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High-Protein Creamy Taco Soup

High-Protein Creamy Taco Soup is a Tex-Mex main dish with a creamy, dairy-swirl finish using blended cottage cheese. Browned turkey and shredded chicken simmer with beans and tomatoes until thick, then you add dairy on low so it stays smooth and silky.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lean ground turkey or chicken
  • 1 lb lean ground turkey or chicken
Cooked chicken
  • 2 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded
White beans and black beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) white beans (cannellini), drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
Tomatoes
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Broth and seasonings
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp chili powder
Creamy dairy base
  • 1 cup cottage cheese (blended smooth)
  • 0.5 cup plain Greek yogurt
Toppings
  • 0.33 cup shredded cheddar
  • 0.5 avocado
  • 0.25 jalapeños
  • 0.25 cup cilantro
Seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper Use to taste; season after simmering.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown and build the soup
  1. Brown the ground turkey in a large pot over medium-high heat, then drain any fat.
  2. Add shredded chicken, white beans, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, taco seasoning, cumin, and chili powder.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then keep it at a rolling boil for 1 minute to ensure flavors meld.
Simmer to thicken
  1. Simmer for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup looks slightly thickened.
Make it creamy without boiling
  1. Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth, then stir it into the soup.
  2. Stir in the plain Greek yogurt.
  3. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, making sure the soup does not boil after adding the dairy.
Finish and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Serve hot with shredded cheddar, avocado, jalapeños, and cilantro on top.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, blend the cottage cheese until fully creamy before stirring it in. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently over low so the dairy stays smooth—do not boil. Freezing is not recommended because the dairy can separate when thawed. If you want a higher-protein swap, use extra-lean ground turkey and choose a low-fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt that still blends well.