Chicken Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika (sweet or smoked)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 lb (650 g) chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 can (14 oz /400g) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 lb (250 g) green lentils, rinsed
• 6 cups (1.5 liter) chicken broth
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large pot...: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper and sauté until they become tender and the onions are translucent.

2. 2

   Add the garlic, red chili flakes and cook...: Add the garlic, red chili flakes and cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant.

3. 3

   Stir in the ground cumin, paprika, and dried...: Stir in the ground cumin, paprika, and dried oregano and cook for another minute, stirring often.

4. 4

   Add the chicken to the pot and cook...: Add the chicken to the pot and cook until no longer pink on the outside. Don't worry if it's not fully cooked at this point, it will continue to cook in the soup.

5. 5

   Next, add the diced tomatoes, green lentils and...: Next, add the diced tomatoes, green lentils and chicken broth to the pot. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil.

6. 6

   Once the soup has reached a boil, reduce...: Once the soup has reached a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender and the chicken is cooked through. This should take about 20-30 minutes.

7. 7

   Stir in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro....: Stir in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and serve.