17 Comforting Creamy Soups That Are High in Protein
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
There's nothing like snuggling up with a bowl of soup as the weather gets cooler—even better if that soup is high in protein. Try one of these comforting, creamy soup recipes for your next couch sesh. With at least 15 grams of protein per serving, these soups can help you meet your protein needs and support healthy muscles, healthy aging and a healthy immune system.
Recipes like our Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken and Smoked Gouda-Broccoli Soup are smooth and satisfying choices for lunch or dinner.
Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Layering apple slices into grilled cheese sandwiches adds crunch to a favorite soup dipper. And creamy butternut squash soup with ginger, cumin and turmeric is a nice change of pace from grilled cheese's usual tomato soup partner. The soup keeps well in the fridge, so save leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken
This creamy rotisserie chicken soup has a delicious chicken pot pie feel to it. We call for rotisserie chicken to streamline your prep time—look for a nice big one with lots of breast meat. Pair this comforting and easy soup recipe with a green salad, or, if you're really hungry, a grilled cheese sandwich.
Smoked Gouda-Broccoli Soup
Smoked paprika and smoked Gouda give this broccoli-and-cheese soup recipe a double hit of smoky flavor. If you can't find smoked Gouda, smoked Cheddar gives delicious results as well.
Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Soup
This creamy chicken and mushroom soup is easy to make. The mix of vegetables and thyme adds richness, while the bone-in chicken flavors the broth. If you're in a hurry, you can skip the chicken breasts and add rotisserie chicken at the end instead.
Salmon Chowder
The flavor of this salmon chowder recipe is greatly enhanced by adding either fresh dill or dried tarragon: Each herb lends its own distinctive flavor to the soup. To give this soup a thick, chowder texture, we use instant mashed potatoes, which eliminates the need for heavy cream or butter. Leftover mashed potatoes work too, but give a slightly less-velvety texture.
Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
Got leftover cooked chicken or turkey? Cook up a pot of soup! This recipe is a healthier twist on a classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup that hails from Minnesota. Serve with a crisp romaine salad and whole-grain bread.
Creamy Chicken, Vegetable & Sun-Dried Tomato Soup
This creamy soup is packed with vegetables, including zucchini and carrots. Precooked chicken saves time and energy, so you can make this cozy soup on a busy weeknight, or any day when it's cold out.
Lobster & Corn Chowder
The trick to making this healthy lobster chowder recipe have tons of rich flavor is to start with great fish stock. (The best is often in the freezer case at the supermarket.) Then cook the lobsters in the stock to intensify their flavor. There is no flour added in this healthy soup, so it's lighter than a typical creamy chowder—plus it's gluten-free.
Chicken Mulligatawny
Mulligatawny, which literally means "pepper water," is an English interpretation of an Indian dish. It has seemingly limitless versions, but most have curry and a bit of chicken. We've added tart Granny Smith apples, plenty of spice and a touch of coconut milk.
Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese
This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili comes together in a flash, thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.
New England Clam Chowder
Chopped clams, aromatic vegetables and creamy potatoes blended with low-fat milk and just a half cup of cream gives this chunky New England-style clam chowder plenty of rich body. Serve with oyster crackers and a tossed salad to make it a meal.
Slow-Cooker Mulligatawny Soup
This is a soup with a long history (references to it in English go back to 1784) that can now be conveniently made in a modern appliance. Although it's technically an English soup, its origins are decidedly Indian. (The name loosely means "pepper water" in the Tamil language of southern India.) The sweetness of apple and coconut milk counterbalances the garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne.
Easy Chicken & Broccoli Soup
This easy chicken and broccoli soup is creamy and luscious, but still light. The broccoli florets absorb the creamy soup base, while the chicken stays tender. This is the perfect soup to make on a busy weeknight when you have leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken on hand. While the recipe calls for chicken breasts, if thighs are what you have, feel free to use those.
Cauliflower Soup with Smoked Gouda
This healthy cauliflower soup recipe gets its great flavor from two smoked ingredients, paprika and Gouda. A hearty serving of crunchy croutons makes it filling.
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Corn tortillas thicken this chicken enchilada soup, but Cheddar and cream cheese give it the richness you'd expect from an enchilada. Serve it with something fresh and crunchy like a jicama slaw dressed with a little olive oil and lime juice for a healthy dinner that will appeal to the whole family.
Tilapia Corn Chowder
This light soup is a great way to slip fresh corn (and tilapia, of course!) into your late-summer menu. Make it a meal: Enjoy with a mixed green salad and oyster crackers.
Turkey & Wild Rice Soup with Vegetables
Thanksgiving turkey leftovers have never been so delicious. Wild rice adds a nutty flavor—plus extra protein and fiber-—to this creamy, hearty soup. Try this easy, healthy turkey recipe to help you use your holiday extras.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
