Satisfy your comfort food cravings while working towards your protein goals with this High-Protein Cream of Protein Soup! This classic cozy soup is made more nourishing with whole foods, extra veggies, and 16 grams of protein per serving. Ready in just a few simple steps, it’s ideal for busy weeknights and last-minute dinners. Certainly a must-make fall meal!
While I’m certainly no hater of classic comfort food recipes, I’ll seldom turn down an opportunity to add more protein to traditionally carb-heavy meals (see my high-protein banana bread, protein zucchini pancakes, and chocolate oatmeal protein cookies).
There’s no debating protein’s multiple benefits (source). As a registered dietitian—and someone who personally tries to eat at least 100 grams of protein per day—I naturally find myself looking for ways to boost the protein content of my meals.
It’s often a no-brainer to start my day with protein-rich meals like blueberry overnight oats or chocolate chip protein muffins (34g protein/serving), and keep it going strong with a grilled chicken green goddess salad (42g protein/serving) for lunch. But when it comes to comfort food dinners, the protein doesn’t always keep up.
This is where this cream of potato soup comes in! Traditionally made with potatoes, milk, water, and sometimes cheese, classic versions offer only 2-6 grams of protein per serving. With a goal to boost the protein to at least 15 grams per serving, I tested adding a combo of cottage cheese, filtered milk, and shredded cheddar.
The result? A creamy, rich, cheesy, and utterly delicious soup, boasting 16 grams of protein per bowl. Golden potatoes, chopped veggies, and vegetable broth take it a step further, transforming the soup from a simple side dish to a full-fledged main dish. Goal achieved — let’s dig in!
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What Does it Taste Like?
This recipe tastes like a loaded baked potato — simmered and blended into soup form! The potatoes blend up silky smooth, while melty cheese and rich heavy cream make the soup luxurious and comforting. A base of sautéed onions, celery, carrots, and onions provides a savory depth that brings all the flavors together. Finish it off with a hearty sprinkle of salty, chewy bacon bits, and this soup couldn’t be better —it’s balanced, savory, incredibly satisfying, and guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out!
Why You Will Love This Healthy Potato Soup
- Comforting, Yet Nourishing – This soup satisfies comfort food cravings while helping you reach your protein goals. It’s also packed with veggies like carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes.
- Easy Peasy – It’s made in a few anyone-can-do-it steps and ready in less than 40 minutes — great for weeknight meals and back-to-school dinners.
- Family-Friendly – Even my toddler gobbles it up. Need I say more?!
- No Protein Powder Needed– Each serving delivers 16 grams of protein thanks to wholesome ingredients like cottage cheese, milk, and shredded cheese.
Ingredients
- Yellow Potatoes – These potatoes become ultra smooth and creamy when simmered, making them the ideal base for this cream of potato soup.
- Vegetable Broth – For moisture and savoriness. Use store-bought, make your own, or mix vegetable bouillon with warm water.
- Avocado Oil – Provides healthy fats and helps the veggies caramelize as they sauté.
- Garlic– Adds warm and nutty notes complementing the savory potatoes.
- Carrots, Celery, and Onions – This classic diced veggie combination (known as mirepoix or soffrito) gives the soup a flavorful base and adds a boost of nutrition. Dice the vegetables into similar-sized pieces for even, quick sautéeing.
- Milk – Contributes creaminess and moisture, along with a light protein boost! I recommend using filtered 2% milk (such as Fairlife) for even more protein, but 2% or whole milk also works well.
- Heavy Cream – For richness and a luxurious mouth feel. You’ll need 1/2 cup.
- Cottage Cheese – Our (not-so) secret protein all-star! Cottage cheese makes the high-protein potato soup extra creamy and savory. Use 2% or full-fat cottage cheese for richness and protein, or fat-free for a lighter version.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – Because potato soup wouldn’t be complete without it! For the best melting, use freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Pre-shredded works in a pinch, too.
- Salt and Pepper – To enhance the soup’s flavors and add a light touch of spice.
Substitutions
- Broth – Use up leftover vegetable scraps by making this potato soup recipe with homemade vegetable stock. If you’re not vegetarian, you can also use chicken broth or stock.
- Cream – Swap whole milk or half-and-half for a lighter soup.
- Cheese – Try Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, sharp white cheddar, or a mix of the above to try a different cheesy twist.
- Cottage Cheese – Don’t have or prefer cottage cheese? You can also use plain Greek yogurt — I recommend 2% or whole milk for the best texture and flavor.
How to Make High-Protein Potato Soup
Your next favorite comforting, yet better-for-you soup is ready in just a few simple steps, no fancy skills required:
Step 1: Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
Step 2: Add the potatoes, broth, salt, and pepper, and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover and continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Step 3: Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the milk, cream, and cottage cheese. Blend with an immersion blender until the soup is smooth. Alternatively, you can blend the soup in a high-speed blender (see notes below).
Step 4: Return the pot to low heat. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until fully melted and smooth.
Step 5: Serve hot with chives and/or bacon crumbles!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the potatoes. Simmer them for 15 minutes or until they are just fork-tender. Cooking them too long can make them mushy or grainy. Not ideal!
- Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. After adding the vegetable broth, use a wooden spoon or heat-safe spatula to scrape up any browned bits. They are packed with flavor!
- Simmer covered. Keeping the lid on helps to retain moisture and allows the soup to cook evenly.
- Blending alternatives. If you don’t have (or prefer not to use) an immersion blender, you can also puree the soup in a high-speed blender. Carefully transfer the soup to the blender, vent the lid, and cover it with a clean dish towel to prevent hot, messy splatters.
- Don’t boil the cream or milk. Once the milk, cream, and cottage cheese are added, keep the heat low and warm the soup until the cheese melts to prevent curdling.
- Season to taste. When it comes to super tasty soup, salt and pepper are key! Add more as needed just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy potato soup is a nutritious, complete meal on its own, perfect for hearty lunches or easy, lighter dinners. Satisfy hungry appetites or upgrade it to Sunday supper status by serving it with any of the following:
- Crusty Bread or Dinner Rolls – Dunk toasted French baguette, ciabatta, or sourdough for that classic cozy soup duo.
- Cheddar Biscuits – Go Red Lobster-style! Cheesy biscuits are one of my favorite pairings, adding an undeniably comforting touch.
- Loaded Potato Soup Toppings – Pass all the toppings for everyone to customize their bowls: shredded cheese, sour cream, black olives, green onions, and more!
- Cornbread – Sweet and buttery cornbread is an unexpectedly perfect complement to the savory, cheesy soup. Bonus: add an extra protein boost with protein cornbread!
Recipe Variations
- Potato Cream Cheese Soup – Swap cubed cream cheese for the heavy cream for an extra luxurious consistency and light tanginess. Stir the soup well, whisking if needed, until melted.
- Spicy – Bring the heat by sautéeing the veggies with up to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Bacon – Cook the onions, celery, and carrots in bacon fat drippings instead of avocado oil to add savory richness to the soup.
Storage Directions
- Refrigerating — Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing — Once cooled to room temperature, the soup can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator until thawed or on the stovetop over low heat, stirring it frequently, for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
- Reheating — Warm the creamy potato soup on the stovetop over low heat for 3-5 minutes or in the microwave on gentle heat for 1-2 minutes until hot.
Nutritional Info
Each serving of this cream of potato soup contains approximately 416 calories, about 220 of which come from carbohydrates, 80 from protein, and the remaining from fat. With this nutritional profile, this soup fits squarely in the hearty soup category, but is still a dish that can work in many balanced diets.
Carbohydrates are a great source of quick energy for the body. The carbohydrates in this recipe for potato soup come mainly from the potatoes, which also provide many important micronutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, Folate, and other B vitamins. The 16 grams of protein make the soup more filling and aid in muscle maintenance and growth, healthy aging, hormone support, and more (source).
This soup is rich, creamy, and satisfying at 22 grams of fat per serving — some of which is saturated, thanks to the heavy cream, milk, cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese. If you’re looking to limit your fat consumption or lighten the soup, swap whole milk or half-and-half for the cream and use low-fat cottage cheese and milk instead.
Finally, at 1051 mg of sodium per serving, you may want to adjust this recipe if you’re watching your sodium intake. To do so, use low-sodium or no-salt-added vegetable broth and cottage cheese and add just 1/4 teaspoon of salt before simmering. Add more to taste before serving, only if needed.
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 416 calories
- Carbohydrates: 44 grams
- Protein: 16 grams
- Total Fat: 22 grams
- Sodium: 1051 mg
- Fiber: 4 grams
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Pricing Info
This is what I personally paid to make this recipe:
- 1 tbsp avocado oil: $0.19
- 1 yellow onion: $0.61
- 2 celery stalks: $0.21
- 1 medium carrot: $0.06
- 3 garlic cloves: $0.06
- 1 ½ lbs yellow potatoes: $1.47
- 4 cups vegetable broth: $3.99
- 1 tsp salt: $0.01
- ½ tsp black pepper: $0.01
- ½ cup 2% milk: $0.38
- ½ cup heavy cream: $0.70
- 1 cup cottage cheese: $0.93
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese: $0.43
The total comes out to be around $9.05 or roughly $2.26 per serving!
FAQs
Traditional potato soup recipes contain anywhere from 2-6 grams of protein per cup, depending on the ingredients, especially whether they’re made with milk or water.
In contrast, this high-protein cream of potato soup delivers 16 grams of protein per serving, making it a more nutritious, protein-rich alternative.
Dairy products (such as cottage cheese, milk, and cheese) are a fantastic way to add protein to potato soup. Not only are they rich in protein, but they also make the soup creamy and silky.
There are many ways to thicken potato soup, some of which are employed in this recipe. Blending the soup and adding cream and cheese makes it thick, spoonable, and silky. If you’d like it even thicker, simmer the soup uncovered for the last 5 minutes of the cooking time (before adding the dairy), or stir in a slurry (made with 2 tablespoons of milk mixed with 1/4 cup cold milk) along with the cheese.
Other Soup Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below! I would really appreciate your feedback!
Recipe
Protein Cream of Potato Soup
Equipment
- 1 5 or 6 qt Dutch Oven or large pot
- 1 immersion blender (or high-speed blender)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ lbs yellow potatoes peeled and diced in 1 inch cubes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup 2% milk (I used Fairlife)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and saute for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
- Add the potatoes, broth, salt and pepper, and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Remove from heat, and stir in the milk and cream. Add the cottage cheese, then blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you can *carefully* blend the hot soup in batches with a high-speed blender.
- Return the soup to the pot and heat over low, stirring in the cheese until fully melted and everything is smooth. Serve with chives and/or bacon crumbles!
Notes
- Refrigerating — Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing — Once cooled to room temperature, the soup can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator until thawed or on the stovetop over low heat, stirring it frequently, for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
- Reheating — Warm the creamy potato soup on the stovetop over low heat for 3-5 minutes or in the microwave on gentle heat for 1-2 minutes until hot.
Nutrition
If you end up making this and loving it, take a photo and tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your versions of my recipes! And feel free to rate it down below in the comment section. I would really appreciate it!
xoxo Megan
Art says
Nice creamy potato soup recipe—looks like a solid comfort food idea with simple ingredients and easy steps. Perfect kind of cozy meal
Sharie says
Very good! With no hesitation, will make again.
Sprunki says
Carefully transfer the soup to the blender, vent the lid, and cover it with a clean dish towel to prevent hot, messy splatters.
Megan Byrd, RD says
Agreed!
Veo 3 says
This high-protein cream of potato soup sounds like the perfect fall meal. It’s great to see a cozy comfort food that also helps hit protein goals, and the fact that it’s quick to make makes it even better for busy weeknights. I’ll definitely be trying this recipe soon.
Abby says
This was great! I added chicken bone broth instead of vegetable broth for even more protein!
Monica says
I make a similar potato soup, but I like the higher protein count in this one. I added 3-4 pieces of thick bacon as well to add saltiness and flavor.
Megan Byrd, RD says
YUM!