Lentil Soup With Chicken

1 tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. boneless, skinless, chicken breast, 1 inch cubed
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chicken broth 99% Fat Free
1-1/4 cup or 14.5 oz. size with juice
1-1/2 cup lentils, rinsed
3 tbsp. parsley, fresh or dried
1-1/2 tsp. oregano, ground
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper, black
1-1/2 cup sweet potato cubed

Dice all the vegetables. Cube the meat into about 1 inch cubes. Heat the oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the meat and cook until brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to bowl. Add the celery, carrots, onions, sweet potato and garlic to the pan. Saute the vegetables for about 4 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot and add the oregano and stir all the ingredients together. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth and water. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add the rinsed lentils. Season the soup with salt and pepper to your taste. Cover and continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 70 minutes. Add more water or chicken broth during the cooking of the soup. When soup is done, stir in the parsley. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Cook for another 5 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. I always need to add more hot water to my soup bowl as the lentils consume the moisture in the soup while cooking. The 3/4 cup size usually is just the vegetables, lentils and chicken. Add water to the soup bowl to the consistency that you want.

Serving Size: 12 - 3/4 cups servings (approximately)