Description
This Slow Cooker Lentil and Chicken Soup combines hearty lentils with tender chicken thighs and a flavorful blend of spices cooked slowly for a comforting and wholesome meal. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, it’s nutritious and packed with warm, aromatic flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound dried lentils, green or brown
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 24 ounces), all fat trimmed
- 64 ounces chicken broth (2 cartons, 32 ounces each)
- 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups diced carrots
- 1/4 cup sofrito
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Adobo seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Measure out all ingredients and trim any fat from the chicken thighs to keep the soup lean.
- Combine in Slow Cooker: Dump lentils, chicken thighs, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, diced carrots, sofrito, turmeric, cumin, Adobo seasoning, salt, and black pepper into a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir gently to distribute ingredients.
- Cook Soup: Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours until the lentils are tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Shred Chicken: Use two forks to shred the chicken thighs directly in the slow cooker, mixing the shredded meat into the soup evenly.
- Season to Taste: Adjust salt and black pepper as needed to suit your preference before serving.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and serve hot for a nourishing meal.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, omit chicken and use vegetable broth instead.
- Sofrito can be homemade or store-bought; it adds a rich depth of flavor.
- Use chicken breasts as a leaner alternative to thighs but note that cooking time remains the same.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, blend a portion of it before shredding the chicken.
- Leftovers store well and may taste even better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 2/3 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
