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Lemony chicken and lentil soup

7
3
3
SmartPoints® value per serving
Total Time
5 hr 28 min
Prep
8 min
Cook
5 hr 20 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Hearty and filling, this soup involves minimal preparation before going into the slow cooker. Dry lentils, which don’t require soaking like dried beans, are a filling, healthy addition. A note for buying lentils: brown or green lentils hold their shape better and will give the soup more texture, while red, orange, or yellow lentils dissolve as they cook, creating a smoother soup. Choose whichever variety you like. The lemon, spinach, and dill are fresh last-minute additions that add color and a boost of flavor. To quickly thaw the spinach before adding it to the soup, remove it from the package, place it in a microwavable bowl, and microwave on high for about 3 minutes or until thawed. Then squeeze it dry before adding it to the slow cooker.

Ingredients

Uncooked boneless skinless chicken thigh(s)

1¼ pound(s)

Reduced-sodium chicken broth

5 cup(s)

Dry lentils

1 cup(s)

Uncooked onion(s)

1 medium, chopped

Green pepper(s)

1 medium, seeded and chopped

Garlic clove(s)

2 medium clove(s), minced

Ground coriander

1 tsp

Chopped frozen spinach

10 oz, thawed and squeezed dry

Lemon zest

1 tsp, grated

Fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp

Dill

2 Tbsp, or parsley, fresh, chopped

Instructions

  1. Put the chicken, broth, lentils, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and coriander in a 5–6-quart slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook until the chicken and lentils are tender, 4–5 hours on high or 8–10 hours on low.
  2. Lift the chicken from the soup and set aside until cool enough to handle. Pull the chicken from the bones, then tear or cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
  3. Meanwhile, add the spinach, lemon zest, lemon juice, and dill to the slow cooker. Return the chicken to the pot; cover and cook on high until heated through, about 20 minutes. Yields 2 cups pers serving.