How about a steaming hot bowl of Slow Cooker Chicken Lentil Soup on a chilly day? This soup is easy, healthy, and has 300 calories per serving!
This Slow Cooker Chicken Lentil Soup Recipe is one of our most popular recipes (originally posted January 6, 2016), so I’ve updated it to include a how-to video! Enjoy!
If you love this healthy crockpot soup, you’ll also love: crockpot vegetarian chili, slow cooker thai chicken soup, and slow cooker enchilada soup.
I love my crockpot.
Liiiiike I love it so much that I think I need to buy a few more, because all I ever want to do is have every meal made in my crockpot:
- Breakfast: crockpot pumpkin oatmeal
- Lunch: BBQ chicken salad
- Dinner: slow cooker chicken lentil soup
I mean. There’s just nothing better than a crockpot.
Typically, all you need to do is throw everything together, place it into the slow cooker, and walk away. By the time you’re home for dinner, dinner is ready to go!
Sorry, I’m obsessed.
This recipe in particular is one of my new favorites.
Not only does it taste so, so delicious, it’s also ridiculously healthy!
Lean chicken breasts and protein/fiber filled lentils make up the bulk of this soup, but it’s also full of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and loads of flavorful spices!
This Slow Cooker Chicken Lentil Soup is my dream meal.
It’s easy, it’s healthy, it’s cozy, and it’s packed with flavor.
Ok. It’s Wednesday. Let’s be honest, how is everyone doing on their New Year’s Resolutions? It’s day three (Friday and the weekend totally didn’t count 😉 ), and I’m still doing well! I’ve started my Barre classes again <– another obsession of mine… and Trevor and I are back to working like crazy and eating healthy foods.
On Monday (check out that vegan granola, it’s so addicting), I mentioned that meal prep is how I like to stay on track with healthy eating.
This Slow Cooker Chicken Lentil Soup is p.e.r.f.e.c.t. for that. Make a batch of this on Sunday and have your lunches or dinners ready for the rest of the week. I’d say this recipe makes enough for 8 large servings and guess what?
It’s less than 350 calories per serving with a whopping 32.8 grams of protein!
Mind. Blown.
This soup is full of protein, fiber, and is seriously filling thanks to the chicken and lentils.
This slow cooker chicken lentil soup is also seriously t.a.s.t.y.
I just love the unique texture of lentils combined with tender, shredded chicken, juicy tomatoes, and soft onions. Plus, let’s talk about what makes this soup completely flavorful: the spices.
Slow cooker chicken lentil soup ingredients:
- Lentils (brown or green)
- Chicken breasts
- Diced tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried oregano
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Cumin
- Salt
- Cayenne
- Chicken broth
- Optional toppings: green onions, cilantro, non fat plain greek yogurt
How do I make this chicken and lentil soup recipe?
- Place lentils, chicken, tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices and broth into crockpot.
- Stir to combine, cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
- Shred chicken and serve with optional toppings: green onions, cilantro, and greek yogurt!
It’s kind of crazy how flavorful a dish can be that literally takes you 5 minutes to prep.
If you’re looking for something healthy, something filling, something that makes a t.o.n., and something that is packed with flavor, this slow cooker chicken lentil soup is for YOU!
– Jennifer
What’s your favorite way to use your crockpot? Show me the yummy!
Slow Cooker Chicken Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried lentils
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts*
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
- Cayenne if desired*
- 7 1/2 cups chicken broth
- Green onions for topping
- Cilantro for topping
- non fat plain greek yogurt for topping
Instructions
- Grease crockpot with cooking spray.
- Place all ingredients into crockpot (except green onions, cilantro, and greek yogurt) and stir to combine.
- Cook on HIGH for FOUR hours or LOW for EIGHT hours.
- After the soup is done cooking, remove chicken breasts and shred them using two forks.
- Place chicken back into soup and stir to combine.
- Serve with sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and greek yogurt!
Notes
- I think it really helps this dish. We like spicy, so we used 1 teaspoon of cayenne.
- Nutritional information does not include toppings (green onion, cilantro, greek yogurt)
Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutritional information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Chad Witheridge
Eliminate the extra salt and sub low sodium chicken stock for cardiac patients. 1500 mg per day is the limit.
Lisa Younginer
Hi Jennifer,
I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have found this recipe! I LOVE lentils & was looking for a way to make a decent dish. I love to cook & this easily sky rocketed into my top 10 Favorite Dishes. I added Jalapeno’s & chives to spice it up a bit. I can’t believe how tender the chicken was & shredded perfectly into the soup? The flavors are out of this world.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Lisa
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Yay!! Thank you so much Lisa! 🙂
Nicole Sockwell
I never cooked with dried lentils before, is there anything I need to go to prepare them before putting them in the crockpot?
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Nope! Just dump them straight from the bag 🙂
Laurie
I really wanted to like this soup however I didn’t realize until I was 2/3 in to making the soup that it is actually Chicken Lentil Chili and while I like spicey and tomato-ey flavors… I don’t like Chili very much. I actually made chicken bone broth to use for the soup so it is very nourishing… just not my preferred flavors. I am inspired by your recipe presentation and will definitely try your other recipes (which all look delicious) and I know it is my own mistake not to figure out from the ingredients that this is really more of a chicken broth chili than a spicey chicken soup. I probably would have liked it better if I left out the cumin. Just a note for other people who aren’t really Chili fans to consider when making this recipe.
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
If you like spicy chicken soup, you might like this thai chicken soup recipe: https://showmetheyummy.com/slow-cooker-thai-chicken-soup-recipe/ 🙂
Beth Moore
This was sooo good! My kids who are very vocal about their dislike of lentils cleaned their plates! I only had 5 cups of chicken broth on hand, but it worked out perfectly.
Thank you!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
That’s so great to hear, Beth! Thank you!
Dawn
OMG! This soup is way better than I could have imagined! The only Lentil soup I have ever eaten is Progresso! LOL.
I made this and it was amazing. I froze leftovers and they reheated wonderfully! I made it with the cayenne because I like a kick
to my soups. I also added a frozen chopped spinach as a decision at the last minute but changed nothing else. If you want a flavorful, healthy,
comforting soup..you must make this! Thanks so much..I will be looking up recipes on your site and Instagram often in the future! This gets
5 STARS!!!!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
You are so sweet, Dawn! Thank you so much! 🙂
Nathalie Lockhart
I’d really like to make this recipe but i dont have a crockpot! Do you have any suggestions to transfer this recipe to instapot?
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi Nathalie! I can’t guarantee the results, because I haven’t tried making this in the instant pot before, but I would maybe try cutting the chicken into larger bite sized pieces, use the saute function to saute the chicken and veggies for 3-5 minutes in a little oil, then cook on HIGH pressure for 5-8 minutes? I wouldn’t use more than 4 cups of liquid though or your instant pot will be too full. Because of that, I’d also maybe just use 1/2 pound of lentils. You can also check out this video about how to use your instant pot as a slow cooker: https://youtu.be/tf3fQE2BjeI I hope that helps!
Winona
I thought my crockpot was going to be big enough for this recipe but it turns out it wasn’t. I am new to crock pot cooking… i added half the broth… will it be okay?!!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi Winona! I wouldn’t recommend halving the broth. You might just want to cook this on the stove instead in a larger pot!
Donna
Was I supposed to soak the lentils first? Your recipe didn’t say to. But when I attempted to make this today, I placed the slow cooker on high and after 4 hours they were still quite hard, so i let it keep cooking. After another 1/2 hour on high, I had to run out because my grandson was rushed to the ER. So I turmed it down to low. After i returned home 3 hours later they are still not done. That is 4 1/2 hours on high and 3 hours on low.
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi Donna, nope! That doesn’t make sense… hmmm. Are you sure the crockpot was on high? Were your lentils fresh? What kind of lentils did you use? Did you measure the liquid correctly? Something wonky must have happened, because they should absolutely cook in that period of time 🙂 I hope your grandson is ok!
Tracey
Hi! I’m excited to make this recipe this weekend. And even more excited that you give the nutritional info!! I count macros so this is important to me, but was wondering how much is a serving exactly? Is it 2 cups of prepared soup (without the toppings)?
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Toppings are not included in the nutritional information 🙂 I hope you love it! 🙂
Tracey
The question i have is how much is a serving…is it 2 cups, a cup and a half? Etc…
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
I’m not sure, sorry! I’d just divide it into 6 servings cup by cup. 🙂 I’m guessing the serving size would be around 1 1/2 – 2 cups.
Kim
Can you add yellow split peas in to this at all, if so at what point? Thank you 🙂
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Sure! I’d maybe replace all or do half and half with the lentils. Split peas take quite a bit of time to cook, so I’d add them right at the beginning!
Amy Vedder
This was simple and good. The only thing I added, was celery and red pepper in the last hour of cooking. Will definitely make again!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Thanks Amy! So glad you liked this!
Audrey Weinberg
This soup came out super yummy! The only problem is that I probably should have added a bit less chili powder as my kids found it too spicy! But for me, it’s GREAT! I also soaked the lentils overnight – and am happy they still retained their shape! Definitely a soup I’ll make again! Thanks!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi Audrey! Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Amanda
Will green lentils work okay? Or would you treat them the same as red?
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
You could use green! 🙂
Deanna
Is it okay to use red instead of brown lentils? I don’t have a lb of brown maybe half left in my pantry.
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Red lentils don’t hold their shape as well as brown lentils so I would maybe cook the red lentils separately and then stir them into the soup at the end 🙂
Diane
This was some of the most delicious lentil soup I have ever made. I happened to have some kale, so I chopped it up and put it in the bottom of each bowl, then put the hot soup on top. It cooked it perfectly without making it mushy/soft. I also added some sliced, smoked grass-fed beef sausage. This wasn’t necessary at all, but I just happened to have it so…. The recipe, as is, is a winner and our dinner guests loved it. I served it with crostini’s. I am going to make it again very soon. If I could give it 10 stars, I would! Thank you so much 🙂
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi Diane! Wahoo! Thank you so so much!! 🙂
D
What color lentils for this?
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Brown 🙂
Deanna
Is it okay to use red, instead of brown lentils?
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Red lentils don’t hold their shape as well as brown lentils so I would maybe cook the red lentils separately and then stir them into the soup at the end 🙂
knutas
Hi
How is it possible to get servings for 6-8 persons with soup, with only 15 oz of liqiud (tomatoe) and no other liqiud?
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi there! There’s also 7.5 cups of chicken stock 🙂 You can find all the ingredients in the recipe box!
knutas
Ok, thank you. I missed it – english is not my first language.
I will try this recipe!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
You’re so welcome! Enjoy! 🙂
Penny Talbot
Best soup ever! Just made this this morning, ran out of lentils so made up the difference with quinoa, and we like a bit spicy so I added a dollop of siracha.
This is too easy and so delicious.. love that everything just gets thrown in the crockpot. perfect! thanks so much for this one! it’s a keeper!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi Penny! Wahoo! So glad you loved this 🙂 LOVE the addition of Sriracha…we love everything spicy. Glad to hear it works with quinoa, too. 🙂
Kristen
Love this! I got 12 one-cup servings out of this one, 202 calories per cup and virtually no fat. So flavorful and delicious, thank you.
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Yay!! Thank you so much Kristen! 🙂 I’m so happy you loved this.
Roberta
This sounds delicious and will try this recipe next time I’m using crockpot (and when I run out of frozen soups in the freezer). May I suggest adding chipotle with adobe sauce in it for anyone who wants a spicy soup (I usually blend the chipotle with adobe sauce, then freeze it in ziplock bag and when I need some, I just cut it and throw it into soup pot). Thanks for sharing!!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi Roberta! Thank you so much! I bet the chipotle would be yummy. 🙂
Allison
This was fantastic! I never know with slow cooker recipes, but this one did not disappoint. I added the juice of 1 lime at the end and served it with Cholula hot sauce. Perfect for tonight’s sub-zero temps here in Wisconsin!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Thanks so much Allison! LOVE the addition of the Cholula…I’ll take all the heat I can get…it’s freezing here! So glad you loved this. 🙂
Lauren
Hi there,
I noticed you said you were using a 6-quart crock pot. I just got my first crockpot and it’s a 4-quart one. Would you just 2/3 the recipe or do you think it would work in a smaller cooker?
Thanks!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi Lauren! I’d play it safe and 2/3 the recipe! 🙂 Let me know if you need help figuring out the new measurements…I’d be happy to e-mail them to you! 🙂
MJ
Do put the chicken in whole or dice it ?
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi MJ! You put the chicken breasts in whole. 🙂
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat
I am loving this soup! I think lentils are awesome cause they actually do fill you up but without any fat! Pass some more my way!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Thanks so much Shelby! 🙂 I’ve been obsessed with lentils lately!
Angela Billman
Hi Jennifer!
My husband and I love using the crock pot for meals. It’s almost the only way we cook now! Which is why I was so bummed when I woke up to a freezing cold crockpot after a night of “cooking on low.” Another one bites the dust! What kind of crock pot do you use?
Thanks,
Angela
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Hi Angela! Ugh! That is such a bummer. We’ve been going crockpot crazy over here, too! We use this 6 quart hamilton beach crockpot and absolutely love it! It’s super affordable and has always worked perfectly for us! 🙂
Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats
Yessss! I could use a big bowl of this to warm up too! Delicious!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Thanks Julie! I feel like winter has finally arrived, so I’ve been loving crockpot soups lately! Having a bowl right now as we speak. 😉