Swiss Chard, Chicken, and Red Lentil Soup Recipe
16. Sep, 2009 
7 Comments
This is a cheater chicken soup because you make a quasi chicken stock right in the soup. That helps to give it that homemade flavour without all the fuss. If you wanted to make this vegetarian, omit the chicken and use a vegetable stock, I am sure it would still be delicious.
This soup was very popular in my house, especially because the red lentils and swiss chard turn the soup almost stewy. I really love swiss chard and kale in recipes because they hold so much of their shape and red lentils are my absolute favorite because they cook so quickly and are so good for you.
Swiss Chard, Chicken, and Red Lentil Soup
(serves 2-4)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper
2 chicken legs, bone in, skin removed
1 small handful of fresh thyme sprigs
4 cups water
1 small bunch swiss chard, stems diced small, leaves roughly chopped (about 1/2 chopped leaves)
1/3 cup red lentils, rinsed
1/2 lemon
Heat a soup pot to medium and add olive oil, onion, garlic, and carrot. Stir in curry powder. Sweat for 5 minutes stirring regularly. Sprinkle chicken legs with salt and pepper, push veggies to the side of the pot and add chicken and thyme. Allow chicken to brown a little on both sides, meanwhile continuing to move veggies around. Add water and bring to a simmer.
Simmer gently until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from the pot and add in lentils and swiss chard stems. Meanwhile, shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add back to the soup pot. Simmer for ten more minutes and then add in the swiss chard and cook for another 10 minutes. Squeeze lemon over soup. Taste and add more salt and pepper as necessary. Serve with crusty bread and a salad.
Similar Recipes:
Butternut Squash, Red Lentil and Coconut Soup
Curried Sweet Potato, Spinach and Chicken Soup
Swiss Chard, Beef and Chickpea Soup
Originally started as a way to document and learn to cook, the site chronicles my journey as I learn a few new things, create recipes, and have a disaster or two.
I just love soup, and this looks like it's right up my alley
Yum! Thanks!
Awsome!! That inspired me for tonight's diner. I didn't have any swiss chard and the only chicken I had in the freezer was a plain breast, no bone no skin, but I managed to come up with something similar…It rocked!
L.
Anything with lentils is a winner in my book. Your picture is beautiful!
Anon- I am glad it worked out! You could totally skip the water + chicken and bones step and just use chicken stock and chicken breasts and I bet it would still be good.
Gorgeous colours in this soup. I love the combination of flavours. Just the kind of meal to warm you up as the weather gets chilly.
I made this soup last night, with freezer-burned boneless chicken thighs and wilty chard. It was awesome and totally saved the food from being wasted. And it was really tasty too! I used brown lentils because I couldn't find red (found them this morning at the store, wouldn't you know) and next time I'd put in brown lentils sooner – I think they take longer to cook. Thanks for a great recipe! I'm going to try the kale, sausage, and bean soup next!
Kin – glad you enjoyed it! Yes red lentils cook way faster then standard brown or green lentils (one of the reasons I use them so often). You definitely want to cook them longer!