High-Protein Tex Mex Soup Recipe

We all need protein in our diets, but if you're looking to increase your intake, you might find yourself less than thrilled with some of the options. Not all protein bars are delicious (here's how we ranked a dozen of them), while protein shakes, no matter how you upgrade them, can get a little monotonous. This high-protein soup, however, is something you'll actually look forward to eating. As developer Patterson Watkins describes it, "This is one hale and hearty soup. You're gonna need to break out the big soup spoons for this one! It is absolutely layered with flavor — savory elements of cumin, chili, garlic, and onion, smoky elements from the fire-roasted tomatoes and chorizo, and a through-line of richness from the broth and cottage cheese crema."

Watkins tells us that this soup is great for meal preppers, too, since the leftovers taste just as good (or perhaps even better). "Those flavors don't diminish when reheating this soup for leftovers — I eagerly enjoyed bowls day after day." Plus, did we mention all the protein? With chicken, sausage, black beans, bone broth, cottage cheese, and cheddar, Watkins says, "You'll hit your macro goals with this one, for sure." She went on to add, though: "Even if you're not looking to increase your protein intake, this soup is a great overall option for cold-weather days or when you're looking for cozy comfort food."

The soup is made with bell peppers (red and green), black beans, bone broth, chicken breasts, chorizo, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, and onion. You'll also need olive oil for cooking as well as chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, and tomato paste for seasoning. The topping is a mixture of cottage cheese, lime juice, and sour cream, while cheddar, cilantro,  jalapeños, limes, and tortilla chips are optional for garnishing.

To make the crema, place the cottage cheese, sour cream, and lime juice in a medium bowl.

Stir to combine and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Once hot, add the ground chorizo, and cook until brown.

Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the chorizo from the pot. Set it aside.

Season the chicken breasts with half of the cumin, chili powder, and salt.

Add the seasoned chicken breasts to the pot and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Remove the seared chicken breasts from the pot and set them aside.

Add the garlic, onion, and bell peppers to the pot and stir to combine.

Season the veggies with the remaining cumin, chili powder, and salt. Saute for 3 minutes or until the veggies are tender-crisp.

Add the bone broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.

Once simmering, return the seared chicken to the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through, or until the chicken is cooked through, and then remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Add the corn, black beans, and cooked chorizo to the pot. Stir to combine.

Once the chicken has rested, dice it into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot.

Stir to combine and continue to cook until the chicken has reheated.

Divide the soup between bowls and dollop with the cottage cheese crema. Garnish your soup bowls with an assortment of your favorite toppings and serve.

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This soup is a little bit spicy from the chorizo and the chili powder, but you can always dial the heat up or down. To do the former, Patterson tells us, you can " ... add some fresh minced jalapeño, habanero or serrano to the sauteed veggie blend. Or, you could add a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce, to taste, at the end or as an additional topping." For a tamer version, you can use paprika in place of chili powder and swap out the chorizo for a different meat like mild Italian sausage or ground beef.

You can also exchange the cheddar cheese for pepper jack, Colby, or a blend. The garnishes, too, can be substituted or increased to your heart's content. Sliced avocados, diced tomatoes, green or red onions, and pico de gallo would all work well as soup toppers, or you could opt for classic croutons. As for the cottage cheese crema, this does boost the protein, but you can go with just sour cream and lime juice if you'd prefer something less lumpy. Or you can process the cottage cheese for a smoother texture. Greek yogurt would also work, and it has the benefit of being protein-packed.

Bone broth, as the name implies, is broth made from simmering meat bones. What differentiates it from just plain broth — and drives up the price if you buy it premade — is that it usually involves a lot more bones (up to twice as many) and is cooked for about 24 hours. This lengthy amount of time allows for more protein to be extracted from the collagen and gelatin in the bones. In comparison to regular broth or stock, bone broth tends to be both thicker and more gelatinous.

You can certainly make your own bone broth if you have a bunch of chicken bones on hand. Using a slow cooker can help with the lengthy cooking process, although you can also put the bones and water into a heatproof pot and set it in a low-temperature oven. If you prefer store-bought bone broth, we ranked nine of these. Watkins' personal preference, however, is for the refrigerated kind, "I find the best bone broth are the refrigerated varieties — fresher-tasting and more wonderfully jiggly-gelatinous. You may find jugs of the stuff in/near the butcher section or stored near the butter and creams." The shelf-stable product will work in this recipe as well. You also have the option of using regular broth if you're not trying to cram in every last protein gram. In this case, adding an extra tablespoon of tomato paste can help compensate for any flavor loss.

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