This healthy Slow Cooker Chicken and Lentil Soup is an easy slow cooker dump recipe. There’s no need to sauté anything, and it tastes delicious!
Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
Making chicken and lentil soup in a slow cooker is a comforting and healthy meal that’s high in fiber and protein. This lentil soup recipe gets it’s flavor from my homemade sofrito which I always have in my freezer! It’s perfect for meal prep since it makes a lot, and it’s versatile. You can adjust the spices according to your preferences or add extra vegetables. If you want an Instant Pot recipe, you will love my Instant Pot Chicken and Lentil Soup, which is slightly different, or try this Chicken Lentil Soup that cooks on the stove.
Lentil Soup Ingredients
- Lentils: Buy green or brown lentils for this recipe.
- Chicken: Trim the fat off six boneless, skinless thighs or use chicken breasts.
- Chicken Broth makes up the base of this lentil soup.
- Tomatoes: Use one can of Rotel diced tomatoes.
- Carrots: Chop a few carrots until you have 1 1/2 cups.
- Sofrito is a popular Latin sauce made of onions, peppers, garlic, and cilantro that’s used to flavor everything from soups and stews to rice and beans. You can make your own with my sofrito recipe and freeze any leftovers in an ice cube tray for future dishes.
- Seasoning: This chicken and lentil soup is anything but bland with turmeric, cumin, adobo seasoning, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Chicken and Lentil Soup
It doesn’t get much simpler than this easy slow cooker chicken and lentil soup recipe—Just 3 steps!
- Throw Everything In: Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker.
- How Long to Cook Lentil Soup in Slow Cooker: Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Final Touches: Shred the chicken with 2 forks, taste the soup, and add more seasoning if needed.
Variations
- Tomatoes: If you don’t have Rotel, use 8 ounces of canned diced tomatoes and a 4-ounce can of green chiles.
- Adobo Seasoning is a Latin spice blend with cumin, coriander, oregano, and more. It’s available at most supermarkets, but you can also use my adobo seasoning recipe to make your own.
- Vegetables: Add other vegetables, like potatoes, celery, or bell peppers, or leafy greens, like spinach or kale.
- Vegetarian Lentil Soup: Omit the chicken. It’ll still be filling with plenty of protein from the lentils.
What to Serve with Chicken and Lentil Soup
- Serve this lentil soup with a simple salad of tomatoes, avocado, and cucumber.
- Eat it with a crusty piece of bread or crackers to soak up the broth.
Storage
This chicken lentil soup recipe is fantastic for meal prep. Refrigerate it for up to 4 days or freeze it in small containers for 3 months. It’s easy to pull out a container for a quick lunch. Thaw it in the fridge, and before reheating, add a splash of water if it’s too thick. Microwave it or warm it on the stove until heated through.
Lentil FAQs
The best part about lentils compared to dry beans is you don’t need to soak them before cooking them. Just add them to the slow cooker with the broth.
Yes, chicken lentil soup is very healthy. This one is packed with so much good stuff:
Protein and B vitamins from the chicken, protein, fiber, folate, and iron from the lentils and
fiber, beta-carotene, and potassium from the carrots
More Lentil Recipes You’ll Love
- Lentil Curry
- Red Lentil Soup with Spinach
- Lentil Salad
- Lentils and Rice with Bacon and Egg
- Creamy Lentil Soup
Slow Cooker Lentil and Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried lentils, green or brown
- 6 (about 24 ounces) boneless skinless chicken thighs, all fat trimmed (or use chicken breast)
- 2 (32 ounces each) cartons chicken broth
- 1 10-oz can Rotel diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, diced
- 1/4 cup sofrito, my recipe
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Adobo seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Dump all the ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours.
- Shred the chicken with 2 forks.
- Adjust salt and seasoning to taste, as needed.
This is probably the best soup I’ve ever made in my life. It’s like crack. I make it over and over and over again!
Lol, thank you!
Stumbled upon this recipe. Very easy very delicious. My family loves it and they are not a huge fan of lentils, after trying it they loved it and asked for more. Also i kept the remaining soup for days in the refrigerator and it was still delicious. Thank you for sharing good recipes.
My family loves this recipe! I add 1/4 cup nutritional yeast to boost the flavor and add nutrients.
Can I leave the chicken out for a vegetarian version?
You can, I also have quite a few vegetarians options- search lentil soup on the site! 🙂
So happy that this recipe showed up on my FB newsfeed! I just made it and it’s delicious! Crockpot recipes are so easy to throw together and perfect for meal prep.
This is my second time making this. It’s so good. I did add spinach this round for extra veg. Whenever I bring it to work, my co-workers drool.
Absolutely delicious!!!
Made this recipe and loved the flavors.. problem, cooked for twelve hours on low to get the lentils soft enough. They were still to crunchy. Maybe soaking first will help🤷♀️
The lentils might have been old. That happened to me before. New package of same type of lentil worked great.
This is amazing! I used bone broth and bought frozen already made sofrito….used rotel with habanero for a nice spicy kick 🙂 thank you for this recipe!!
Can I use store bought Sofrito?
Yes.
Lentils were not soft. Wonder why? The soup was good, I used chicken breast, cooked in slow cooker for 8 hours. Hopefully lentils in the soup will soften overnight in the refrigerator.
I would say leave it longer.
The lentils might have been old. That happened to me before. New package of same type of lentil worked great.
I really liked this soup. Super easy and flavorful. My only change was to add a good squeeze of lime to my bowl, as it seemed to need an acid punch. I would make this gain.
I hate wasting food and this a great way to use that odd carrot or cauliflour leaves, cabbage etc; it all boils down and adds flavour. I like to add barley and various beans too. Can be frozen as it makes so much as long as the thighs are fresh when you start. The only herb I use is time as you don’t see “sofrito” or ” Adobe seasoning” so much here in England. Delicious, nutritious and economical. What a winner.
Excellent and so easy to make! I made it on the stove instead of the slow cooker, but otherwise followed the recipe.
Made this tonight, delicious!!
Absolutely loved this! It was so easy to make and delicious. I will definitely make this again.
what can we use instead of adobo seasoning?
I can’t eat carrots, and I typically use zucchini in its place, but is there another vegetable you would suggest?
Amazing soup! I added nothing and it came out perfectly delicious! 😋
Super easy, and oh, so delicious!
Thanks Jenny!
This was SO GOOD! My husband loves lentil soup and it’s not my favorite but this recipe has changed my mind! So easy to put together. Will definitely be on my slow cooker rotation!
Hi, super excited to try this recipe BUT is it possible to make without the sofrito? It sounds so good but I don’t have the bandwidth to make it by tmrw. Or if there’s something I can substitute for, that would be great to know as well. Appreciate!
You can buy the goya brand premade. Or just saute garlic, onion and cilantro.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Is it okay to use frozen chicken?
Absolutely delicious just the way it is, but I might add some spinach for the next batch.
Absolutely delicious!!
I made this recipe as directed; at the last hour I added a 10oz box of frozen chopped spinach. More vegetables are always a good thing.
Thank you, Gina as always amazing!!
Great recipe and so easy. I always add some spinach during the last few minutes to get all those yummy nutrients. Plus its a great way to use up those big boxes (if I’m not making fish Florentine!)
Can you use red lentils in this?
Yes, you can substitute red lentils in this lentil soup recipe. Just know they cook more quickly than green or brown lentils and tend to break down, so the soup will be creamier and less chunky. If that’s the texture you like, red lentils are a great option!
Delicious and couldn’t be easier! Made it with 24oz chicken breast as I didn’t have thighs. Have since made another batch to have some to freeze for another day.
For years I have been making the chicken lentil soup from One and Done. It’s a family favorite.
This one is even easier and has a very rich flavor. We love it. I freeze individual portions of the homemade soffrito for future batches.
Not sure how Gina improves on perfection but she certainly does!
Thanks Dawn!
This is now one of my Go To recipes for WW! The only way to improve on this recipe is to make it somehow “linkable” to WW app so I don’t have track individual ingredients. That said, thank you Gina for making these recipes available and so delish!
It is linkable to WW! just click the WW button at the top of the recipe! I do this all the time.
This was by far THE BEST Lentil soup ever for depth of flavor. I did it in my slow cooker on high for 4 hours, omitted the chicken and it was phenomenal!!! So far I have not been disappointed in any Skinny Taste recipe as of yet!!! Btw- the minestrone is also a winner!!!!
Thanks Jan!
Forgot to give my review 5 stars!
Another great recipe! I made it vegetarian by using veggie broth and omitting the chicken and it was deeeelish. Added rotisserie chicken to the bowl for my husband. Making the sofrito was a bit time consuming BUT makes a huge amount so the next time I make this soup it will be a breeze.
Honestly this soup is my new favorite. Of all time
Delicious and filling recipe from Skinnytaste, my go-to for meal planning!! I LOVE the new High Protein category and my college aged kids do too! Thanks, Gina! Keep up the great work!
This soup was delicious!! My husband was not excited about lentils but he loved it too. We love carrots so I might add in an extra one next time and I would add some extra chicken too. Made the homemade sofrito, it was so easy & I have extra in the freezer. Can’t wait to make this one again.
Such a delicious, easy and satisfying soup! Will definitely be making this again and again. I also appreciate the emphasis on staple ingredients. I’ve sent it to several friends to make already!
This slow cooker lentil and chicken soup is amazing!!! Made it today during a cold snap in Dallas. The flavors are amazing!!!!
It is a keeper
My husband and I enjoyed this soup very much. I did feel like it could have used a little bit more chicken in it.
Love a yummy and easy cooking dinner, this fit the bill! I did put in 8 chicken thighs, as my college boys like a little heartier soup. And based on other recommendations, I also cooked it for 4 1/2 hours on high. It is a definite do again!!
Definitely will save as a favorite. The soup taste wonderful so full of flavor and so easy to make.
Great flavor and so easy to make. Will definitely make this one often
Hi can potatoes be used instead of carrots
The best lentil soup ever! It’s perfect for this cold weather we’re having!
Thanks Cindy!
What measurements should I use for one serving of your sofrito? I’m only using it for this soup.
Not sure I make a big batch and freeze in ice cuber trays. You can also buy it made if its easier.
Four hours on high isn’t long enough. Lentils end up being a little crunchy after only 4 hours. Also had to double all the spices/seasoning and it still doesn’t seem like enough. Ends up being very heavy on the lentils, so I added additional chicken to break it up.
I had the same experience. I’ve made this before and it was great, but I must have done it on low. Lentils and carrots were both still crunchy after 4 hours which was disappointing.
I’ve made this for my family, and for single friends recovering from illness or injury who appreciated a home-cooked one dish meal with some leftovers that are easily warmed up for a day or two after. It is delicious right out of the slow cooker, and flavors blend nicely when stored in the frig for next time. The adobo seasoning is easy to make, and I froze the sofrito mixture in an ice cube tray to store in freezer for multiple uses. Pairs well with sourdough rolls or cornbread.
Can you make this in the instant pot?
https://www.skinnytaste.com/instant-pot-pressure-cooker-chicken-and/
This is so easy to prepare, with leftovers to freeze I’ve made it a few times and it tastes delicious every time. I cooked it on high and no changes made to the recipe.
SOOO good, bold taste (I did put in more of the sofrito than called for) and it also smells incredible. Absolutely worth it to make the sofrito same day.
I did high at 4.5 hours and everything came out great. Perfect for lunch the next day and I even have some left to freeze.
Served with some toasted pita bread. Will try sometime in the IP on days I’m in a hurry!
I make this on the regular now. I freeze the leftovers in serving size and take it in my lunch a couple days a week. It is one of my favorite soups and it is so easy to make
Great soup! Easy to throw together and made the house smell amazing.
where can i buy sofrito if i dont buy it?
Look in the grocery store in the international foods aisle-Goya makes jarred green and a jarred red sofrito.
Very tasty. I halved the recipe as I’m one person with a small crockpot. I also omitted the sofrito (not a fan of peppers) and used Cajun seasoning as it’s what I had. No complaints.
So delicious and incredibly easy — literally dumped everything in the crock pot and let it simmer all day. I used chicken thighs, and followed one of the other comments using Better Than Bouillon’s Soffrito vs. making my own. This is a keeper!
Made this for dinner tonight and used Gina’s sofrito recipe since I had everything on hand. I will look for Better than Bouillon’s sofrito in stores! the house smells amazing and the family loved it! Thanks Gina!
I thought it was very tasty! Not everything healthy has to taste awful; and this soup proved it. My lentils were still not tender after 4 hours; so may need to allow for extra time. Thanks for the great soup.
What should I do if I only have precooked lentils? Do I put them in toward the end or is it safe to toss them in right at the start?
I’d put them in towards the end – at the 3-hour point if you’re cooking it for 4 hours on high, and at the 7 1/2-hour point if cooking on low for 8 hours. If you put them in at the beginning, they may end up mush.
This has to be the easiest and most delicious meal I have made in a long time. It was a last minute throw together, and I actually used a couple of large tablespoons of “Better than Bouillons” jarred Sofrito that I found at Sprouts. OMG the meal was amazing and will definitely be going on repeat. It also made a ton, so I have two containers in the freezer with some ready to heat and eat when I need an instant meal.
Great soup. Easy, tasty, and makes a lot. I used chicken breast and store bought sofrito. Will definitely make again.
OMG! This is so good! ❤️
Did the recipe as instructed and it is delicious! Well seasoned with a little kick, it is perfect! 😋
This was delicious and so easy. Making it again this weekend!
Super easy and delicious! I added celery but otherwise followed the recipe exactly – used low sodium chicken stock and it was perfect!
I made this with chicken breast and it turned out excellent. Next time I’m going to make it with the chicken thighs, and I think it will be even better.
Can’t wait to try this! Made the sofrito today. Smells amazing already! Thanks Gina!
Easy and delicious! I only had 1 pound of chicken, and it still turned out great. Thank you for the sofrito recipe! I’ll use it in other dishes.
I like to finish lentil soups with a bit of lemon juice for brightness, and could have eaten this soup without it. We ate this with crusty bread and a nice salad.
Thanks for sharing you delicious recipes, Gina!
I made this recipe this morning (as written). Delicious! I cooked it using 4 hours on high.
I feel silly asking, but is there anything we can sub for the sofrito? I can’t eat bell peppers and otherwise the soup sounds amazing!
Love all your recipes and followed to a T since I had frozen sofrito (your recipe). Loved the easy factor, but flavor was lacking. Maybe some cilantro or something to give it a little kick? Edible, but not a favorite as written.
Hi Jen,
I followed this recipe exactly as well, except I only used half the amount of lentils and chicken stock which I feel really made the flavors pop. Alternatively, I would double the amount of sofrito and spices and that would hopefully give the flavor boost you’re looking for
I love to toss things in a crockpot all at once and open it up for dinner 8 hours later. I used about 2+ lbs of chicken breast. And it was gobbled up by my family of 6. Thanks Gina!
Glad everyone enjoyed it!
Wow this soup is fantastic! I put everything in slow cooker set on low. Came home to most delicious smelling house! Everyone loved it.
How would you adapt for instant pot?
Following
https://www.skinnytaste.com/instant-pot-pressure-cooker-chicken-and/
How much chicken broth to put in the lentils soup slow cooker?
64 oz
Can you use store bought sofrito?
We’re inundated with Lentils & grits having moved to SC great to finally find a recipe to move stuff out of the pantry yet there’s got to be so many more on both fronts thats not another casserole we’re empty nesters flavorful quick easy no leftovers (not raised with casseroles heats up house in summertime).
This was pretty good. I doubled the seasonings. I don’t know if my brown lentils are just “too old” or what, but even after 8 hours on low and then moving it to the stove and boiling for almost an hour, they were still crunchy. Which I wasn’t a fan of. I know brown lentils are typically more firm, but I feel like they should have gotten softer at some point. So I think I’ll get news ones and try again or just get a different kind.
It’s possible they were old? Mine cooked perfect
Can this be made with black (beluga) lentils?
We got in late last night from a wonderfully warm cruise in the Caribbean to below freezing temps here at home. This morning, facing an empty refrigerator, I wanted warm comfort food. Having just gotten this recipe in my email, I pulled out frozen chicken, frozen broth, frozen pernil, and the rest of the ingredients from the pantry…threw them all into my MultiCooker for 30 min. and voilà! THE MOST DELICIOUS SOUP EVER!!! This recipe has moved to the top of my comfort food favorites 😋😋😋😋
Glad you enjoyed it! Hope you had a great cruise!
What can be substituted for Tomatoes?
This looks amazing!…….Any substitution ideas for someone who cannot have red/green (basically any type of) peppers?
perhaps make the sofrito without?