredient substitutions and it was perfection. Family asked for the recipe and I have sent them to your website. Thank you!
Aw I’m so happy to hear this, thank you, Alexandra! Glad that everyone loved it 🙂
I found this recipe and then afterwards I found out I couldn’t have lentils due to FODMAP sensitivities! I have since found out that I can have canned lentils as opposed to dried lentils, so I added the canned lentils and torn kale about half way through simmering (20 mins into 40 mins total) and it is AMAZING! I love love this recipe, this is seriously the best, by far my fav thing to eat at the moment and it is on heavy rotation 😊 I use 3 carrots instead, and add a touch of chicken broth & coconut milk every time I reheat it. Thank you Monique! 🤍
So glad that you could have this!! So happy you enjoyed it so much 🙂
WOW flavor explosion!! This recipe is so nice for the winter time. A good hearty stew for any night of the week 🙂
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Great recipe! Came out wonderul, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed!
I’ve been making this for about two years, and keep coming back to it. So tasty, easy to reheat the next day or to freeze. I’ve added chopped cauliflower, extra carrots and butternut squash to add more veggies. You’ll keep coming back to this one!
This recipe was so flavorful and kept me full for a long time. I used rotisserie chicken that I shredded and this was such an easy meal!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I dream about this soup! It is so easy to make and so, so delicious. I am cooking skinless chicken thighs in the crock pot tonight so I can make this soup to take to my neighbors tomorrow. I love it so much that I’ve shared the recipe over and over again. Thanks for a great, simple, delicious recipe using those often disregarded lentils:)
Perfect! So happy to hear that 🙂
Such a simple recipe and so delicious/filling! I’m trying to get more into cooking and this was a perfect recipe to start with. I also have a very sensitive tummy and this didn’t upset me at all. Thank you for the wonderful recipes! 😃
The perfect dinner! Glad you liked it!
This recipe was delicious and so cozy! I served with a squeeze of lime and sriracha. For the chicken, I used store bought rotisserie chicken and added it close to the end of simmering. Thanks Monique – I will be making this again!
Perfect! So glad you liked it!
Wowowow this is a staple in our house. So hearty and flavorful. I didn’t like lentils until THIS SOUP. Easy, makes a lot, and keeps so well for multiple weekday dinners/lunches.
forgot to rate!
Thank you! This was a fast, easy recipe that I’d be delighted to make again. Our three-year-old wouldn’t try it but the rest of our family of ten (picky eaters included) all had at least one bowl. Success!
I’m glad it was a hit with *almost* everyone! 🙂
This was so delicious!! I ended up doing 2 tsp of kosher salt; and 1/2 tsp (heaping) ground pepper. I also snuck some kale in the recipe, I cooked it down with the vegetables at the beginning! B/c I doubled the recipe I did 3-4ish cups of squished kale. Also, I threw in the bottom half of the cilantro garnish (the finely chopped stalks and the few leafs. Ya know, the leftovers!) into the pot with the kale and vegetables. I liked how the kale gave the dish some greenery, and extra vitamins! Hopefully this helps someone else!! Enjoy!! (I don’t see a way to upload my photo, oh well!!)
Spicy level note! Oops! Forgot to mention that b/c I have a 3.5 yr old I cut the cayenne in half, and noticed it was still a tad spicy at first taste test. That’s when I added the additional 1 tsp kosher salt, which cut the spiciness a tad and made it perfect for us!!
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing 🙂 Glad you loved it!
I adored this soup! Thanks so much for the recipe as soon as I read the title I knew I had to make it. I swapped out carrots for orange and yellow peppers and added a couple chillies for some extra heat and what a treat. Me and my partner finished it in two meals and now I’m craving more already!
Perfect! So glad you both enjoyed!