A lot of soups are mostly broth and vegetables, which is why you can be hungry again an hour after dinner. These five high protein soup recipes fix that with real food, not powder: chicken breast, lean turkey, eggs, tofu, beans and cottage cheese. Each bowl lands between 19 and 41 g of protein, and every number below is calculated from USDA data, so you know what you’re actually eating.
Soup is having a protein moment in stores too. This summer Campbell’s launched a line of Protein Soups with 20 g of protein per can. That’s a decent number, but a homemade pot gets you there for less money, with less sodium, and most of the soups below beat it.
High protein soup recipes at a glance
| Soup | Protein per bowl | Calories | Fiber | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon chicken orzo with white beans | 41 g | 409 | 6 g | 40 min |
| Egg drop soup with tofu | 41 g | 409 | 3 g | 15 min |
| Turkey taco soup | 31 g | 331 | 8 g | 30 min |
| Creamy tomato soup with cottage cheese | 20 g | 279 | 7 g | 30 min |
| Black bean soup with chopped egg | 19 g | 304 | 14 g | 35 min |
If you only want the most protein for the least effort, make the egg drop soup. If you want one pot that feeds four and reheats well all week, make the lemon chicken orzo.
5 high protein soups to make this fall
1. Lemon chicken orzo soup with white beans
This is the one I’d make first. A full pound of chicken breast plus a can of white beans pushes it past 40 g of protein a bowl, and the lemon keeps it bright instead of heavy. Serves 4.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup dry orzo
- 1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 3 tbsp lemon juice, plus salt, pepper and dried thyme
Method: Soften the onion, carrots and celery in the oil for 6 minutes, add the garlic for 1 minute, then pour in the broth. Add the whole chicken breasts, simmer gently for 15 to 18 minutes until they reach 165°F, then lift them out and shred. Stir the orzo and beans into the pot and cook 8 to 9 minutes. Return the chicken, wilt in the spinach and finish with lemon juice.
Per bowl: 409 calories, 41 g protein, 42 g carbs, 9 g fat, 6 g fiber.
Meal prep tip: orzo keeps drinking broth in the fridge. If you’re packing lunches, cook it separately and add it to each container when you reheat.
2. Egg drop soup with tofu
Fifteen minutes, one pot, and more protein than anything else here per minute of work. Four eggs and a block of firm tofu split between two big bowls make this a full dinner, not a side. Serves 2.
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 7 oz firm tofu, cut in small cubes
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 green onions, sliced
Method: Simmer the broth with the ginger and tamari for 5 minutes. Add the tofu and the cornstarch slurry and stir until the broth turns glossy. Stir the pot in one direction to make a slow whirlpool, then drizzle in the eggs in a thin stream so they set into ribbons. Turn off the heat, add the sesame oil and green onions.
Per bowl: 409 calories, 41 g protein, 15 g carbs, 23 g fat, 3 g fiber. Most of the fat comes from the yolks and tofu; swap two eggs for 1/2 cup egg whites if you want it leaner.
3. Turkey taco soup
Everything you like about taco night, in a bowl that’s lighter than chili. Use 93% lean ground turkey: it browns well and doesn’t leave a pool of fat on top. Serves 4.
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- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 onion and 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 (15-oz) can low-sodium black beans, drained
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato puree
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 green onions, sliced, to serve
Method: Brown the turkey in the oil, breaking it up, about 6 minutes. Add the onion and pepper for 5 minutes, then the garlic and spices for 1 minute. Stir in the beans, tomato puree and broth and simmer 15 minutes. Taste for salt and add a squeeze of lime if you have one.
Per bowl: 331 calories, 31 g protein, 28 g carbs, 12 g fat, 8 g fiber. Toppings like cheese or avocado are not included.
4. Creamy high protein tomato soup
Regular tomato soup is mostly tomatoes and cream. Here, cottage cheese and white beans get blended in, so you get the same velvety texture with about 20 g of protein a bowl. Nobody will guess the cottage cheese once it’s blended. Serves 4.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 (28-oz) can tomato puree
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained
- 1 1/2 cups 2% cottage cheese
- 1 tsp dried basil, salt and pepper
Method: Cook the onion in the oil until soft, about 7 minutes, add the garlic, then the tomato puree, broth, beans and basil. Simmer 15 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, add the cottage cheese and blend until completely smooth. Warm gently; don’t boil it after the cheese goes in.
Per bowl: 279 calories, 20 g protein, 40 g carbs, 7 g fat, 7 g fiber.
5. Black bean soup with chopped egg
The vegetarian pick, and the fiber champion at 14 g a bowl. A chopped hard-boiled egg on top is a classic garnish for black bean soup, and it adds about 6 g of protein per bowl. Serves 4.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion and 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 bay leaf
- 3 (15-oz) cans low-sodium black beans, drained
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Method: Sauté the onion and pepper for 6 minutes, add the garlic and spices, then the beans, broth and bay leaf. Simmer 20 minutes, remove the bay leaf and blend about half the pot so it’s thick but still has whole beans. Stir in the lemon juice and top each bowl with a chopped egg.
Per bowl: 304 calories, 19 g protein, 39 g carbs, 9 g fat, 14 g fiber. For a vegan bowl, skip the egg and top with toasted pumpkin seeds.
How to add protein to any soup
Once you see the pattern, you can turn almost any favorite soup into a high protein soup. These are the moves used above, ranked by how much they add for the effort:
- Add a lean meat directly to the pot. Raw chicken breast has 22.5 g of protein per 100 g, so a pound split four ways adds about 25 g per bowl.
- Use real chicken broth, not water. Low-sodium chicken broth has about 2 g of protein per 100 g, so 6 cups adds roughly 7 g a bowl. Vegetable broth adds almost nothing.
- Stir in a can of beans. Canned white beans bring 7.3 g of protein and 4.8 g of fiber per 100 g, and they thicken the soup too.
- Blend in cottage cheese for creamy soups instead of heavy cream. It has 10.4 g of protein per 100 g.
- Finish with eggs or tofu. Egg ribbons or a chopped boiled egg work in brothy soups, and firm tofu (17.3 g protein per 100 g) holds its shape in almost anything.
Want more bowls in the rotation? Our healthy white chicken chili has 38 g of protein a bowl, the easy turkey chili has 29 g, and the lemony red lentil soup gives you 21 g of plant protein. For more ideas beyond soup, see our list of high protein recipes ranked by protein per calorie.
Storing and freezing protein soups
According to the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart, soups and stews with meat or vegetables keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Cool the pot quickly, divide it into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours.
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- Freeze well: turkey taco soup, black bean soup (without the egg) and the tomato soup.
- Freeze with care: the chicken orzo soup freezes fine without the orzo. Add freshly cooked pasta when you reheat.
- Eat fresh: egg drop soup. The egg ribbons turn rubbery when reheated, but it only takes 15 minutes to make again.
If you like to cook once and eat for weeks, our freezer meal prep plan walks through labeling, thawing and reheating safely.
High protein soup FAQ
What soup has the most protein?
Soups built on a full portion of lean meat, eggs or tofu, like chicken soup made with a pound of breast meat or egg drop soup with tofu. Both recipes above reach about 41 g per bowl. Brothy vegetable soups usually have the least.
Can I add protein powder to soup?
You can stir unflavored powder into a warm (not boiling) creamy soup, but it often turns the texture chalky or grainy. Whole foods like beans, cottage cheese and eggs add protein and improve the soup at the same time.
Is canned protein soup as good as homemade?
It’s a convenient backup for your desk drawer. Homemade gives you control over sodium, and three of the five soups here beat a 20 g can, while the other two come close. Check labels if sodium matters to you.
Sources
- Sporked: Campbell’s Soup Just Joined This 2026 Trend (July 2026)
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, via getfoodfacts.com: chicken breast (FDC 171077), ground turkey 93% lean (FDC 172850), low-sodium chicken broth (FDC 171609), black beans, canned (FDC 175238), 2% cottage cheese (FDC 172182), firm tofu (FDC 172475), whole egg (FDC 171287), plus white beans canned (FDC 175204), tomato puree (FDC 170460), vegetable broth (FDC 171583), dry pasta (FDC 169736) and produce entries.
- FoodSafety.gov: Cold Food Storage Chart
