Healthy High-Protein Soups For Feeling Cozy And Full
It gets colder, and I am suddenly craving soups like never before. However, most of those healthy recipes sound either watery, too thin, or even rather depressing somehow. This time, I need something not just full of nutrients and satiating me, but also making me feel cozy and warm after a long day. That is why this list of healthy soups with a lot of protein was created!
It all happened when I was trying to adopt healthier eating habits on particularly cold days, but not getting hungry. So I tried various types of lentils, chicken, etc., making me satisfied with these soups. So here they are again, and I’ve been using them almost every autumn and winter since then, because these soups are really satisfying, and freeze well for lunches.
We’ll check three types today – creamy red lentil soup, smoky sweet potato chorizo, and hearty Scottish lentil soup, all absolutely cozy recipes!
Ingredients Required
To Prepare The Red Lentil Soup
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped (100 g / 1 cup)
- 2 carrots, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 1 onion, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 1 cup red lentils (230 g)
- 2 tbsp tomato purée (30 g)
- 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (1.4 liters)
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- Parslefor a garnishing
Red lentils – they cook really easily and add some natural creaminess to the soup.
To Prepare The Greek Lentil Soup
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped (100 g / 1 cup)
- 2 carrots, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 1 onion, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 1 tbsp garlic purée (15 g)
- 1 cup of brown or green lentils (200 g)
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
- 6 cups chicken stock (1.4 liters)
- 1 tsp of dried oregano (1 g)
- 1 tsp of dried thyme (1 g)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar (15 ml)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Red wine vinegar – just a little bit adds an incredible Mediterranean taste.
To Prepare The Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and finely chopped (500 g / 4 cups)
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped (100 g / 1 cup)
- 2 carrots, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 1 onion, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 7 oz chorizo, roughly chopped (200 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (10 g)
- 5 cups of chicken stock (1.2 liters)
Chorizo – it brings incredible smoky flavor to the soup when cooked.
To Prepare The Roasted Tomato and Chicken Soup
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 1 onion, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 2 carrots, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 4 cups baby or plum tomatoes (600 g)
- 2 chicken breasts (450 g)
- 4 garlic cloves, whole
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (15 ml)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 5 cups of chicken stock (1.2 liters)
Baby tomatoes – they become super flavorful after roasting.
To Prepare The Scottish Lentil Soup
- 1 ham hock
- 1 leek, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 2 carrots, finely chopped (150 g / 1 cup)
- 1 small turnip or swede, finely chopped (250 g / 2 cups)
- 1 cup red lentils (230 g)
- Approximately 5 cups of ham stock (1.2 liters)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Ham hock – as it cooks, it creates incredibly rich and smoky ham stock.
Make The Vegetable Base
Almost all soups start with three classic ingredients: onions, carrots, and celery. You don’t need to cut them finely if you plan to blend the soup, but chopping is essential otherwise.
The kitchen is filled with amazing aromatic smells once the vegetables are frying. Onions get translucent; carrots change their color; celery becomes softer.
The first time I made lentil soup, I didn’t fry the vegetables and put everything into the pot as soon as possible. It tasted alright, but the soup missed its deep flavor. Never do that again!
Pro Tip: Be careful with the heat level. Low temperature makes the process gentler and allows developing the sweetness of onions rather than browning them.
Cook The Red Lentil Soup
After making the vegetable base, add rinsed red lentils, tomato paste, stock, and pepper into the pan. I usually avoid using salt at this point because there is a huge variation in stock saltiness.
Then you wait for 45 minutes while lentils become softer and gradually thicken the soup. In the end, it’s transformed into the rich and warm orange soup that is incredibly comforting during chilly evenings.
I prefer keeping it chunky for the texture reasons, but you can blend the soup as much as you like.
Pro Tip: Rinsing lentils is necessary. Usually, their cooking water quickly gets milky due to excessive amounts of starch.
Make The Greek Lentil Soup
This soup seems like homey comfort with some Mediterranean touch. Sauté the vegetable base, then add garlic and let it fry until the smell disappears (approximately 30 seconds).
Next, put brown or green lentils, chopped tomatoes, dried oregano and thyme, stock, band ay leaf into the pan and simmer for 30–40 minutes. All herbs create a great smell that reminds me of festive meals.
In the end, add red wine vinegar and stir the mixture for a minute. It may seem that nothing happened, but it makes the whole soup more delicate and balanced.
I usually blend the soup, as brown/green lentils retain their shape better than red ones and add creaminess to the final dish.
Pro Tip: When the soup seems dull at the end, it requires adding something acidic, like vinegar, rather than more salt.
Prepare The Sweet Potato And Chorizo Soup
This is my absolute favorite soup from the list. A combination of sweet potatoes and smoky chorizo is simply amazing!
Start by putting chopped chorizo into the pan with the vegetables. Immediately, the chorizo starts releasing its oils, and the smell fills your kitchen.
I added a little olive oil the first time I prepared this dish, thinking that this would help. Huge mistake! You need to allow the sausage to release its oils; otherwise, the soup becomes oily. So please, make sure you start with a dry pan.
Put everything into the slow cooker with stock and set it to cook for about 3 hours until the potatoes get completely soft.
Blend the soup until smooth. Then add salt, black pepper, and a little extra stock if it looks too thick.
It should have that beautiful deep orange color and silky smooth texture with tiny bits of chorizo scattered across it.
Pro Tip: Try using smoked chorizo if you can. It provides an even deeper smoky taste.
Roast Vegetables For The Tomato And Chicken Soup
There is something magical about using roasted vegetables in soups – they wonderfully transform the taste.
Spread the peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and garlic on a baking tray. Add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Roast the vegetables until the tomatoes’ peel breaks and the garlic becomes soft.
The amazing smell fills the house with smells of roasted garlic, sweet tomatoes, and delicious chicken.
Once the chicken is cooked, take it out of the oven and shred it into pieces. Then, boil the vegetables and chicken stock for 15 minutes, and blend them until smooth.
The result is the amazing deep red-orange soup that has a smoky sweetness thanks to roasted vegetables.
Top each serving of the soup with shredded chicken to ensure its juiciness.
Simmer The Scottish Lentil Soup
This one seems to be a real cold-weather soup. First, put ham hock into a pot and simmer for 3 hours. At this point, you have the rich smoky stock that is perfect for soups.
Then, add leek, carrots, turnip/swede, and red lentils into the same pot, and simmer for approximately 25 minutes. The soup gets richer because of softening root vegetables and breaking lentils.
As far as I’m concerned, I like having the soup thicker. However, feel free to add stock until it becomes thinner according to your preferences.
Pro Tip: Taste the soup before adding salt. Ham stock is already pretty salty, and fixing the mistake will be challenging.
Do Not Do This: Typical Mistakes People Make While Preparing Soups
Adding Salt Too Early
Chicken and ham stocks are already salty. So adding it before simmering may lead to an oversalted product.
Avoid Sautéing The Vegetable Base
Onion and carrots don’t gain that lovely caramelized sweetness when added directly into the pot. Fry them to enhance the flavor.
Under-Blending The Soup
Especially important if you plan to blend the soup until smooth. If there are any pieces left, they will ruin the soup.
Cooking Chorizo On A High Heat
It may happen that chorizo becomes bitter because of burnt spices. Thus, it’s recommended to cook it at a lower temperature.
Using Too Little Stock
Lentils can absorb a considerable amount of liquid, and soup can become quite thick.
Ways to Transform The Dish
Make It Suitable For Vegans/Vegetarians
Replace chicken stock with vegetable stock. Also, don’t forget to omit meat from recipes.
Add Some Extra Spicy Notes
I sometimes use either chili flakes or smoked paprika in chorizo soup to make it a bit warmer. A little heat goes perfectly with cold weather.
Choose Other Proteins Than Chicken
This recipe works pretty well with leftover roast or rotisserie chicken. I used white beans for the roasted tomato soup.
Storage and Serving Tips
These soups store and freeze well, and this is another reason why I make them constantly in colder seasons.
- Storing In The Fridge: Put soups in airtight containers and keep for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Usually, I divide them into portions to use the soup for lunches.
- Reheating: Warm the soup gently until it’s hot. Add water if the soup becomes too thick.
Pro Tip: Soups actually get better once stored for 1-2 days.
I recommend serving them with some freshly baked bread, garnishing them with parsley, and enjoying the taste and comfort. Something is amazing about making a huge pot of soup and having it all evening in the kitchen. And it doesn’t even spoil your health if done correctly!
I hope at least one of these soups will become your favorite one.
