This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

A fragrant chicken soup with leeks is made even more filling with the addition of lentils, potatoes, and a variety of vegetables, resulting in a wholesome and comforting soup.

Rich homemade broth, tender chicken, filling lentils, and fragrant leeks make this a comforting soup recipe perfect for meal prep.

This chicken lentil soup with leeks is such a great chicken soup recipe. It’s fragrant, filling, and so comforting. Perfect for a rainy night! The addition of Aleppo pepper, turmeric, and paprika gives it a wonderful aroma and flavor, while homemade broth makes it irresistibly rich and comforting.

Each spoonful bursts with flavor and texture. This soup doesn’t go easy on vegetables or aromatics, and the lentils and chicken make it so filling and wholesome.

I finish the soup with Greek yogurt, sumac, and parsley. This creamy, bright, herby finish helps accent the richness of the homemade chicken broth.

How to make this chicken lentil soup with leeks

What you need

Homemade broth: I make homemade broth using a whole chicken, water, bay leaves, onion, and garlic. You can always skip this step and use a rotisserie chicken and store-bought chicken stock instead.
Soup aromatics and vegetables: The soup starts with leeks, celery, carrots, potatoes, and garlic.
Soup spices: I season the soup with Aleppo pepper, turmeric, and paprika. You can use crushed red pepper to taste in place of the Aleppo pepper.
Lentils: I use green lentils, but brown or red would also work. The red lentils will be much softer, while brown or green lentils hold their shape well.
Finishing touches: I finish the soup with parsley and lemon juice.
Garnishes: I serve the soup with more parsley, sumac, and Greek yogurt on the side to give the soup a creamy, bright finish.

How to make this chicken lentil soup with leeks

Step 1: If you want to make this soup with homemade chicken broth, start by covering a whole chicken with water. Add bay leaves, a head of garlic, peeled onions, and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours. Carefully remove the chicken and transfer to a bowl and continue simmering the broth rapidly until it reduces to about 8 cups before straining it. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones and shred it or dice it with a knife. If you opt to skip this step, simply use a rotisserie chicken–you’ll need 4 to 5 cups of meat total–and 8 cups of store-bought chicken stock.
Step 2: When you’re ready to make the soup, simply heat oil in a large soup pot. Begin by sautéing the leeks then adding the carrots and celery to the pot. Add the garlic and then the spices and sauté until fragrant.
Step 3: Layer in the potatoes, lentils, and cooked chicken and then cover with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the potatoes and lentils are both tender.
Step 4: Once the soup finishes simmering, turn off the heat and add lemon juice and parsley. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

You’re ready to serve it up! Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with Greek yogurt, minced parsley, and sumac for additional brightness.

Chicken Lentil Soup with Leeks

A fragrant chicken soup with leeks is made even more filling with the addition of lentils, potatoes, and a variety of vegetables, resulting in a wholesome and comforting soup.

No ratings yet

Print Pin

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Inactive time: 3 15

Total Time: 4 15

Servings:

Calories: 464kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken broth:

5 pound whole chicken (giblets reserved for another use)
5 teaspoons kosher salt
10 to 12 cups water
1 head garlic (top cut off)
2 yellow onions (peeled and quartered)
3 bay leaves

Soup:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 leek (white and light green parts only; trimmed and rinsed thoroughly, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced into half-moons)
3 ribs celery (trimmed and diced; leaves minced)
5 carrots (about ¾ pound total, trimmed, peeled, and sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds)
5 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
1½ teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use crushed red pepper to taste)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1¼ pounds gold potatoes (or use white potatoes; peeled and medium-diced)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
½ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
1 cup green lentils (rinsed and picked over)
1 cup parsley (loosely packed and minced; plus more for serving)
1 lemon (juiced; about 2 tablespoons total)

For serving:

Instructions

Make the broth (see Note 1):

Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with 10 to 12 cups of water. Add more if needed to immerse the chicken. Add 5 teaspoons kosher salt, a head of garlic, 2 quartered onions, and 3 bay leaves. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam from the surface of the broth. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 2 hours.
Carefully remove the chicken from the broth using tongs or a large sieve. Transfer it to a bowl. Return the heat on the pot of broth to medium and simmer rapidly for 20 to 30 minutes, until the liquid reduces to approximately 8 cups of broth. It’s okay if you have a little more or a little less. Turn off the heat.
Carefully strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Set aside. Wipe out the pot used for the broth and return it to the stove.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones and shred the meat with your fingers or dice it with a knife. Reserve the carcass for homemade stock. You should have 4 to 5 cups of meat. Set it aside.

Sauté the soup aromatics:

Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the soup pot. Turn the heat to medium. Once hot, add the sliced leek and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the diced celery, minced celery leaves, and carrots. Season with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pot and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the paprika, Aleppo pepper, and turmeric. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring often to coat the aromatics with the spices.

Simmer the soup:

Add the potatoes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and lentils to the pot along with the cooked chicken. Add 8 cups of homemade chicken broth. If you have a little more, you can add it to the pot or reserve it for another use. If you have a little less, supplement with water.
Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are tender. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.

Finish the soup:

Add the minced parsley and lemon juice to the soup and let stand for 5 minutes.

To serve:

Spoon the soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top. Finish with more minced parsley and a sprinkle of sumac if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: If you opt to skip making homemade broth, simply use a whole rotisserie chicken–you’ll need 4 to 5 cups of meat total–and 8 cups of store-bought chicken stock.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @triedandtruerecipes or tag #triedandtruerecipes so I can feature you in my feed!

Chicken Lentil Soup with Leeks

Rich homemade broth, tender chicken, filling lentils, and fragrant leeks make this a comforting soup recipe perfect for meal prep.