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Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup

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This Mexican-Inspired Chicken Lentil Soup recipe is made with the most delicious zesty flavors, and easy to make in either the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop.

Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup

It’s a cold and rainy day here in Barcelona, and I’m going on day five (oof) of a spring cold, so today seemed like the perfect day for this cozy chicken lentil soup! ♡

This recipe has actually been sitting in my drafts folder for a few months now and I’ve somehow keep forgetting to share it with you — which is a bit crazy because I’ve been making it constantly this winter. With just five or so minutes of prep time, this soup is one of the hands-down easiest recipes in my rotation. And, I might add, one of the tastiest.

If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, you know that I love using a jar of salsa verde to add some major flavor to a pot of soup. And when combined with tender chicken, hearty lentils, plus lots and lots of fresh toppings sprinkled on top, this Mexican-inspired chicken lentil soup is my total idea of zesty, flavorful, healthy comfort food. I love making a big batch and freezing the leftovers for grab-and-go lunches or dinners. And if you also happen to be feeling under the weather, I can vouch that this chicken soup is indeed good for the soul and will warm you right up.

I’ve included instructions below for how to make it in either the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop. So take your pick, and let’s make some lentil soup together.

Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup in the Instant Pot

Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup Ingredients:

To make this Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup recipe, you will need:

  • Chicken: I just used two whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, which I later shredded (or diced, if using the stovetop method) into bite-sized pieces. That said, feel free to use any cut of chicken that you prefer in this soup. Or if you would like to save a step, you can just shred a rotisserie chicken.
  • Onion, garlic and corn: To flavor our broth.
  • Chicken stock: Or vegetable stock, you pick.
  • Salsa verde: Either homemade or store-bought. (Heads up that different brands can vary significantly when it comes to heat, so if you don’t love spicy food, I would recommend adding a little less to start. Then you can always add more if you’d like.)
  • Lentils: I recommend using either green or brown (not black) lentils in this soup, so that they hold their shape. You could also use red lentils, but they will get really soft and mushy.
  • Diced green chiles: 1 small can for flavor.
  • Cumin, salt and pepper: Add these to taste to season the broth.
  • Toppings: The more, the merrier! I recommend adding lots and lots of diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, jalapeño slices, cheese (cotija, queso fresco or Monterrey Jack), or fresh lime wedges. Or, of course, all of them. ;)

Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Salsa Verde

How To Make This Soup:

Super easy! I’ve included full instructions below for how to make this soup in either the Instant Pot (pressure cooker), Crock-Pot (slow cooker) or on the stovetop. Basically, just add all of the ingredients to your pot and cook until the lentils are tender. Then shred the chicken, season the soup, load it up with lots and lots of your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

If you have the time, I would also recommend sautéing the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of oil until softened, before adding the rest of the ingredients. But if you’re in a hurry, no worries, you can just dump everything together in the pot and cook!

Mexican Lentil Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot

Possible Variations:

Want to mix things up with this soup? Feel free to:

  • Use a different protein: This soup would be super delicious with either steak or pork instead of chicken.
  • Make it vegetarian: Or, skip the protein entirely and just add in some extra veggies in its place.
  • Make it smoky: Adding in a chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce (or two) would be delicious.

Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup with Avocado

What To Serve With This Soup:

Looking for some delicious side dishes? Any of these Mexi faves would be delicious served with this soup.

Or as always, feel free to check out our Mexican-inspired recipe archives here on the blog for more inspiration.

Enjoy, everyone!

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Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup

Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 18 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Description

This Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup recipe is made with the most delicious zesty flavors, and easy to make in either the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop.  See note for possible ingredient variations above.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small white onion, chopped
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups (or one 16-ounce jar) salsa verde, homemade or store-bought
  • 2 cups uncooked green or brown lentils
  • 1/2 cup frozen or canned whole-kernel corn
  • 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
  • recommended toppings: diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, jalapeño slices, cheese (cotija, queso fresco or Monterrey Jack), fresh lime wedges

Instructions

Instant Pot Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients to the bowl of your Instant Pot (pressure cooker), and briefly stir the soup to combine.  Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”.  Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, followed by a quick release of the vent.  Remove the lid.
  2. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.  Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  3. Serve warm, garnished with lots of your favorite toppings.  Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Crock-Pot Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients to the bowl of your Crock-Pot (slow cooker), and briefly stir the soup to combine.  Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the lentils are tender.
  2. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.  Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  3. Serve warm, garnished with lots of your favorite toppings.  Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Stovetop Directions:

  1. Dice the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.  Add the chicken and remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low (to continue the simmer), cover, and cook until the lentils are tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  4. Serve warm, garnished with lots of your favorite toppings.  Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

This post contains affiliate links.

Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup Recipe (Instant Pot | Crock-Pot | Stovetop)

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29 comments on “Mexican Chicken Lentil Soup”

  1. Boy, oh, boy! This is so very easy and so very delicious. I did the crock pot method. I halved the recipe, but used 3 frozen chicken breasts and added extra corn and green salsa.

    The chicken literally fell apart when I touched it and required little shredding effort.

    The broth, when done, is incredibly flavorful. I topped it with Monterray Jack cheese, avocado and fresh jalapenos. Next time, I will nix the jalapeno because the green salsa is plenty hot.

    I HIGHLY recommend!






  2. This sounds right up my alley. Thanks for sharing!

  3. Hi !! I made this today in my Instant pot. The flavors are wonderful ! My 4 stars is simply because my came out very thick. I measured everything to the T. Any insight why this happened ? I had to add extra broth to thin it out.
    I’ll make it again for sure.






    • Ginger, lentils are kinda like rice in the way they stuck up all the moisture. Make a note of your need to add more water (1 cup) for next time and you should be very pleased!

  4. My husband and I both loved this recipe. We used a mild salsa verde because my stomach is pretty weak, and it’s still very flavorful. If you have any sort of digestive issues, just make sure that you soak the lentils before you cook them. It will help a ton!

  5. very nice

  6. 10 out of 10, very delicious and will definitely make again.






  7. Thankful for delicious recipes like these that are nutritious and delicious! Super quick and filling. My whole family loves it.






    • I have cooked lentils, should I cut down on the broth since they won’t be soaking up a lot if the liquid?






  8. This is the best soup I’ve eaten. Added an extra cup of stock and sprinkled in a little cayenne. Garnished with green onions, pickled jalapeños and pepper jack cheese. Served with homemade guacamole and chips. Used Whole Foods organic salsa verde. We had it for lunch and dinner yesterday! Dreamed about eating it with a poached egg on top for breakfast.

  9. I have been given a bag of split yellow lentils. Only green, brown and red lentils are mentioned above.
    Will these yellow yield a correct texture for this recipe? This recipe sounds wonderful and perfect for winter with many health benefits. Can’t wait to try it. Thank you!

  10. This is amazing! I used more chicken than called for (3 breasts, about 1.5 lbs) but other than that, followed the recipe exactly. So tasty, will do it again and again. Served with sour cream and lots of avocado–perfect!






  11. I tried this recipe once last year and it was pretty good, but not my favorite. I made it again and added two chipotles in adobo sauce and it was amazing! They added so much flavor to the soup. I will definitely be making this frequently with the addition of the chipotles!






  12. Made this for dinner and cut the recipe in half for me and my hubby. Used a can of pinto beans and a can of corn in place of the chicken – so good! Loved the flavor and easy to come together. Will definitely make again, especially when I have some leftover chicken. Thanka for the recipe!






  13. Ali, this soup is incredible. I used it for my meal prep this week and I’ve never been so excited for my lunch break! I modified it a bit; I used the Creole “holy trinity” of peppers, celery, and onions to make a vegetable stock, and put in fresh jalapenos instead of the diced green chilies. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I’ve already told all of my friends about it!






  14. I’ve made this twice, first time with chicken breasts and this Monday with boneless pork chops. Used a medium salsa and added more spice at the table with hot sauce. Absolutely delicious both times, although I liked it with the pork more. Family added sliced avocado slices and said they were great with it. Light, lush meal or first course.






  15. Made today followed recipe as written, it was really good! We will make again but will make fresh salsa verde and add additional veggies! Great flavors and the best with Greek yogurt and avocado toppings :)

  16. Delicious! Simmered for about 3 hours and lightly mashed the lentils which gave it a thicker, creamy texture. Will be making this soup often, love how healthy it is!






  17. Do you have a sweet and sour receipts?

  18. This recipe is absolutely delicious! This will go into regular rotation in my house. So flavourful and very hearty and filling.






  19. THANK YOU for this recipe!! Turned out sooo delish.
    I only had red lentils in my pantry. And with no chicken thawed and ready to use, went with the leftover shredded Thanksgiving dark meat. Also, only had Macayo’s enchilada sauce, so used that for the salsa verde. Had some homemade pickled serranos in the fridge, no canned chiles.
    Made it in the Instant Pot. Topped with chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, oh, and chopped up an avocado but instead of topping the soup, had it in a toasty tortilla accompanying the soup.
    Thanks for sharing this!






  20. This soup is outstanding!! Definitely a keeper. I used an insta pot and it was perfect!!






  21. Can u provide the calories per serving?

  22. What would you recommend for making this as a preassembled freezer meal for cooking during my maternity leave?

  23. Delicious!! Topped with cheese and avocado and chips to dip, so good!! Spicy but not too spicy. Easy to make. Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe!






  24. This sounds really great! Is the chicken supposed to be pre cooked for the stovetop version? Thanks :)

  25. Loved this soup! I tweaked a little and used a fresh poblano (was already chopping) and a good size can of hominy instead of corn. Did the fun toppings – we all enjoyed. Loved the salsa verde flavors mixed with the chicken stock. I finally found green lentils so used them. Will happily be making this again.
    Used the crockpot – prepped the day before. It did all the work, but I did stir! 😁






  26. Delicious and so filling. Perfect for WW.






  27. This soup is amazing! I used a big can of Las Palmas green enchilada sauce in addition to the broth and used hominy instead of corn. I’ve made several times and even forgot the stupid chicken one time (it was shredded and waiting in the fridge) – no one noticed. I always do I the crock pot and have been using a fresh poblano chili instead of canned. Super easy and amazing flavor. Toppings depend on what I have handy but anything is great on it.