Looking for high protein soup recipes with a little more variety? Think chicken with leafy greens, shrimp with tofu or a chunky beef and lentil bowl.
These 20 soup ideas give you plenty of inspiration, whether you love a creamy-looking bowl or lots of colorful toppings.
You can keep things simple or go all out with garnishes. These photos are inspiration rather than complete recipes, so check ingredient amounts and nutrition before choosing one for a specific protein goal.
Soup ideas worth saving for your next pot
shredded chicken and leafy greens
We’re starting off strong with this gorgeous orange broth and shredded chicken. I love the dark leafy greens tucked between the pale beans.
There’s plenty going on here without a pile of toppings.
Read also: 20 Crockpot Dinner Recipes and Ideas for Your Next Meal
If you want to follow the presentation, finish your own bowl with a little chopped parsley.
meatballs and tomatoes
How good does this meatball soup look? The browned meatballs sit among chunky tomatoes and wilted greens, with a little grated topping in the middle.
Try a similar combination with turkey or beef meatballs, depending on which recipe you choose. The photo alone doesn’t tell us which meat was used.
beef and lentils
If you love a chunky soup, this one is for you. The beef and lentil bowl has big pieces of carrot, green peas and a leafy garnish right on top.
Beef and lentils are both protein sources, so this is a useful combination to explore when you want something beyond chicken.
shrimp and tofu
Don’t want a thick, blended soup? No problem! This clear golden broth has pink shrimp, pale tofu cubes and scattered green leaves.
I especially love how you can see the individual pieces. Keep the garnish simple if you want your own shrimp and tofu bowl to look like this.
chicken and little pasta shapes
This chicken soup may just be one of my favorites here. I love the little rice-shaped pasta pieces mixed with shredded chicken and diced carrots.
If you’re choosing a similar recipe, look for chicken and orzo soup. A little chopped parsley would be a pretty finishing touch.
thick golden soup
If you’re looking for a thicker bowl, save this golden-green soup for inspiration. There are orange carrot pieces and chunks of meat peeking through the smooth base.
For your own version, you might choose a split pea soup with cooked shredded meat. That’s a recipe direction to try, not a confirmed ingredient list for this photo.
chicken tortilla soup
I am obsessed with these toppings. The avocado chunks, jalapeño slices and golden tortilla strips look so good over the red chicken soup.
Black beans and corn are visible between the shredded chicken. Don’t forget a lime wedge if you want to follow this bowl’s presentation.
salmon and tofu cubes
Here is another lovely way to pair seafood with tofu. Pink salmon pieces and white cubes sit in golden broth with thin green-edged vegetable slices.
The scattered sesame seeds are my favorite little detail. Try that finishing touch on your own bowl if sesame works for you.
chicken and sliced mushrooms
Who else would choose the mushroom bowl? This one has shredded chicken and thick mushroom slices in a pale, creamy-looking base.
I love the chopped greens and dark seasoning specks on top. You don’t need an elaborate garnish to make a bowl look inviting.
broccoli with bacon on top
The broccoli fans are going to love this one! Big green florets sit in the middle of an orange-gold soup, with browned bacon pieces scattered over them.
For a version with more protein, you could look for a broccoli soup recipe that includes chicken. A bacon garnish alone doesn’t establish the protein content of a whole serving.
cauliflower and crumbled meat
This is such a pretty mix of pale cauliflower, dark greens and browned crumbled meat. The little red flakes stand out against the creamy-looking broth.
Read also: 20 Rosh Hashanah Recipes and Dish Ideas for Your Holiday Table
If you’re looking for a keto soup, this combination could be a starting point. Check the actual recipe’s thickeners, ingredients and carbs per serving rather than relying on the photo.
cabbage and ground meat
Don’t want to add lots of toppings? No problem there! This chunky mixture has broad cabbage pieces, browned ground meat and bits of tomato.
It looks closer to a stew than a brothy soup. You could choose a cabbage and beef soup recipe with more broth if that’s how you prefer your bowl.
zucchini spirals and carrots
How pretty are those green spirals? The zucchini noodles and orange carrot rounds fill almost the entire surface of this pot.
This photo doesn’t show a clear protein source. For your own protein-focused version, try adding cooked chicken or tofu to a suitable zucchini noodle soup recipe.
Read also: 20 Meal Ideas to Inspire Your High Protein Low Cal Meals
egg ribbons and chicken
I love the little egg ribbons running through this golden soup. There are chicken pieces in the center and sliced green onions scattered across both bowls.
If you like egg drop soup, a chicken variation is worth exploring. Keep the green onion garnish if you want that same simple finish.
red broth and pale beans
If you’re drawn to a bold red bowl, this one is for you. Pale beans and strips of leafy greens peek through the broth, with a ladle showing off the chunky bits.
For a meat-free variation of your own, look for a tomato and white bean recipe made with vegetable broth.
pasta shells and kidney beans
There’s so much to love in this bowl, from the little pasta shells to the dark red kidney beans. Green beans and carrot pieces make it even more colorful.
If you’ve been searching for “soup recipes healthy,” look beyond the label and choose a recipe that fits your needs. For this style, you could try extra beans in your own version.
orange soup with a white swirl
This smooth orange soup is so pretty with its white swirl and scattered herbs. Sometimes a simple bowl is the one that catches your eye.
The blended ingredients aren’t identifiable from the picture. For a protein-focused take on this look, you could choose a recipe that blends orange vegetables with red lentils or white beans.
turkey and wild rice
This is another creamy-looking soup, but it’s a little different from the chicken bowls above. The pictured turkey and wild rice soup has dark grains, shredded turkey and small carrot cubes.
Read also: 20 High Protein Meal Prep Ideas for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
I’d keep the chopped green garnish. It looks lovely against that pale base.
fish in orange broth
If you want a seafood idea without a pile of garnishes, save this one. Large white fish pieces sit in orange broth with diced onion, red vegetable strips and chopped greens.
The fish is the detail I’d build around. Choose a fish soup recipe with clearly listed portions when planning your protein intake.
black beans and lime
Last but definitely not least, we have this colorful black bean bowl. I love the orange vegetable cubes and yellow corn against the darker broth.
The lime wedges and chopped herbs make such a pretty finish. For your own version, sweet potato would be a lovely choice for those orange chunks.
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