This is my go-to high protein tomato soup recipe, and it never lets me down.

Tomato soup is comforting, but it’s rarely filling on its own — a bowl of it disappears fast and leaves you looking for something else within the hour. The fix here is genuinely simple: blend cottage cheese into the finished soup, and it goes from about 5 grams of protein per serving to 11, without changing the flavor much at all.

It’s still just a simmer-and-blend soup at its core, which means it comes together with minimal effort, but it eats like a much more substantial meal.

Why You’ll Love This

It only needs a handful of ingredients and comes together with minimal hands-on work — simmer, then blend. The cottage cheese makes it noticeably more filling than a typical tomato soup, and it’s an easy make-ahead lunch or dinner option for the week.

Why This Works

Cooking the tomato paste briefly before adding the tomatoes deepens its flavor considerably — that quick step, sometimes called blooming, caramelizes some of the paste’s natural sugars and takes away the raw, tinny edge it can have straight from the can. And blending the cottage cheese directly into the hot soup, rather than stirring it in afterward, is what breaks it down completely into a smooth, creamy texture instead of leaving visible curds; some readers find blending a small amount of hot soup with the cottage cheese first, before combining it with the rest, makes this step even smoother.

How to Make High Protein Tomato Soup

Step 1: Sauté the Onion

Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Step 2: Add Garlic and Salt

Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the salt. Deglaze the pot with a splash of vegetable broth if the bottom starts browning.

Garlic added to softened onion in a pot — Add the garlic and cook briefly before adding salt.

Step 3: Add Tomato Paste and Seasoning

Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook for a minute. Add the sugar and dried basil, stirring to combine.

Step 4: Simmer

Add the canned tomatoes, with their liquid, and the vegetable broth. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Canned tomatoes and broth simmering in a covered pot — Simmer the tomatoes and broth together for 20 minutes.

Step 5: Blend with Cottage Cheese

Add the soup to a blender along with the cottage cheese, working in batches if needed. Blend until smooth, being careful to leave room for steam to escape.

Step 6: Serve

Serve as is, or top with parmesan, fresh basil, and cracked pepper.

Finished high protein tomato soup garnished with parmesan and basil — Top with parmesan, basil, and cracked pepper before serving.

Tips for the Best Results

Blend thoroughly — the soup can look slightly curdled if underblended, even though it tastes fine.
Warming or pre-blending the cottage cheese with a bit of hot soup before adding it to the full batch can help it incorporate more smoothly.
An immersion blender works well right in the pot if you’d rather skip transferring the soup to a stand blender.
Leave the top vent open or remove the center cap of your blender lid, covering the gap with a towel, to let steam escape safely.
Add a rinsed can of navy beans to the blender for an even heartier, higher-protein soup.

Variations to Try

Use dried Italian seasoning in place of the dried basil for a different herb profile. Add roasted garlic for extra depth of flavor. Stir in shredded carrot with the onion for natural sweetness in place of some of the sugar.

What to Serve With It

No-knead bread, garlic bread, or homemade croutons all make this soup heartier and more filling. A grilled cheese sandwich is the classic pairing if you want a full comfort-food meal.

Storage

Let the soup cool before storing. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freezing isn’t recommended, since the cottage cheese can separate and change texture once thawed and reheated.

FAQ

Why does my soup look curdled after blending?

This usually means it needs more blending time — keep going until it’s fully smooth, or try pre-blending the cottage cheese with a bit of hot soup first.

Can I freeze this soup?

It’s not recommended, since the cottage cheese can separate and change texture once thawed and reheated.

Can I use crushed tomatoes instead of whole?

Yes, crushed tomatoes work as a substitute for whole canned tomatoes.

Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?

Canned is recommended, since the recipe relies on the extra liquid in the can — fresh tomatoes alone won’t provide the same volume of liquid.

Can I use this as a pasta sauce?

It hasn’t been tested that way, but reducing the amount of broth could help thicken it into more of a sauce consistency.