High Protein Meals Made Easy
After my upgraded instant noodles series, this may be my first entry in a new upgraded prepared soups series. You can find tons of soups in stores now with pretty decent macros, lots of fiber, and surprisingly short ingredient lists.
All they’re missing is a bit of protein, and that’s an easy fix!
In this case, I “upgraded” Trader Joe’s tomato feta soup with sweet and peppery balsamic ground beef crumbles, a big dollop of ricotta cheese, and some fresh basil.
The focaccia bread with roasted tomatoes and parmesan from Trader Joe’s makes a great side if you have the calories to spare.
Pro tip: Pick up two loaves and make focaccia sandwiches.
I hope you enjoy this high protein soup. And if you’re into this series idea for upgraded soups, be sure to let me know in the comments.
High Protein Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 5 cups Tomato Soup, I used 2 containers of Trader Joe's Tomato Feta Soup (see notes)*
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 16 oz Extra Lean Ground Beef
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
For Serving
- ½ cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
- 1 oz Fresh Basil, chopped
- Focaccia or Your Choice of Bread, optional
Instructions
- Add the soup to a saucepan over medium-low heat to warm. (Or microwave according to the instructions on its packaging.)
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat before adding the ground beef. Cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes until a nicely browned crust has formed before breaking the beef apart and fully cooking.
- Add the vinegar, honey, water, black pepper, salt, and Italian seasoning to the cooked beef. Stir well and cook until the beef has absorbed the sauce and started to caramelize on the bottom, another 1-2 minutes.
- Plate the warmed soup (about 1 ⅔ cup per serving) and top with the ⅓ of the beef, about 2 ½ tablespoons of ricotta, and freshly chopped basil. (I also like a pinch of red pepper flakes and a tiny drizzle of olive oil.)
