High-Protein Soup Recipes for Weight Loss: A Comprehensive Guide

Protein is essential for weight loss, and incorporating high-protein soups into your diet is an easy and delicious way to boost your intake. These soups not only keep you feeling fuller for longer but also provide essential nutrients and fiber. By reducing the hunger hormone ghrelin and increasing satiety hormones like GLP-1, high-protein meals naturally curb your appetite. Here are several soup recipes packed with protein, fiber, and other beneficial nutrients, making them excellent additions to any weight loss plan.

Benefits of High-Protein Soup for Weight Loss

Consuming high-protein soups can significantly aid weight loss efforts. Protein helps maintain satiety, reducing the urge to snack between meals. These soups are also often rich in fiber and essential nutrients, contributing to overall health.

Featured High-Protein Soup Recipes

High-Protein Chicken Noodle Soup

This classic soup is reimagined with lean chicken, whole grain noodles, and a medley of colorful vegetables. It’s a comforting and nutritious option that supports weight loss.

Heart-Healthy Turkey Soup

Lean turkey combines with vibrant vegetables and aromatic spices in this hearty soup, providing a satisfying and nutritious meal.

Santa Fe Chicken Soup

This soup features lean chicken, black beans, corn, and zesty spices, offering a flavorful and protein-rich meal that’s both satisfying and nutritious.

Read also: High-Fiber Diet for Better Health

Beef Pho with Rice Noodles

Experience the aromatic flavors of beef pho, where tender beef and fresh herbs come together with rice noodles for a delightful culinary experience.

Healthy Chicken Posole

A blend of lean chicken, hominy, and spices creates a nourishing and satisfying twist on a classic favorite.

Heart-Healthy Clam Chowder

Enjoy the creamy goodness of clam chowder, featuring tender clams, fresh thyme, and turkey bacon.

Healthy Quinoa Chicken Soup

This soup is brimming with lean chicken, protein-packed quinoa, and fresh vegetables, offering a wholesome and nutritious meal.

Healthy Lasagna Soup

A delicious twist on a classic dish, this soup features lean ground beef and whole grain noodles simmered in a rich tomato broth with low-fat cheese.

Read also: Delicious High-Fiber Smoothie Recipes

Mussels and Sweet Potato Chowder

This flavorful and unique chowder blends tender mussels with creamy sweet potatoes and spices, creating a rich and satisfying dish.

Heart-Healthy Tuscan White Bean Soup

Protein-rich white beans, vibrant vegetables, and aromatic herbs combine in this comforting and nutritious soup.

Heart-Healthy Lentil Soup

A wholesome medley of protein-rich lentils, tender vegetables, and aromatic spices makes this soup a hearty and nutritious choice.

Black Bean Soup

This deliciously hearty soup features protein-rich black beans and spices, offering a satisfying and comforting meal.

High Protein Taco Soup

This cool-weather favorite is perfect for meal prep and easy to make in bulk. The recipe calls for 96% lean ground beef, but you could also use ground turkey or chicken. For optimal flavor, ensure the pot is hot before browning the protein. Pat the ground meat dry to promote browning, and avoid crowding the pot. The soup includes pinto beans, black beans, whole kernel corn, stewed tomatoes, and RO-TEL, all undrained for maximum flavor and nutrition. Customize the recipe by adding onions, peppers, cauliflower, or broccoli. Frozen vegetables can be used, but be mindful of the extra water they release. To add creaminess, incorporate fat-free cream cheese or reduced-fat sour cream. Blended low-fat cottage cheese can also be used.

Read also: Explore the pros and cons of a high metabolism diet

Detailed Taco Soup Recipe and Customization

Ingredients and Preparation

The recipe calls for 96% lean ground beef, but you could also use ground turkey or chicken. There’s lots of flavor to be missed by not browning. Make sure the pot or pan is HOT before adding the protein. A hot pan (cast iron helps due to its heat retention properties) ensures you get browning and not boiled meat. Pat the ground meat dry with a paper towel before going in the pot. Moisture prevents browning. Gently press the meat down to create surface area then leave it untouched for at least 3-4 minutes. Don’t crowd the pot or pan. You can brown in batches if you’re having trouble getting adequate browning. You’ll need a can of pinto beans, black beans, whole kernel corn, stewed tomatoes, and RO-TEL or diced tomatoes with green chiles. Everything goes in the soup undrained, both for nutrition info accuracy and a flavorful cooking liquid. If you’d like to switch up the beans, use exclusively diced or stewed tomatoes, or omit the corn, that’s perfectly fine. You really can’t mess up when it comes to make this high protein soup. Taco seasoning and ranch dip mix or seasoning. That’s it. If you wanted to reduce the sodium, you could make your own seasoning blends. My baked beef tacos have a good seasoning blend you could double and combine with homemade ranch seasoning.

Customization and Vegetable Additions

This recipe is extremely customizable. Since nearly all of us need to eat more vegetables, I like to add plenty of onions, peppers, cauliflower, and even broccoli. That may sound crazy, but you’ll never know you’re eating broccoli. For a lower profile veggie, check out my slow cooker chicken taco soup and taco chili recipes, which use frozen chopped spinach that’s super hidden. If you’d rather use fresh, that’s perfectly fine. Either way, you’ll want to add everything and simmer until the veggies are tender. I will mention, however, the frozen vegetables will release quite a bit of water once they’re in the soup. If you’re using fresh and notice your taco soup is too thick, you can add a little water or broth. For a little flavor bonus, add some bay leaves and fresh herbs like in my ground beef vegetable soup recipe and remove before serving.

Creamy Components and Alternatives

Once the veggies are tender and everything has simmered together, it’s time to incorporate the creamy components. The recipe calls for fat free cream cheese, but reduced fat works fine. And since it’s a massive batch of food, you don’t notice the nutrition facts difference per serving as much as you’d think. You can also use reduced fat sour cream in place of fat free Greek yogurt if you’d like. They both add that tanginess we’re after to balance the saltiness of the soup. 2023 Update: Blended low fat cottage cheese is all the rage right now, and I’ve used it to make protein queso and protein macaroni and cheese with great success. Just pop it in a food processor or hit it with a stick blender and reap the benefits! If you’d rather make your high protein taco soup without the creamy components, you could add 2-4 cups of broth or water when adding the canned vegetables in step 2. You can portion this out to fit your meal timing schedule and/or calorie needs. I’ve portioned the recipe into 12 servings that are about one and half cups each. If you wanted larger or smaller, simply multiply the nutrition facts per serving by 12 to get the total nutrition facts for the recipe.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the ground beef before breaking apart and fully cooking.
3. Once the meat is fully cooked, add all the canned ingredients and seasoning packets. Stir to fully combine and bring to a boil.
4. Add the frozen vegetables and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 6-8 minutes. (The soup will be thick but the vegetables will release water as they cook.)
5. Reduce the heat to low or turn off the heat if you're planning to serve immediately.
6. Add the cream cheese and Greek yogurt and stir until evenly incorporated.
7. Serve with cilantro, diced onion and jalapeño, shredded cheese or queso fresco, and tortilla chips, if desired.

Undrained. If you want to drain, you may need to add water or broth.

You can use any combination of frozen vegetables or even fresh vegetables.

Other High-Protein Soup Recipes

Turkey Vegetable Soup Recipe

This healthy soup recipe is very easy to make. Once you get passed all of the chopping, it’s smooth sailing from there - Lol!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
• 2 tsp Garlic, minced
• 2 lbs Ground Turkey (or ground chicken)
• 2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 8 C. Chicken Broth
• 2 C. Carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 C. Celery, chopped
• 1 C. Green Beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 C. Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
• 1.5 C. Cabbage, shredded
• 1 28 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
• 1 14.5 oz Can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 C. Zucchini, cubed

Cooking Instructions

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, add the oil.
2. Once the oil is heated, add the onions and saute until slightly soft and translucent. Then, add the minced garlic and continue to saute 1-2 more minutes.
3. Next, add the ground turkey and cook until it's fully done.
4. Add the seasonings and cook 2-3 more minutes making sure the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the ground turkey.
5. Then, add the broth and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low-medium.
6. First, add the carrots and celery. Let them simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Then, add the green beans, sweet potato, and cabbage. Simmer another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly soft.
8. Lastly, add the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and zucchini. Simmer another 10 minutes or until the zucchini is soft.

Substitutions

You can sub the ground turkey with ground chicken or ground beef.

Additional High-Protein Soup Recipes to Explore

• Vegetarian Chili
• Beef Stew
• Creamy White Bean Tomato Soup
• White Chicken Chili
• Lentil Soup
• Philly Cheesesteak Soup
• Split Pea Soup
• Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Creamy Gochujang White Chicken Chili
• Pozole
• Classic Chili
• Pesto Rice & Bean Soup
• Taco Soup
• Marry Me Chicken Meatball Soup
• One-Pot Greek Chicken Chili
• Tex-Mex Meatball Soup

Tips for Maximizing Protein Intake in Soups

• Choose Lean Meats: Opt for chicken, turkey, fish, or lean cuts of red meat.
• Add Legumes: Incorporate beans, lentils, or chickpeas for plant-based protein.
• Include Dairy or Alternatives: Add Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or plant-based alternatives for extra protein and creaminess.
• Nuts and Seeds: Sprinkle nuts and seeds for added protein and healthy fats.

Nine Healthy, Hearty Soups with at Least 12 Grams of Lean Protein Per Serving

1. White Chicken Chili: This chili recipe is both easy to make and high in protein. It’s full of rotisserie chicken and broth, lime, jalapeño, onion, garlic, and green chiles, with herbs and spices (including cumin, chili powder, and cilantro) for added flavor.
2. Chickpea Stew: For a high-protein vegetarian soup, try this recipe from Healthy Seasonal Recipes. Plant-based protein in the form of chickpeas is combined with stomach-filling veggies like butternut squash, onion, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, and fresh baby spinach.
3. Chicken Sweet Potato Taco Chowder: This recipe provides plenty of protein, thanks to the chicken breast and bone broth collagen. You’ll also find corn, diced tomatoes, green chiles, black beans, and a zesty lineup of spices: garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and paprika.
4. Vegan Red Lentil Soup: You don’t have to follow a vegan diet to enjoy a satisfying vegan soup. Case in point: this spiced red lentil soup from Bakerita.
5. Portuguese Fish Stew: With this 30-minute stew from Feasting at Home, you get to pick and choose the fish and shellfish. Good options include sea bass, halibut, haddock, salmon, scallops, and shrimp.
6. Minestrone Soup: This variation on classic minestrone soup gives a one-two protein punch of ground meat and chickpea pasta.
7. Mediterranean White Bean Soup: Regardless of whether you’re following a heart-healthy Mediterranean-style eating plan, this vegan soup from Feel Good Foodie is sure to please your taste buds.
8. African Peanut Soup: For a healthy variation of a classic West African soup, try this high-protein recipe from Hurry the Food Up. The combination of whole-grain brown rice, peanuts, and peanut butter will ensure that you get the nine essential amino acids you must get from food (since your body cannot produce them itself).
9. Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup: You won’t find any tortillas in this Mexican-inspired, Whole30-friendly dish. But there are tons of savory veggies, like onion, red pepper, green chiles, and jalapeño, as well as herbs and spices.

Quick and Easy Soup Recipes

• Cheat's ramen noodle soup
• Lasagne soup
• Fish soup
• Chicken noodle soup
• Wonton soup
• Lentil soup
• Soup maker broccoli and stilton soup
• Meatball & tomato soup
• Chickpea soup with chunky gremolata
• Chunky Bolognese soup with penne
• Easy soup maker lentil soup
• Easy soup maker roast chicken soup
• Herby broccoli & pea soup
• Spiced carrot & lentil soup
• Vietnamese chicken noodle soup
• Thai noodle soup with salmon
• Winter vegetable & lentil soup
• Soup maker pea & ham soup
• Italian borlotti bean, pumpkin & farro soup
• Chicken & sweetcorn soup
• One-pot Chinese chicken noodle soup
• Creamy curried chicken & rice soup
• Super Greens and Beans Soup

Super Greens and Beans Soup Recipe

This Super Greens and Beans Soup is full of fresh and roasted green vegetables, beans for protein and creamy coconut yogurt for a gut health boost.

Ingredients

• Broccoli
• Olive oil
• Butterbeans
• Peas
• Miso paste
• Coconut yoghurt
• Courgette
• Pepper
• Leek
• Garlic
• Thyme
• Basil
• Coconut milk
• Lemon juice
• Nutritional yeast
• Tahini
• Stock or water

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC and prepare all of the vegetables.
2. Into a large roasting tin: add the broccoli, courgette, pepper, leek, garlic and thyme. Drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing well every 10 minutes (so that the broccoli florets don’t burn), until tender.
3. At the same time: drain and pat dry one tin of the beans and lay out on a roasting tray. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive and some salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until crispy and tender.
4. Meanwhile: thaw the peas, drain the beans and prepare the stock.
5. To make the soup: allow the roasted vegetables to cool down for 20 minutes. Reserve a few small broccoli florets for serving, and keep a few peas to one side. Pour the remaining vegetables into a blender jug with the peas, basil, second tin of drained butterbeans, coconut milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, tahini, miso and stock (or water). Blend until really smooth and creamy, adding more or less liquid as desired.
6. To serve: warm the soup back up in a saucepan and ladle into bowls. Spoon over some coconut yoghurt and top with the broccoli florets, some extra peas and roasted beans, if you like. Add on a drizzle of olive oil, some chilli flakes, extra herbs and grated vegan cheese, if you like.

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