Chicken and Lentil Soup
Cook time: 50 minutes
A simple, high-protein, high-fiber soup for cold days when you still want to be a muscly boi. Lentils crush the fiber target, lean chicken anchors the protein, and it stays low-fat so you've got budget left for dessert.
NOTES: Green or brown lentils hold their shape better than red — use those. Carrots and celery are optional but add fiber, volume, and flavor for almost no calories, so keep them in. Don't fully cook the chicken when browning; it finishes in the simmer and shreds easily. Salt to taste at the end since broth sodium varies. Reheats great all week and thickens as the lentils absorb liquid — add a splash of broth or water when reheating.
| Whole Dish | Per Serving | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~1,485 | ~370 |
| Protein | ~168g | ~42g |
| Fat | ~23g | ~6g |
| Carbs | ~151g | ~38g |
| Fiber | ~62g | ~15g |
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup dried green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: fresh rosemary, thyme, or parsley
Instructions
- Sauté vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until soft and translucent, ~5 min. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Brown chicken: Add chicken breasts and brown slightly on each side. They don’t need to cook through — just get some color.
- Add lentils and broth: Stir in lentils, then pour in broth. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer: Reduce to low, cover, and simmer ~30 min until lentils are soft and chicken is cooked through.
- Shred: Pull the chicken out, shred with two forks, and return it to the pot.
- Season: Salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh herbs if using.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and eat hot.
Per-Ingredient Macros (Whole Dish)
- 1 lb chicken breast — 500 cal · 110p · 6f · 0c · 0 fiber
- 1 cup dried lentils — 680 cal · 49p · 2f · 116c · 60 fiber
- 1 onion — 45 cal · 1p · 0f · 11c · 2 fiber
- 2 carrots + 2 celery — 80 cal · 2p · 0f · 18c · 5 fiber
- 1 tbsp olive oil — 120 cal · 0p · 14f · 0c · 0 fiber
- 6 cups broth — 60 cal · 6p · 1f · 6c · 0 fiber
Total — ~1,485 cal · 168p · 23f · 151c · ~62 fiber