Hearty, spicy and deliciously satisfying are the best words to describe this high-protein Rotel soup made with cottage cheese and chicken!
This high-protein Rotel soup with cottage cheese and rotisserie chicken is hard to beat as the days grow colder! It's a comforting and hearty Mexican-spiced soup that's deliciously flavorful and a breeze to make.
And since this hearty Rotel chicken soup is high in protein, it should keep you feeling satisfied and fueled for hours. Ingredients include Rotel diced tomatoes (MILD), rotisserie chicken, low-fat cottage cheese, chicken broth, taco seasoning and shredded cheese.
And with store-bought rotisserie chicken, this easy soup can be made in 10 minutes. It's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or as a meal prep option.
In addition to being high in protein, this soup is also low in carbs and keto-friendly.
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Key Ingredients
RO-TEL MILD Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies: We recommend Rotel MILD diced tomatoes as the original is too spicy in this soup. Even though we love spicy food, we feel the mild version is still spicy in this soup.
Low-fat cottage cheese: We use a low-fat cottage cheese (2% milkfat) in this soup to keep the protein percentage high. That said, you could also use a full-fat cottage cheese since it only slightly reduces the protein percentage. Whatever you have on hand!
Store-bought rotisserie chicken: To keep the soup easy, we simply use store-bought rotisserie chicken, which we shred into small chunks. We recommend buying a rotisserie chicken that is organic, free-range, and free of hormone.
Low-sodium chicken broth: We use low-sodium chicken broth for the soup base. You could also use vegetable broth if you like.
Sugar-Free taco seasoning: When buying a taco seasoning, be sure to buy one that has no added sugar.
How to Make
STEP 1: In a food processor, briefly pulse the entire can of Rotel tomatoes to break apart tomato chunks and thicken. Pour mixture into large, heavy-bottom pot along with chicken broth and taco seasoning. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.
STEP 2: In the same food processor, blend the cottage cheese until smooth. Set aside. Shred the rotisserie chicken into smaller chunks.
STEP 3: Turn down heat to low and stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken and blended cottage cheese and heat for a few minutes until cottage cheese has dissolved. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
STEP 4: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese. Feel free to add other toppings like diced avocado, fresh cilantro, or crushed Quest protein tortilla chips.
Variations
Other meats: If desired, you can replace the shredded rotisserie chicken with lean ground beef or turkey.
Creamier Texture: If you prefer a creamier soup, blend in half an avocado with the cottage cheese before adding to the soup.
Add Greens: Incorporate some chopped spinach or kale for an extra nutritional boost and a pop of color.
Different Cheese: Feel free to use different cheeses like queso fresco, Monterey Jack, or a smoky Gouda for varied flavor.
How to Store
You can store this soup in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 or 3 days. Simply reheat in microwave and top with shredded cheese before serving.
More High Protein Recipes
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Recipe
High Protein Rotel Soup with Cottage Cheese and Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 10-ounce can RO-TEL MILD diced tomatoes and green chilies, roughly blended into small chunks
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (sugar-free)
- 1 ½ cup store-bought rotisserie chicken, shredded into small chunks
- ¾ cup low-fat (2% milkfat) cottage cheese, blended smooth
- ½ cup Mexican-blend, shredded cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Get started: In a food processor, briefly pulse the entire can of Rotel tomatoes to break apart tomato chunks and thicken. Pour mixture into large, heavy-bottom pot along with chicken broth and taco seasoning. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Blend and shred: In the same food processor, blend the cottage cheese until smooth. Set aside. Shred the rotisserie chicken into smaller chunks.
- Stir in rest of ingredients: Turn down heat to low and stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken and blended cottage cheese and heat for a few minutes until cottage cheese has dissolved. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Finish and serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese. Feel free to add other toppings like diced avocado, fresh cilantro, or crushed Quest protein tortilla chips.
Hi. I noticed it says to store in the fridge for 2-3 days. I was wanting to make it for the whole week. Will it not be good if I keep it longer than 2-3 days? Thank you.
Yes, you could store for up to 4 days (which is really based on the rotisserie storage time). But, for us, it just doesn't taste as good the longer it stays in the fridge.
Thank you! Sorry for the late response. 🙂
Really good soup. I have tried a number of your recipes and enjoyed them all. Your flavour profiles work well for my personal liking. I am new to the low carb high protein game and was struggling to find recipes I enjoyed, until I found your site. Love that recipe is adjustable to how many servings I want to make. Also love how easy they are to make. Thanks
Thank you so much for your note - it made my day! Always good to know if someone likes a recipe!
I have this saved on Pinterest but it keeps saying the link is blocked. I love this recipe but can never remember it completely, so I have to look it up. I tried to save it to Pinterest again and it still says the recipe is blocked. I’m glad I found the website!
Ugh, I'm so sorry. I don't know why Pinterest is blocking it. Thank you for letting me know. I did not know this but I have reached out to them and hope it will get fixed. But I will create a new pin just in case, which should be searchable.
Can you freeze this?
Yes! Just a few tips: Cool the soup completely before putting in an airtight or freezer container.
Leave out the shredded cheese until you reheat. I wouldn't recommend freezing longer than 2-3 months.
Before reheating, thaw overnight in the fridge. Also, be sure to stir well while reheating since the cottage cheese will likely slightly separate. A quick blend or whisking can help. Reheat on on low heat, stirring, or microwave in short bursts, stirring in between.
I need to know what the portion size is to be able to tell how many calories I'm consuming in a meal. I'm guessing the portion size is 1/2 cup, but I need to know for sure.
Since the recipe produces almost 6 cups total when done (or about 5 3/4 cups), and there are a total of 4 servings, each serving size would be about 1.4 to 1.5 cups.
This was delicious and quick to make!
Yay! Good to hear, thanks!