This One-Pot Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup is cozy, hearty, filling and bright. It comes together in under 45 minutes with simple ingredients (lentils, stock, Chard, lemon).
This recipe is adapted from my mother’s traditional Middle Eastern Lentil and Chard soup. Enjoy it on its own for lunch, as a starter with one of my Mediterranean Main Dishes, with some lovely Homemade Same-Day Focaccia or sourdough bread.
Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup: Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings
4 Generous Bowls
Calories*
392 kcal
Difficulty
Easy
Main Ingredients
Lentils, Swiss chard, chicken or vegetable stock, onion, garlic, ground cumin, and lemons.
Technique
Sautéing aromatics, boiling lentils, adding the greens and seasoning the soup.
*Calories are estimated
Summarize & Save this on
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s incredibly easy to make. One pot, straightforward steps, and mostly pantry staples make this a low-effort, high-reward kind of meal.
- Perfect for cool-weather cooking. Lentils and hearty Swiss chard make this ideal for fall and winter, but the lemon keeps it fresh enough for spring.
- Tested and Works: Groceries can be expensive! All my Soup Recipes are tested by me, my team or recipe testers before posting.
Ingredients
This is a very straightforward recipe that uses pantry staples and a handful of fresh ingredients. Here is what you will need:
- Brown or Green Lentils: This is the hearty backbone of this soup. I prefer using brown lentils. Avoid red lentils here, as they break down too much. If you only have red lentils, try my Turkish Red Lentil Soup instead.
- Ground Spices: I am using ground cumin, which brings an earthy flavor to the soup. You could substitute ground coriander for a slightly different flavor profile. The cumin complements the chard and lemon quite well, but it can be overpowering for some people. That’s why the recipe only has 1 teaspoon of it. Feel free to use more or less.
- Low-Sodium Vegetable or Chicken Stock: When I make soup, I prefer to use a low-sodium stock. It gives me more control over how much salt I need to add to the soup. You can totally use store-bought stock, broth or bouillon cubes. Or if you want, you can try to make my Middle Eastern Style Chicken Broth recipe and use it as the base for the soup.
- Swiss Chard: Chard is such an underrated vegetable. It is available year-round and can be used in so many ways. You can use green chard, red chard or rainbow chard. You can substitute spinach if that’s what you have access to instead.
- Lemons: Freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens up the soup, contrasting the earthy flavors of chard and cumin. It’s a must. Use as much or as little as you like, but traditionally, this soup should be quite lemony.
- Fresh Herbs: I like fresh dill for an herbal finish. My mother never added dill, but there’s something special about a final pop of freshness. You can use chopped fresh parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro) here instead.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Lentil & Swiss Chard Soup with Lemon Recipe
Step 1. Build the Base. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook with a wooden spoon until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Stir the minced garlic cloves and cumin into the cooked onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes, just until fragrant.
Step 2. Cook the Lentils. Add the lentils and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not mushy.
Step 3. Add the Greens. Stir in the chopped Swiss chard and cook for about 5 minutes, until wilted and tender.
Step 4. Finish with Lemon. Add the lemon juice and give the soup a good stir. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or more lemon juice if you like things extra bright.
Step 5. Serve. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with chopped fresh dill and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges.
Pairing and Menu Ideas
Enjoy this delicious and hearty soup on its own for a light lunch, or as an appetizer course.
Serve it with one of my loaf recipes (No Knead White bread, No Knead Whole Wheat Bread or No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Bread).
It also works well with a cheesy focaccia. Try my Mushroom Cheddar Focaccia, Cherry Tomato Feta Focaccia or Caramelized Onion Gruyere Focaccia.
If you prefer soft dinner rolls instead, try my Buttery Dinner Rolls or my Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls.
Expert Tips
- Don’t rush the onions. Give them time to slowly get soft and avoid burning them. We want to extract their sweetness, not add bitterness to the soup from burning.
- Rinse and sort your lentils. Even packaged lentils can have debris. A quick rinse and check ensure a clean, consistent soup. You can also use lentils in salads like my Mediterranean Lentil Salad or Greek Style Lentil Salad.
- Control the texture. You can blend a small portion of the soup in a standard blender (or stick blender) and stir it back in for a creamier texture without adding cream. Totally optional, but delicious.
- Add lemon at the end. This is key. Cooking lemon juice too early dulls its brightness. Always finish with it.
- Other additions: red pepper flakes, lemon zest, bay leaf, a splash of red wine vinegar, or even sweet Italian sausage or meatballs (you can use one of my many meatball recipes: Greek Meatballs, Italian Meatballs without Breadcrumbs or Middle Eastern Beef Kofta).
Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup Recipe FAQs
Yes! In fact, it tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen. Make it up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The lentils will continue to absorb liquid, so you may need to add a splash of stock or water when reheating.
Absolutely. Let it cool completely, then freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop. For the best texture, add a fresh squeeze of lemon after reheating.
Yes. Just use vegetable broth and double-check your garnishes. It’s naturally plant-based and hearty enough without any meat.
Other Soup Recipes
Tomato Recipes
Levantine Recipes
Appetizers
Levantine Recipes
If you make this Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup with Lemon or any other soup recipe on Urban Farm and Kitchen, please take a moment to rate the recipe ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try it.
For more Urban Farm and Kitchen, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, visit the Urban Farm Shop, or subscribe for new posts via email.
One-Pot Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup (with Lots of Lemon)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Small onion (finely diced)
- 2-3 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 cup Brown or green lentils – Rinsed well and picked over for debris
- 6 cups Low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 Bunch Swiss Chard (roughly chopped) – You can use or discard the stems (see note)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt – Start low, you can add more later
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
For Finishing
- 2-3 tablespoon Lemon juice – Use more or less if you prefer
- Garnish with fresh dill and extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Build the Base. Heat 2 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 Small onion (finely diced) and cook with a wooden spoon until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Stir 2-3 Garlic cloves (minced) and 1 teaspoon Ground cumin into the cooked onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes, just until fragrant.
- Cook the Lentils. Add 1 cup Brown or green lentils and 6 cups Low sodium vegetable or chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not mushy.
- Add the Greens. Stir in 1 Bunch Swiss Chard (roughly chopped) and cook for about 5 minutes, until wilted and tender. Season with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon Black pepper to start.
- Finish with Lemon. Off the heat, add 2-3 tablespoon Lemon juice and give the soup a good stir. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or more lemon juice if you like things extra bright.
- Serve. Ladle into soup bowls and Garnish with fresh dill and extra virgin olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Brown or Green Lentils: This is the hearty backbone of this soup. I prefer using brown lentils. Avoid red lentils here, as they break down too much.
- Ground Spices: I am using ground cumin, which brings an earthy flavor to the soup. You could substitute ground coriander for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Low-Sodium Vegetable or Chicken Stock: When I make soup, I prefer to use a low-sodium stock. It gives me more control over how much salt I need to add to the soup. You can totally use store-bought stock, broth or bouillon cubes.
- Swiss Chard: Chard is such an underrated vegetable. It is available year-round and can be used in so many ways. You can use green chard, red chard or rainbow chard. You can substitute spinach if that’s what you have access to instead.
- Lemons: Freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens up the soup, contrasting the earthy flavors of chard and cumin. It’s a must. Use as much or as little as you like, but traditionally, this soup should be quite lemony.
- Rinse and sort your lentils. Even packaged lentils can have debris. A quick rinse and check ensure a clean, consistent soup.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as you go. You can always add salt; you can’t take it out without diluting the soup. And since every stock or broth brand is different, you should taste and adjust as you go.
-
Add lemon at the end. This is key. Cooking lemon juice too early dulls its brightness. Always finish with it.
- Use the chard stems and greens. You can use both the greens and stems in this soup. But do chop the stems more finely as they take longer to cook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
