Creamy soup with a boost of protein. High protein tomato soup with cottage cheese and bone broth is a filling upgrade to this often lacking classic. You’ll also love my protein minestrone, pastina soup, and white bean chicken soup.

Big bowl of protein tomato soup garnished with basil leaves

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Traditional tomato soup is tasty — but it’s not very filling, and a little lacking in the nutrition department.

That’s why I’m so excited to share this dietitian-created high protein tomato soup. Made with cottage cheese, bone broth, and just a handful of other simple ingredients, this easy recipe is creamy, warming, and actually filling too.

This one-pot recipe uses canned San Marzano tomatoes to minimize effort and maximize flavor. You’ll love this nutritious tomato soup upgrade to pair with saltine crackers or a gooey grilled cheese.

Why you’ll love protein tomato soup

  • Made in one pot for less effort and clean-up
  • Uses canned tomatoes so you can make it year-round, even when tomatoes are out of season and lacking in flavor
  • Packed with protein from blended cottage cheese and bone broth
  • Super flavorful and 1000x tastier than pre-made tomato soup
  • Budget-friendly with ingredients you can find in any grocery store

What makes this soup healthy?

As a Registered Dietitian, I design all my recipes to maximize nutrition and flavor.

Here are the nutrition highlights for my high protein tomato soup:

  • Rich in protein to keep you full and support fitness goals
  • 150 calories per bowl to support weight loss goals
  • Minimal saturated fats to support long-term heart health
  • Contains vitamin C, potassium, and other important micronutrients
  • 5 grams of dietary fiber per serving for hearth health, digestion, and minimizing disease risk
Backlit photo of a woman's hand dipping a crusty piece of baguette into a homemade tomato soup

Ingredient notes

  • Olive oil — or substitute avocado oil
  • White onion — you could also use yellow onion if needed
  • Salt and pepper — adjust this to taste
  • Red pepper flakes — you can skip this, but I think it adds a great subtle kick
  • Garlic — you can use minced garlic in a jar if you’re short on time
  • Canned San Marzano tomatoes — you’re looking for a flavorful and high quality canned tomato, usually labeled with “San Marzano” or “San Marzano style”
  • Chicken bone broth — use liquid bone broth or a concentrated powder mixed with water
  • Basil — fresh is best for this recipe, but you could use a pinch of dried basil if needed
  • Low fat cottage cheese — I like 2% cottage cheese, but use whatever you like
Ingredients in high protein tomato soup with cottage cheese displayed in small bowls on a white kitchen counter

What makes a good bone broth

  • Around 10 grams of protein per 1 cup serving
  • Minimal ingredients listed (you should mostly recognize them!)
  • Less than 20% daily sodium, or as little as possible

How to make high protein tomato soup with cottage cheese

Add olive oil to your pot and heat to medium.

Add diced onion, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft.

Onion and garlic cooked in a large white pot

Add garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn your garlic at this step.

Garlic added to cooked diced onions in a large, white pot

Add tomatoes, broth, and basil leaves. Gently break up the tomatoes with a spatula, but it’s okay if they stay mostly chunky at this stage. Stir and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and let this simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Canned tomatoes, basil, and broth in a large white pot, getting ready to simmer

Turn off the heat. For best results, let your tomato soup slightly cool. Add cottage cheese. Then, use an immersion blender to blend your high protein tomato soup until completely smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully blend your soup in batches in a heat-safe blender, and return to the pot.

Cottage cheese being blended with an immersion blender into a large pot of tomato soup
Blended creamy tomato soup that's high in protein in a large, white pot

Taste, and add more salt and pepper as desired. Serve with grated parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!

High protein tomato soup garnished with fresh basil in a large, white pot

Turn this into a balanced meal

Protein tomato soup is a great protein-rich snack, but it’s lacking the calories and macronutrients of a full, satisfying meal.

Pair your soup with one of these options for nutritional balance:

If you want to pair with something else, make sure it has extra protein and fiber.

Storage and re-heating

Store protein tomato soup with cottage cheese in the fridge (up to 4 days) or freezer (up to 4 months).

Re-heat in the microwave or stovetop, stirring occasionally, until just heated through. Be careful not to scorch the cottage cheese.

If re-heating from frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight before warming.

Expert tips

  • Choose high quality canned tomatoes. Look for tomatoes labeled as “San Marzano” or “San Marzano style”. They’ll have a more balanced taste and less acidity.
  • Let the soup cool before adding cottage cheese. The cottage cheese will blend to a smoother texture if you add it to warm, not hot, soup.
Overhead photo of high protein tomato soup with cottage cheese in a bowl with fresh basil

More healthy lunch recipes

Green goddess chicken salad
Cottage cheese salad
Pesto egg salad
Homemade tunacado sandwich
Air fryer tortilla pizza
Chicken pesto pasta salad
Quinoa edamame salad
Italian grinder bean salad
Quinoa arugula salad

Common questions

Can you taste the cottage cheese?

Nope, you can’t taste cottage cheese. Instead, this high protein tomato soup tastes rich, slightly creamy, and super flavorful.

What if I don’t like the texture of cottage cheese?

Not to worry! The cottage cheese will blend with the tomatoes to be smooth and you shouldn’t notice the texture at all.

How can I make this dairy-free?

Leave out the cottage cheese and just use bone broth for a dairy-free soup. Please note, this version will contain less protein. You could also try blending in a cup of drained and rinsed canned white beans.

Can I freeze high protein tomato soup?

Yes, you can freeze high protein tomato soup with cottage cheese. If re-heating from frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight before warming. Then, re-heat in the microwave or stovetop, stirring occasionally, until just heated through. Be careful not to burn the cottage cheese.

Should my tomatoes be whole, diced, or crushed?

It doesn’t matter! Just make sure your tomatoes are high quality and avoid extra seasonings in the can. I use whole San Marzano tomatoes.

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Did you try this recipe?

Leave your rating and review below! And don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, and tag me @real.life.nutritionist.

Big bowl of protein tomato soup garnished with basil leaves
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High Protein Tomato Soup With Cottage Cheese

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Creamy soup with a boost of protein. High protein tomato soup with cottage cheese is a filling upgrade to this often lacking classic.

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil to your pot and heat to medium.
  • Add diced onion, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft.
  • Add garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn your garlic at this step.
  • Add tomatoes, broth, and basil leaves. Gently break up the tomatoes with a spatula, but it's okay if they stay mostly chunky at this stage. Stir and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and let this simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat. For best results, let your tomato soup slightly cool. Add cottage cheese. Then, use an immersion blender to blend your high protein tomato soup until completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully blend your soup in batches in a heat-safe blender, and return to the pot.
  • Taste, and add more salt and pepper as desired. Serve with grated parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!
Calories: 151kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 800mg, Potassium: 799mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 569IU, Vitamin C: 25mg, Calcium: 116mg, Iron: 3mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Appetizer, Soup