High-Protein Soups for Runners: 5 Easy Winter Recipes

The best high-protein soups for runners are built on a proper protein base, such as lentils, chicken, split peas, beans or tofu, rather than vegetables and stock alone. The five easy winter recipes below each give an estimated 20 to 35g of protein per bowl, need only supermarket basics, and freeze well, so a warm, filling meal is waiting after a cold, dark run.

Why are soups a good winter meal for runners?

After a cold evening run, a hot bowl of soup is easy to want. It reheats in minutes, it is easy to eat when you are tired, and one pot covers several meals.

The catch is that many vegetable soups, homemade or shop-bought, have only a few grams of protein per bowl. That makes them more of a starter than a meal if you train several times a week. A common sports nutrition rule of thumb is roughly 20 to 40g of protein per meal, and our guide to how much protein you need to build muscle explains where that range comes from.

How do you make any soup higher in protein?

Start with a protein base, then add toppings. These work in almost any soup:

• Pulses: red lentils, split peas, or tinned beans and chickpeas. Cheap, filling and great for thickening.
• Lean meat: chicken breast, leftover roast chicken or cooked ham.
• Plant protein: firm tofu or frozen edamame beans, straight from the freezer.
• Toppings: Greek yoghurt, grated cheese, a boiled or poached egg, or toasted seeds.

Eat plant-based? The lentil soup (with plant yoghurt) and the miso soup (with egg-free noodles) need no meat, and the split pea soup has a simple swap. Our vegan protein guide for training has more ideas.

Which high-protein soup should you make first?

The five recipes at a glance. Hands-on time means chopping and stirring, not simmering.

Protein figures are our estimates for one of four servings, based on typical UK pack values. Brands and portions vary, so check labels if you track closely.

Recipe 1: How do you make a high-protein red lentil soup?

The easiest start: red lentils need no soaking and turn thick and creamy on their own.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 300g dried red lentils, rinsed
• 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes and 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• To serve: Greek yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon

Method

1. Soften the onion, carrot and celery in the oil for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and spices for a minute.
2. Add the lentils, tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils break down. Add water if it gets too thick.
3. Blend or leave chunky, season, and top each bowl with yoghurt and lemon.

Estimated protein: about 20g per serving.

Recipe 2: How do you make chicken, vegetable and barley soup?

The highest-protein bowl of the five, and a full meal thanks to the barley.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks and 1 leek, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves and 1 tsp dried thyme
• 100g pearl barley, rinsed, and 1.5 litres chicken stock
• 500g skinless chicken breast (boneless thighs work too, with a little less protein)
• 150g frozen peas and a handful of chopped parsley

Method

1. Soften the veg in the oil for 8 to 10 minutes, then add the garlic and thyme.
2. Add the barley and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the whole chicken breasts and simmer for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the barley is tender and the chicken is cooked through: steaming hot, no pink meat and clear juices. Barley times vary, so check the pack.
4. Lift out the chicken, shred it with two forks and return it with the peas. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, season and add the parsley.

Estimated protein: about 30 to 35g per serving.

Recipe 3: How do you make split pea and ham soup?

A thick British classic, made with one of the cheapest proteins in the supermarket.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 250g dried yellow or green split peas
• 1 tbsp oil, 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 1 bay leaf and 1.5 litres low-salt chicken or vegetable stock
• 200g cooked ham or ham hock, chopped or shredded

Method

1. Check the pack: many split peas need soaking first, often overnight. Drain and rinse.
2. Soften the veg in the oil for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the split peas, bay leaf and stock, bring to the boil and skim off any foam.
3. Simmer, partly covered, until the peas are soft and falling apart. This often takes 45 minutes to an hour, but follow your pack. Add water if needed.
4. Remove the bay leaf, blend some or all of it, then stir in the ham and heat until piping hot. Taste before adding salt, as ham and stock are already salty.

Plant-based swap: skip the ham and add a drained tin of butter beans and a teaspoon of smoked paprika, for a little less protein per bowl.

Estimated protein: about 23g per serving.

Recipe 4: How do you make smoky bean and chorizo soup?

Big flavour from a little chorizo, with three tins of beans doing most of the protein work.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 120g chorizo ring, diced
• 1 onion and 1 red pepper, chopped, plus 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes and 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 tins (400g each) of beans, drained and rinsed, such as cannellini, butter beans or chickpeas
• 100g kale or spinach

Method

1. Fry the chorizo in a dry pan for 3 to 4 minutes until it releases its red oil.
2. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 8 minutes, then the garlic for a minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans and stock and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Mash a few beans against the pan to thicken it.
4. Stir in the kale or spinach for the last few minutes until wilted.

Chorizo is rich and salty. For a lighter bowl, use half and add shredded cooked chicken.

Estimated protein: about 20g per serving.

Recipe 5: How do you make a high-protein miso soup?

Classic miso soup is light, so this version adds tofu, edamame and noodles to make a full meal.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tbsp oil, a thumb of ginger and 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 200g mushrooms, sliced, and 1.2 litres vegetable stock or water
• 400g firm tofu, cubed, and 200g frozen edamame beans
• 2 heads of pak choi or a bag of spinach
• 150g dried noodles, such as soba or wholewheat
• 3 to 4 tbsp miso paste, plus spring onions and sesame seeds to serve

Method

1. Cook the noodles separately following the pack, drain and divide between bowls.
2. Fry the ginger, garlic and mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes, then add the stock and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the tofu, edamame and greens and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the edamame are cooked (check the pack).
4. Take the pan off the heat, mix the miso with a ladle of broth, then stir it in. Avoid boiling it after this, as that can dull the flavour.
5. Pour over the noodles and top with spring onions and sesame seeds.

Estimated protein: about 25g per serving.

How do you batch cook and freeze soup safely?

A big pot of soup holds its heat for a long time, so cool and store it with care. Based on UK Food Standards Agency guidance at the time of writing:

• Cool it quickly. Get it into the fridge or freezer within one to two hours. Smaller containers cool faster.
• Fridge or freezer. Eat fridge leftovers within 48 hours, or freeze them. Keep your fridge between 0 and 5°C.
• Defrost in the fridge. Move a portion across the night before and eat it within 24 hours of it fully defrosting.
• Reheat once. Heat only what you need, until steaming hot all the way through, and do not reheat it again.

Freeze single portions with a little space at the top, as liquid expands, and label each with the date. Cook pasta and noodles fresh, because they go soft when frozen in soup, and add a splash of water to barley soup when reheating. For the best taste, eat frozen soup within a few months. Our beginner's guide to meal prep for training shows how a soup fits into a full week of batch cooking.

When should runners eat soup around training?

Everyone's stomach is different, so treat these as starting points:

• After a run or strength session: pair any of these soups with carbs, such as crusty bread, a wrap or a jacket potato, for protein and fuel together.
• Before a run: bean, lentil and split pea soups are high in fibre and very filling, so many runners eat them a few hours before running rather than just before. Test it on an easy day, never before a race.
• Long run or hard HIIT day: make the bowl bigger and add extra carbs. The chicken and barley or miso noodle soups are the easiest to bulk up.

If you train with Edge, your plan shows every run, strength session and HIIT workout for the week, so you can save the bigger bowls for the harder days. Not sure how to fuel a tougher block? Message a real coach anytime.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.