High Protein Garlic Bread Soup
Creamy roasted garlic soup made with white beans, cottage cheese, and Parmesan, topped with buttery garlic bread croutons. A cozy, satisfying soup with plenty of garlic flavor and no heavy cream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: DINNER | SOUP
- Method: STOVETOP
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Soup
- 2 medium heads garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 additional garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, divided, plus more as needed
- 2 cups plain cottage cheese, 2% or whole milk
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
For the Garlic Bread Croutons
- 4 ounces crusty bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Roast the garlic. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice approximately ¼ inch from the tops of the two garlic heads to expose the cloves. Place on foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and wrap loosely. Roast for 40–50 minutes, until the cloves are soft and golden. Let cool slightly.
- Make the croutons. Toss the bread cubes with melted butter, minced garlic, Parmesan, and parsley. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake during the final 12–15 minutes of the garlic’s roasting time, turning once, until golden and crisp. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Sauté the onion. While the garlic roasts, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the garlic and herbs. Stir in the 2 minced garlic cloves and Italian seasoning. Cook for 30–60 seconds, stirring, until fragrant.
- Simmer the beans. Add the drained cannellini beans and 3½ cups broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. If the roasted garlic is not ready, reduce the heat to low.
- Blend the cottage cheese. Combine the cottage cheese and remaining ½ cup cool broth in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Blend the soup. Squeeze the softened roasted garlic cloves from their skins into the pot. Remove the pot from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Add the cottage cheese. Return the pot to low heat and stir in the blended cottage cheese. Warm gently, stirring frequently. Do not boil.
- Finish the soup. Remove from the heat. Gradually stir in the Parmesan, then add the lemon juice and black pepper. Taste and season with salt as needed. Add extra broth if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Serve. Divide among four bowls. Top with garlic bread croutons and fresh parsley immediately before serving.
Notes
- Roasted garlic: Larger garlic heads may need additional roasting time. The cloves should be very soft and easy to squeeze from their skins.
- Smooth texture: Blend the cottage cheese thoroughly before adding it to the soup.
- Parmesan: Finely grate it from a wedge and stir it in off the heat for smoother melting.
- Make it spicy: Add ¼–½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes with the Italian seasoning.
- Vegetarian option: Use vegetable broth and Parmesan-style cheese made without animal rennet.
- Reheating: Warm gently over low heat, stirring frequently. Add broth as needed to loosen the soup.
- Croutons: Keep separate until serving so they stay crisp.
- Timing: Roast the garlic while preparing the soup base to keep the total time around 1 hour 5 minutes.