Soup is a lunchtime staple with endless flavour combinations, but for those seeking protein-rich meals, it can be difficult to find a good recipe. Nonetheless, a TikTok recipe creator has concocted a creamy, protein-dense soup with one very unexpected ingredient.
Emily English, better known by her handle @emthenutritionist, is renowned for crafting nutritious and tasty recipes perfect for keeping you satiated the entire day. Her ‘better than Heinz’ creamy tomato soup accompanied by homemade parmesan and honey croutons boasts a substantial 20g of protein per serving, ensuring you’re fuelled until dinner.
On TikTok, Emily said: “This creamy tomato soup contains a secret ingredient that might just shock you.” She admitted her usually sceptical stance towards healthy twists on classics, but she was ‘so impressed’ with how this recipe turned out.
The key component is cottage cheese, which might sound off-putting, but Emily recommends it for its richness and ‘lovely hit of protein too”. Here’s all you need to whip up two servings of this hearty, protein-packed soup, as reported by the Express.
Tomato soup with homemade croutons
Ingredients – for the soup
- 500g on-the-vine tomatoes
- One large red pepper, in chunks and deseeded
- One small red onion, peeled and diced
- One bulb garlic, halved horizontally
- Half a red chilli deseeded for less spice (optional)
- A pinch of dried rosemary
- 400ml chicken stock
- 80g cottage cheese
- Fresh basil
For the sourdough croutons
- Two slices sourdough bread, cubed
- 20g grated parmesan
- One tsp honey
- One tsp olive oil
Method
Start by preheating your oven to 200°C (fan). In a roasting tray, place the halved tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, garlic bulb, and chilli.
Drizzle these with olive oil, sprinkle with dried rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes until they’re soft and caramelised.
Next, blend the roasted vegetables with chicken stock, three to four cloves of roasted garlic, and the cottage cheese until it’s smooth. If needed, adjust the consistency with more stock, season to taste, then gently warm the soup back up before serving.
For the croutons, toss the sourdough cubes with olive oil and parmesan. Spread them on a baking tray and roast at 180°C (fan) for 8-10 minutes until they’re golden and crisp or in the air fryer.
Just before they’re done, drizzle over a little honey and finish roasting until golden. Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with the croutons and some fresh basil.