I’ve been on a little obsession lately: high-protein cold soups that taste like summer but hit like a meal. No cooking. No powders. Just real food that blends (or stirs) together in minutes and actually keeps you full till dinner.
The tomato one tastes bright and silky—like a chilled marinara cloud. The shrimp sipper is beach-day in a bowl. And the lupini-dill? Shockingly creamy without any cream. These bowls are bright, a tiny bit fancy—and yes, they’re fully no-cook. I tested every one on long workdays; a few were so good I ate them straight from the blender. (No shame.)
TL;DR: High-protein cold soups
- 7 high-protein cold soups · no cook, no protein powder
- ~10 minutes each · 18–30g protein per bowl
- Pantry proteins: silken tofu, tempeh, lupini beans, cooked shrimp, sardines, seitan, black beans
- Clean, real-food ingredients you can grab at any grocery store
High-Protein Cold Soups: Quick Table
| Soup | Time | Protein (est.) | Diet Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silken-Tofu Tomato Gazpacho + Hemp | 10 min | 22–26 g | Vegetarian, GF |
| Tempeh Cucumber–Lime Green Soup | 10 min | 24–28 g | Vegan, GF |
| Lupini Bean Lemon–Dill Chilled Soup | 8 min | 22–26 g | Vegan, GF |
| Chilled Coconut–Lime Shrimp Sipper | 10 min | 24–28 g | Pescatarian, GF |
| Sardine + Roasted Red Pepper Tomato | 8 min | 25–30 g | Pescatarian, GF |
| Seitan “Pho-Style” Cold Broth (Kelp Noodles) | 10 min | 24–30 g | Vegan |
| Black Bean + Fire-Roasted Tomato (No Cook) | 10 min | 20–24 g | Vegan |
Protein math: estimates assume common US/UK/CA/AU grocery sizes (e.g., 6–8 oz tofu, 100 g tempeh, 1 can sardines, 120 g cooked shrimp). Always check your package labels.
Look, here’s how I’ve been surviving hot days — my 60-second cold soup hack:
- First thing, grab a protein. Whatever’s around — silken tofu, tempeh, lupini beans, shrimp if you’ve got some cooked, sardines (yeah, I know, strong but good), seitan, even just black beans out of a can.
- Then you need some body so it doesn’t taste like flavored water. Tomato purée works, or coconut milk, cucumber, roasted peppers, even an avocado you forgot about in the fridge.
- Brighten it up: squeeze of lemon or lime, tiny splash of vinegar, toss in whatever herbs didn’t die in the crisper.
- Season hard. Like actually taste it — salt, pepper, chili, garlic or ginger paste… sometimes I even throw in a pinch of five-spice just to feel clever.
- Stick it in the fridge 10–20 minutes. Cold is the point. When you pull it out, add crunch — hemp hearts, seeds, little cucumber bits.
👉 The real magic? Acid + salt + cold. That squeeze of lime and last pinch of salt… if you skip them, it’s boring. If you don’t, it tastes like you ordered it somewhere fancy.
Recipes
Recipe 1 — Silken-Tofu Tomato Gazpacho with Hemp Crunch (No Cook) {#tofu-gazpacho}
Time: 10 min Protein: ~22–26 g Serves: 1 large bowl
Tastes like: classic gazpacho that went to a spa—creamy, chilly, bright.
Ingredients
- 1 cup strained tomatoes (passata)
- 6–8 oz (170–225 g) silken tofu
- ¼ red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ small cucumber, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1–2 tbsp hemp hearts (save some for topping)
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- ½ small garlic clove (or ¼ tsp paste)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- Optional: smoked paprika, chives
How to make it
- Blend until silky; taste and adjust acid/salt.
- Chill 10–20 minutes.
- Top with hemp hearts + chives.
- Secret note: don’t be shy with vinegar—cold tomatoes love acidity.
- Protein math: ~24 g as written. Swap tofu → 1 cup lupini beans for ~25 g.
Recipe 2 — Tempeh Cucumber–Lime Green Soup (Vegan, No Cook) {#tempeh-green}
Time: 10 min Protein: ~24–28 g Serves: 1
Tastes like: zesty green smoothie but savory—limey, cooling.
Ingredients
- 100 g ready-to-eat tempeh
- 1 large cucumber
- ½ avocado
- Juice + zest of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- Mint or basil leaves
- ½ tsp ginger paste
- Salt & pepper
- Cold water/almond milk to thin
How to make it
- Blend cucumber, avocado, lime, ginger, herbs + liquid.
- Pulse in tempeh + hemp hearts (leave some texture).
- Chill briefly; adjust salt.
- Secret note: lime zest perfumes the whole bowl.
- Protein math: ~26 g. Swap tempeh → seitan for ~28 g.
Recipe 3 — Lupini Bean Lemon–Dill Chilled Soup (Vegan, No Cook) {#lupini-dill}
Time: 8 min Protein: ~22–26 g
Tastes like: Mediterranean summer; creamy without dairy.
Ingredients
- 200 g jarred lupini beans, rinsed
- ½ cup cold veg broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice + zest
- 2 tbsp fresh dill
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
How to make it
- Blend until smooth, thin with broth.
- Chill, whisk before serving.
- Top with dill + olive oil.
- Secret note: rinse lupini well—removes bitterness.
- Protein math: ~24 g. Swap lupini → 1 cup edamame for ~22 g.
Recipe 4 — Chilled Coconut–Lime Shrimp Sipper (No Cook) {#shrimp-coconut}
Time: 10 min Protein: ~24–28 g
Tastes like: beachy, tangy, creamy.
Ingredients
- 120 g pre-cooked shrimp
- ½ cup lite coconut milk
- ½ cup cold veg broth
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ tsp ginger paste
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- Salt & pepper
How to make it
- Whisk liquids + seasonings.
- Stir in shrimp.
- Chill; garnish cilantro + chili.
- Secret note: cold + coconut needs more salt than you think.
- Protein math: ~26 g. Swap shrimp → smoked tofu for ~22 g vegan.
Recipe 5 — Sardine & Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup (No Cook) {#sardine-pepper}
Time: 8 min Protein: ~25–30 g
Tastes like: bold, smoky, savory.
Ingredients
- 1 can sardines
- ¾ cup strained tomatoes
- ½ cup roasted peppers
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- Pinch smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper
How to make it
- Blend tomatoes + peppers + vinegar + spice.
- Fold in sardines.
- Top with lemon + parsley.
- Secret note: mash a sardine into base before folding rest.
- Protein math: ~28 g. Swap sardines → canned tuna for ~27 g.
Recipe 6 — Seitan “Pho-Style” Cold Broth with Kelp Noodles (No Cook) {#seitan-pho}
Time: 10 min Protein: ~24–30 g
Tastes like: aromatic, slurpable pho without the pot.
Ingredients
- 120 g seitan
- 1 pack kelp noodles
- 1 cup cold veg broth
- 1 tsp tamari
- ½ tsp five-spice
- Juice of ½ lime
- Herbs: cilantro, basil
- Chili slices
How to make it
- Whisk broth + tamari + five-spice + lime.
- Add noodles + seitan; chill 10 min.
- Top with herbs + chili.
- Secret note: a pinch of sugar balances aromatics.
- Protein math: ~26 g. Swap seitan → firm tofu + noodles for ~22 g.
Recipe 7 — Black Bean & Fire-Roasted Tomato Chilled Soup (No Cook) {#black-bean}
Time: 10 min Protein: ~20–24 g
Tastes like: tortilla-soup vibes—smoky, limey.
Ingredients
- 1 cup black beans
- ¾ cup fire-roasted tomatoes
- ½ small red onion
- ½ jalapeño
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp cumin
- Salt & pepper
How to make it
- Blend beans + tomatoes + onion + jalapeño + lime + oil + cumin.
- Chill; adjust lime/salt.
- Top with tortilla chips + cilantro.
- Secret note: micro-grate garlic = big upgrade.
- Protein math: ~22 g. Swap black beans → kidney beans for ~21 g.
FAQ: High-protein cold soups
Q1. Can I really get 25g protein from a cold soup without powders?
Yes. Use 120 g shrimp, a can of sardines, 200 g lupini beans, 120 g seitan, or 100 g tempeh + hemp hearts. Most bowls land 20–30 g.
Q2. Do these high-protein cold soups work for meal prep?
Yes. Chill in jars up to 2 days. Add citrus/herbs before eating.
Q3. I don’t have a blender—what now?
Choose the stir-together ones: Shrimp Sipper, Seitan Bowl, Sardine & Pepper. Mash others with fork + whisk.
Q4. Any dairy-free options?
Five of seven are already dairy-free. For fully vegan, swap shrimp/sardines for lupini or seitan.
Q5. Are cold soups healthy for weight loss?
They can be—high protein (20–30 g), high fiber veggies/beans, and controlled fats keep you fuller longer.
Amazon Pantry & Gear (affiliate-ready): High-protein cold soups
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- Silken tofu (shelf-stable boxes)
- Lupini beans (jarred)
- Tempeh (ready-to-eat)
- Canned sardines
- Kelp noodles
- Hemp hearts
- Lite coconut milk
- Strained tomatoes (passata)
- Immersion blender
- Wide-mouth mason jars
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