3 High-Protein Soup Recipes That Actually Count as Lunch
Some soups are lunch. Others are a hot drink that has had a brief encounter with a carrot.
If you finish a bowl and find yourself inspecting the biscuit tin an hour later, the answer may be a more substantial soup. These three high-protein soup recipes include proper protein foods, vegetables and enough texture to feel like something you actually ate.
Choose from Mexican chicken and bean, chicken with green lentils and pesto, or curried red lentil with spinach and skyr.
Choose your high-protein soup
- Mexican chicken and bean: a tomato-based bowl with lime, coriander and adjustable heat. Makes 3 portions.
- Chicken, lentil and pesto: a thicker, herby option with green beans. Makes 4 portions.
- Curried lentil, spinach and skyr: the meat-free option, with the skyr included as part of the recipe. Makes 3 portions.
Add bread or another side to suit your appetite and needs; lunch doesn’t earn extra points for being as small as possible.
1. Mexican chicken and bean soup
Makes: 3 portions. Allow: about 35 minutes, including preparation.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 180g onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1–3 jalapeños, chopped, to taste
- 330g raw chicken breast, diced into small pieces
- 600g tomatoes, chopped
- 700ml chicken stock
- ½ tsp chilli powder, ¾ tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp paprika
- 240g drained tinned kidney beans, rinsed
- 80g frozen sweetcorn
- Juice of ½ lime and 1 tbsp chopped coriander
Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Soften the onion for about 4 minutes, then add the garlic and jalapeños for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring.
- Add the tomatoes, stock and spices. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken is fully cooked. Check the centre of the thickest pieces reaches 75°C for 30 seconds with a clean food thermometer.
- Add the beans and sweetcorn. Continue cooking for the time stated on the sweetcorn packet, until everything is steaming hot. Stir in the lime and coriander, then divide into 3 portions.
Adjust it: start with one jalapeño if you prefer a gentler soup. You can add heat at the table. Removing your head and replacing it with a small furnace is optional.
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2. Chicken, green lentil and pesto soup
Makes: 4 portions. Allow: about 35 minutes, including preparation.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 600g raw chicken breast, diced
- 100g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 150g green beans, trimmed and chopped
- 300ml water, plus extra if needed
- 300g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 240g drained tinned green lentils
- 60g green pesto
- Black pepper and optional fresh basil
Method
- Heat the oil and soften the onion for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then the chicken for about 5 minutes, stirring.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and green beans and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the water, tinned tomatoes, drained lentils and pesto. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the green beans are tender. Check the thickest chicken pieces reach 75°C for 30 seconds.
- Add a little extra water if you prefer a looser soup. Season with pepper and finish with basil if using.
Check the pesto: many versions contain milk and nuts, so check the label if you have an allergy.
3. Curried red lentil, spinach and skyr soup
Makes: 3 portions. Allow: about 45 minutes, including preparation.
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp mild curry powder
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 200g dry red lentils, rinsed
- 750ml vegetable stock, plus extra water as needed
- 100g spinach
- 450g plain skyr with about 10g protein per 100g
- Chopped coriander, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil. Gently cook the onion, ginger and curry powder for about 3 minutes, stirring so the spices don’t burn.
- Add the carrots, lentils and stock. Simmer for around 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the lentils have softened and broken down. Add water if it becomes too thick.
- Stir in the spinach and cook for about 2 minutes, until wilted.
- Divide between 3 bowls and add 150g skyr to each, with coriander. Store the skyr separately if saving portions for later.
A 150g serving of Arla natural skyr supplies 15g protein before counting the lentils. Ordinary yoghurt may contain much less, so it isn’t an identical swap. For a dairy-free version, choose an alternative based on its label and recognise that the protein content will change.
Cook once, store it safely
Divide leftovers into smaller containers so they cool promptly. Refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 48 hours, or freeze. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge and reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout. Keep the skyr separate and add it after reheating.
This follows UK leftover guidance. Check stock, pesto and spice labels for allergens and dietary suitability. The skyr soup contains milk.
Make useful meals your default
Choose one soup, shop for it and put a couple of portions aside. You don’t need to turn Sunday into a catering qualification.
For more evening options, try these five quick high-protein dinners. If you’d like fresh ideas regularly, the Rise & Redefine Inner Circle gets a small recipe drop roughly every two weeks. Explore the Inner Circle here.
