Broccoli Cheese Soup: 26g Protein

By Annette

Broccoli Cheese Soup: 26g Protein

On a cold night, broccoli cheese soup is the answer before you’ve even finished asking the question.

But the classic version is almost entirely fat and cream. It’s delicious. It’s also not doing much for your protein goals, and by 9pm you’re back in the kitchen.

Three additions change all of that. A cup of blended cottage cheese, a cup of plain Greek yogurt stirred into the base, and an extra cup of sharp cheddar bring this bowl to 26 grams of protein per serving, and they don’t change the flavor or the texture in any way you’d notice.

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đź“Š The Macros

🥩 PROTEIN: 26g

Calories 493 · Carbs 9g · Fat 35g · Fiber 2g Protein density: 5.3g protein per 100 calories Serves 6 · ~35 min · keto, low-carb, gluten-free

This is a bowl of soup that keeps you full until your next actual meal, not just until you’ve washed the bowl.

The base recipe delivers 14 grams of protein per serving. Three on-theme additions bring each bowl to 26 grams: blended cottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt stirred in, and an extra cup of sharp cheddar melted into the pot.

🍳 The Recipe

Broccoli Cheese Soup. Serves 6. About 10 minutes of prep, 25 minutes on the stove.

Add the cheese gradually, one half-cup at a time, over low heat. High heat and rushed cheese additions will cause the sauce to break. Low and slow keeps it silky.

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 14 oz frozen broccoli florets
  • 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (up from 3 cups, protein anchor #1)
  • 1 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup cottage cheese (blended smooth, protein anchor #2)
  • 1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt (stirred in at the end, protein anchor #3)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, for thickening)

For garnish:

  • 2 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Method

  1. In a blender, combine the cottage cheese with 2 tablespoons of chicken broth. Blend until completely smooth, about 60 seconds. Set aside.
  2. In a large pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic with salt and pepper. Sauté until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the remaining chicken broth and the heavy cream. Stir and bring to a simmer.
  4. Add the broccoli and cook for 10 minutes until tender.
  5. Reduce heat to low. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
  6. Add the blended cottage cheese and stir to combine.
  7. Add the 4 cups of shredded cheddar in four additions, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until fully melted before adding the next.
  8. Remove from heat and stir in the Greek yogurt until fully incorporated and smooth. (Don’t boil after the yogurt goes in or it may curdle.)
  9. If thickening is desired, stir in xanthan gum. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  10. Ladle into bowls and top with extra cheddar and crumbled bacon.

Make-ahead: the soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over low heat and don’t let it boil. Add a splash of broth to thin if needed. The Greek yogurt stays stable in the finished soup.

Making this? Reply and tell me if you used the xanthan gum trick or if the soup was thick enough without it. I read every reply.

🔄 The Swap

Three on-theme additions bring this from 14g to 26g per serving without a new protein or any change to what makes it a broccoli cheese soup.

Here’s the breakdown:

  • 1 cup cottage cheese blended smooth before it goes in: +24g to the whole pot (+4g/serving). It’s completely invisible in the finished soup. Nobody will see it, taste it, or know it’s there. It thickens the base in a pleasant way and replaces some of the fat you’d otherwise need.
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt stirred in off the heat: +22g to the whole pot (+3.7g/serving). Greek yogurt has the same tangy richness as sour cream, which is a classic broccoli cheese soup finishing touch. It goes in after the soup is off the heat, so it stays smooth and creamy.
  • 1 extra cup of sharp cheddar (4 cups total): +28g to the whole pot (+4.7g/serving). The original uses 3 cups. The fourth cup deepens the flavor and adds real protein. This is just more of what the recipe already is.

Total delta: +74g protein to the pot. Divided by 6 servings, that’s +12.3g per serving on top of the 14g base, for an honest 26g per serving.

🔬 The Science

Why does it matter whether a bowl of soup hits 14 grams of protein versus 26?

The satiety threshold is real. Research on protein and meal satisfaction consistently shows that meals providing 25 to 30 grams of protein trigger a meaningfully stronger and longer satiety signal than meals in the 10 to 15 gram range. The mechanism is partly hormonal (protein suppresses ghrelin, the hunger hormone, more effectively than fat or carbohydrates) and partly mechanical (protein takes longer to digest, keeping you occupied longer).

Muscle protein synthesis doesn’t respond to small doses. After about 35, the body gets less efficient at converting dietary protein into muscle tissue, which is why researchers now point to 25 to 30 grams per meal as the meaningful threshold. Each meal needs to be a real dose, not a sprinkle.

The fat in this soup is doing real work. Heavy cream and cheddar slow digestion and extend the satiety window. This isn’t a fear-the-fat situation. It’s a make-the-fat-work-with-the-protein situation. The cottage cheese and Greek yogurt add protein on top of the fat base rather than replacing it.

“The soup that keeps you full until dinner is the one that has enough protein to actually signal done. Fourteen grams isn’t that soup. Twenty-six grams is.” [QUOTABLE]

đź’ˇ The Takeaway

Three additions to the pot, 26 grams of protein per bowl, a soup that counts as dinner instead of a warm appetizer.

Six servings in 35 minutes, and it reheats beautifully all week.

Send this to someone who makes broccoli cheese soup every winter but always feels hungry an hour later. Here’s why and here’s the fix.

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Written by Annette. Real food, honest macros, not medical advice.

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