Looking for a budget-friendly, delicious, and nourishing comfort meal? Creamy chicken lentil soup fits the bill!
This recipe uses a lot of pantry staples such as dry lentils, chicken broth, dried herbs and spices, and cashews to make a beautiful meal that costs about $3.25 per serving!
Lentils are such a powerhouse ingredient that provide essential nutrients like fiber, protein, and minerals like iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese. The onions, celery, and carrots in this recipe are also rich in many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which is why this soup is so nutrient packed! I add chicken as well to boost the protein and heartiness of the soup, making it a cozy well rounded meal perfect for cold nights (or any time of year, really). Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that happens to add a delicious warmth to our soup.
Cashew cream is my secret ingredient for creamy and delicious soups that are dairy-free and lighter in saturated fat. There are only 2g of saturated fat in one serving, which, combined with the high fiber content, make this recipe a heart healthy choice!
Creamy Chicken Lentil Soup
This delicious and warming soup combines herbs, lentils, chicken, and veggies in a creamy dairy-free broth. It's delicious, wholesome, budget-friendly, and full of protein and fiber!
Ingredients
Directions
-
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil and wait for a few seconds for it to warm up.
-
Add in your diced onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until everything starts to soften and turn golden brown.
-
In the meantime, mix together your cashews and boiling water in the cup or pitcher of your blender. Let this sit to soak until the soup is almost ready. See notes for alternatives.
-
Next, add your garlic, dried spices, and dried herbs to the pot with the veggies and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
-
Add in your chicken broth, lentils, and bay leaves. Cook covered for about 10 minutes.
-
At this point, add in your diced chicken and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F.
-
When the soup is almost done, blend your cashews with the water in a blender on high for 60 seconds. Add this cashew cream to the soup.
-
Stir it up and taste to see if you need to add additional salt or pepper.
-
Serve and enjoy! Leftovers keep for about 5 days in the fridge. Highly recommend serving this soup with some fresh bread on the side!
Notes
What can I use to subsitute cashew cream in Chicken Lentil Soup?
I love to use blended raw cashews to make cream for my soups because it is neutral in flavor, creamy, and low in saturated fat compared to heavy cream or half-and-half. You can subsitute it with any plant based heavy cream alternative or use dairy options like heavy cream or half-and-half. You can also leave it out if you prefer a clear brothy soup. You may need to add additional broth or water to thin out the soup to your liking.
Can I make this Chicken Lentil Soup vegan or vegetarian?
Yes! It's simple to make this soup vegan/vegetarian. Simply use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and leave out the chicken breast. Alternatively, add in some plant based faux chicken such as Daring brand.
