Winter eating changes quietly but decisively. Portions get bigger, cravings lean towards warmth, and meals need to last longer between bites. This is where soup steps in. Or at least, it should. In reality, many winter soups promise comfort but fail to satisfy. They are soothing, yes, but fleeting. You finish a bowl, feel warm for a moment, and then find yourself hungry again far too soon.
The missing link is protein. When soup is built around protein, whether from chicken, lentils, chickpeas or dairy, it stops behaving like a starter and starts functioning like a proper meal. Protein adds body, improves satiety, and keeps energy levels steady through cold, slow days. The soups below are designed with exactly that in mind. They combine warmth, flavour and structure, bringing together Indian comfort and global familiarity in bowls that genuinely fill you up.
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Why Protein Matters In Winter Soups
Cold weather increases appetite, but it also demands smarter eating. Protein-rich soups help maintain fullness, prevent constant snacking, and provide sustained energy during shorter days. They are also ideal for batch cooking, making winter meals easier to plan and easier to repeat.
What follows is a practical, varied list of high-protein winter soups that are comforting without being lightweights.
Here Are 6 High-Protein Winter Soups That Work As Full Dinner Meals:
1. Chicken and Lentil Curry Soup
This is the soup you make when the weather feels unkind. Creamy without using cream, gently spiced rather than aggressive, and deeply filling, it delivers over 20 grams of protein per serving. Red lentils break down into the broth, creating a silky texture, while shredded chicken adds structure and substance. Curry powder and coconut milk bring warmth without overwhelming the palate.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Protein per serving: 20+ grams
Ingredients:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – 400 g
- Red lentils – 1 cup
- Carrots – 2 medium, chopped
- Onion – 1 medium, chopped
- Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
- Ginger – 1 tbsp, grated
- Curry powder – 2 tsp
- Turmeric – ½ tsp
- Salt and black pepper – to taste
- Chicken broth – 6 cups
- Coconut milk – 1 cup
- Kale – 2 cups, chopped
- Fresh cilantro – for garnish
- Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
Method:
In a large pot, combine lentils, chicken broth and turmeric. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. In a separate pan, heat a little oil and sauté onion, carrot and garlic until soft. Add ginger and curry powder, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Transfer this mixture to the lentil pot and add the raw chicken breasts, ensuring they are submerged. Simmer on low for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and lentils are tender.
Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, and return it to the pot. Add coconut milk and kale, cooking for another 5 minutes until the kale wilts. Finish with lemon juice, season to taste, and serve hot with fresh cilantro. It tastes like a comforting curry but eats like a light, nourishing soup.
2. Mulligatawny Soup
If the first soup is reassurance, this one is familiarity with depth. Mulligatawny sits at the intersection of Indian flavours and colonial-era comfort cooking. Soft lentils dissolve into the broth, coconut milk adds richness, and lemon cuts through at the end to keep everything balanced. It is the kind of soup that feels considered without being complicated.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Protein per serving: 18+ grams
Ingredients:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – 500 g
- Red split lentils (masoor dal) – 1½ cups
- Potatoes – 250 g, cubed
- Onion – 1 medium, chopped
- Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
- Ginger – 2 tsp, grated
- Turmeric – 1 tsp
- Cumin – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Cinnamon stick – 1 small piece
- Bay leaf – 1
- Tomatoes – 2 medium, chopped
- Chicken broth – 8 cups
- Coconut milk – 1 cup
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Lemon juice – 3 tbsp
- Fresh spinach – 1 cup, chopped
- Salt – to taste
- Fresh cilantro – for garnish
Method:
Heat oil in a large pot. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and allow them to release aroma. Add onion and sauté until soft. Stir in garlic and ginger, followed by turmeric, cumin, coriander and salt. Cook briefly until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook until softened.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add lentils and potatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Add chicken thighs and continue cooking until the chicken and lentils are tender. Remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the pot. Stir in coconut milk and spinach until wilted. Remove from heat, add lemon juice, adjust seasoning, and serve with fresh cilantro. The result is deeply warming, lightly spiced, and quietly satisfying.
3. High-Protein Butternut Squash Soup With Cottage Cheese
After two chicken-based soups, this vegetarian option proves that protein does not need to come from meat. Roasted butternut squash brings natural sweetness and depth, while cottage cheese blended into the soup provides creaminess and 10 grams of protein per serving. The texture is smooth and indulgent without feeling heavy.
Serves: 4 to 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Protein per serving: 10 grams
Ingredients:
- Large butternut squash – about 1 kg
- Bone broth – 4 cups
- Cottage cheese – ¾ cup
- Garlic cloves – 3
- Shallot – 1
- Olive oil – 1½ tbsp
- Dried thyme – 1 tsp
- Rubbed sage – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Black pepper – ½ tsp
- Ground nutmeg – ¼ tsp
- Cumin – ⅛ tsp
- Honey – 1 tbsp
Method:
Preheat oven to 200°C. Halve the squash lengthwise, remove seeds, brush lightly with olive oil, season, and roast cut-side down with garlic and shallot until soft. Scoop out the flesh and simmer it with bone broth and spices for 10 minutes. Blend until smooth, return to low heat, whisk in cottage cheese and honey, and heat gently. Season to taste. The flavour is velvety, lightly sweet, and deeply comforting.
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4. Chicken Lentil Soup With Cilantro Yoghurt Sauce
This soup relies on contrast. The base is hearty, built on lentils, chicken and warming spices. The cilantro yoghurt sauce on top shifts the entire experience, adding brightness and acidity. Together, the bowl delivers 37 grams of protein and feels far more refined than the effort involved.
Serves: 4 to 5
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Protein per serving: 37 grams
Ingredients (for soup):
- Chicken tenderloins – 400 g
- Red lentils – 1 cup
- Onion – 1 medium, chopped
- Carrot – 1, chopped
- Celery – 1 stalk, chopped
- Garlic – 3 cloves, minced
- Cumin – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – ½ tsp
- Turmeric – ½ tsp
- Smoked paprika – ½ tsp
- Tinned tomatoes – 1 can (400 g)
- Chicken stock – 4 cups
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt and black pepper – to taste
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Ingredients (for cilantro-yoghurt sauce):
- Greek yoghurt – ½ cup
- Fresh cilantro – ½ cup, packed
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
Method (for soup):
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika, stirring to coat the vegetables and releasing the aromatics (about 30 seconds). Add tinned tomatoes and lentils, stirring well. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Season the chicken tenderloins with salt and pepper. In a separate pan, sear the chicken on high heat until golden and cooked through (about 5–7 minutes). Remove, rest for a minute, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Add the cooked chicken to the simmering soup. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until lentils are tender. Finish with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Method (for sauce):
Blend Greek yoghurt, fresh cilantro, minced garlic and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt. You can also just finely chop the cilantro and whisk by hand if you prefer a chunkier sauce.
To serve:
Ladle soup into bowls and top with a generous dollop of cilantro-yoghurt sauce. Drizzle with a bit of chilli oil if you like heat. The combination is bright, warming, and feels genuinely restaurant-quality.
5. Moroccan-Style Chickpea and Butternut Squash Soup
This soup leans fully into plant-based comfort. Chickpeas provide protein, squash thickens the broth naturally, and spices like cumin and cinnamon create warmth without heat. It is ideal for batch cooking and improves with time.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Protein per serving: 12+ grams
Ingredients:
- Butternut squash – 500 g, cubed
- Tinned chickpeas – 2 cans (drained and rinsed)
- Onion – 1 large, chopped
- Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
- Ginger – 2 tsp, grated
- Carrot – 2, chopped
- Vegetable stock – 6 cups
- Tinned tomatoes – 1 can (400 g)
- Cumin – 2 tsp
- Cinnamon – ½ tsp
- Turmeric – ½ tsp
- Paprika – 1 tsp
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt and pepper – to taste
- Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
- Fresh cilantro – for garnish
- Greek yoghurt – for serving (optional)
Method:
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onion and carrot with a pinch of salt until soft (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and ginger, cooking 1 minute. Add cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and paprika, stirring to release the spice aromas (about 30 seconds). Add butternut squash, chickpeas, vegetable stock and tinned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20–25 minutes until the squash is completely soft. The squash will break down slightly, thickening the soup naturally. Use a wooden spoon to break down some of the larger pieces if you like a thicker texture. Finish with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with fresh cilantro and optionally a dollop of Greek yoghurt. The flavour is deeply warming, mildly spiced, with natural sweetness from the squash.
6. Spiced Lentil and Tomato Soup With Spinach
The simplest soup often earns the most repeat appearances. Red lentils cook quickly, tomatoes add depth, spinach brings freshness, and lemon ties everything together. It tastes slow-cooked but fits neatly into a busy evening.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Protein per serving: 15 grams
Ingredients:
- Red lentils – 1 cup
- Onion – 1 medium, chopped
- Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
- Ginger – 1 tbsp, grated
- Green chilli – 1–2, chopped (optional)
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Turmeric – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Tinned tomatoes – 1 can (400 g)
- Vegetable or chicken stock – 5 cups
- Fresh spinach – 2 cups, chopped
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
- Lemon juice – 2–3 tbsp
- Fresh cilantro – for garnish
- Greek yoghurt – for serving (optional)
Method:
Heat oil in a large pot. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds. Add chopped onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic, ginger and green chilli, cooking 1 minute. Stir in turmeric, red chilli powder and coriander powder, cooking 30 seconds until fragrant. Add tinned tomatoes and cook for 3–4 minutes, breaking them down slightly. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Add lentils and salt. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15–18 minutes until the lentils are completely soft and starting to break down. Stir in fresh spinach and cook until wilted (about 2 minutes). Add lemon juice. The soup should be thick and creamy, thanks to the broken-down lentils. Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice. Serve hot, sprinkled with cilantro, and optionally accompanied by a dollop of yoghurt. The flavour is warm, slightly tangy, with deep savoury notes from the spices.
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The Bottom Line
Winter soup should do more than keep you warm. It should hold its own as a meal, support long gaps between eating, and make life easier through batch cooking and leftovers. These high-protein winter soups do exactly that. Built around chicken, lentils, chickpeas and dairy, they offer comfort without compromise. Make them ahead, store them well, and let the flavours deepen overnight. When the cold settles in, this is the kind of food that earns its place in your routine.