Chicken, Red Lentil & Lemon Soup

Equipment

• 3 liter / 3 quart pot
• knife
• spoon
• thermometer.

Before you begin

US cup = 240 ml; tablespoon = 15 ml; teaspoon = 5 ml. Use listed gram weights for consistency; weights are raw or dry unless described as cooked or drained.

• Replace vegetable stock with the same volume of low-sodium chicken stock when suitable; this changes vegetarian status and nutrition.

Make it work

• Keep the simmer gentle; a rolling boil toughens delicate proteins. Cool leftover soup in shallow containers.

Ingredients

• 600 g / 21.2 oz Chicken breast, raw, diced
• 140 g / 4.9 oz Red lentils, dry, rinsed
• 300 g / 10.6 oz Carrot, diced
• 120 g / 4.2 oz Onion, finely diced
• 10 g / 0.4 oz Garlic, minced
• 12 g / about 2 5/8 tsp Olive oil
• 1200 ml / about 40.6 US fl oz Low-sodium vegetable stock
• 25 ml / about 1 3/4 Tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 g / about 3/8 tsp Fine salt
• 0.5 g / about 1/4 tsp Black pepper

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare the soup
   Dice the chicken and carrot into 1.5 cm / 5/8 inch pieces. Chop the onion, mince the garlic and rinse the dry red lentils until the water runs mostly clear.
2. Soften the aromatics
   Heat all the oil in a 3 liter / 3 quart pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrot for 5-6 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Simmer the lentils
   Add all the stock and lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook partially covered for 10 minutes, stirring from the bottom.
4. Add the chicken
   Stir in the chicken and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes more. Check several thick pieces reach 74°C / 165°F; the lentils should be soft enough to break apart when pressed.
5. Balance the soup
   Stir in all the lemon juice, salt and pepper. If the soup has become too thick, add a little hot water. Bring back to a simmer, then take off the heat.
6. Serve four bowls
   Stir well to distribute the chicken and lentils, then divide the complete soup into four equal portions.

Cook’s notes

Keep the simmer gentle; a rolling boil toughens delicate proteins. Cool leftover soup in shallow containers.

Storage & reheating

• Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate at 4°C / 40°F or below. Use within 3 days. Reheat cooked leftovers to 74°C / 165°F.

Allergens

Check packaged ingredients for additional allergens and cross-contact.

Approximate nutrition

Per serving: 395 kcal · Protein 44 g · Carbohydrates 36 g · Fat 8 g.

Approximate per serving of the complete recipe. Brands, substitutions, cooking losses and portion sizes affect the figures.