High-Protein Soup Recipes & Salad Recipes for Lunch

August 27, 2019
For a satisfying, filling lunch to power you through the afternoon, try one of these high-protein soup recipes and high-protein salad recipes. All of these healthy lunch recipes recipes have at least 15 grams of protein per serving.Watch Video
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Chicken-Broccoli Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

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Packaged broccoli slaw shortcuts the prep for this honey-mustard chicken salad. Dried cherries add a pop of color and tart-sweetness.

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Cauliflower Soup with Smoked Gouda

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This healthy cauliflower soup recipe gets its great flavor from two smoked ingredients--paprika and Gouda. A hearty serving of crunchy croutons makes it filling.

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Green Salad with Pita Bread & Hummus

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Elevate hummus and pita by piling your plate high with cucumbers, carrots and mixed greens! Just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil is all it takes to dress it up.

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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

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This easy slow-cooker chicken noodle soup is chock-full of vegetables and noodles, and gets extra creaminess from a little light cream cheese.

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Green Salad with Edamame & Beets

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This big salad is a feast for the eyes and an everyday way to incorporate nutrient-rich beets and plant-based protein from edamame (green soybeans). If you're not a fan of cilantro, mix in freshly chopped basil or dill instead.

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Orzo Chicken Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

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The creamy quick-blend dressing is just the thing to top this inspired Southwest pasta salad. Both can be made a day ahead.

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Zesty Shrimp & Black Bean Salad

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Loaded with fresh tomatoes, peppers and cilantro and seasoned with cumin and chile, this shrimp and black bean salad recipe has all the flavors of a great fresh salsa and is a quick and easy no-cook recipe. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh corn tortillas.

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Spicy Ramen Cup of Noodles

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Make your own cup of instant soup at home with this vegetarian ramen recipe. Pack several jars at once to take to work for easy lunches throughout the week.

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Spring Chicken & Barley Soup

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You might think of barley as an addition to hearty, wintery soups, such as mushroom-barley or beef-barley soup, but it also works well in lighter soups like this one with chicken, asparagus and peas.

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Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables

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Carrots, baby sweet peas, and green onions are added to the traditional egg drop soup in this recipe.

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Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing

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This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers.

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Shrimp Cobb Salad

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Cooked peeled shrimp is perfect for quick and healthy meals--here we use it in place of chicken in our simplified Cobb Salad.

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Greek-Style Chicken Salad

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Transform leftover chicken into a fresh Mediterranean-style salad with bottled vinaigrette, plenty of veggies, feta and olives.

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Faux Chicken Pho Cup of Noodles

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Grating ginger and garlic with a microplane transforms them into a paste that easily mixes into the broth in this cup-of-noodles-inspired mason jar pho. Any cooked protein can be used instead of the chicken--think thinly sliced steak, shrimp or cubed tofu.

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Buffalo Chicken Salads

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Enjoy super-tasty Buffalo chicken that's easier (done in your slow cooker!) and healthier (topping a salad!) than traditional wings.

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Green Goddess Salad

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This gorgeous salad combines fresh shrimp, cucumber, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes with homemade green goddess dressing. The dressing is beautifully green and creamy with avocado (loaded with good-for-you fats) and fresh herbs. Buttermilk and a dash of rice vinegar add tang.

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Smoked Gouda-Broccoli Soup

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Smoked paprika and smoked Gouda give this broccoli-and-cheese soup recipe a double hit of smoky flavor. If you can't find smoked Gouda, smoked Cheddar gives delicious results as well.

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Edamame Slaw in Lettuce Cups

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This festive light vegetarian lunch features protein-rich quinoa and edamame tossed with veggies in an Asian-inspired dressing.

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Chicken, Charred Tomato & Broccoli Salad

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This simple but substantial main-course salad gets its goodness from smoky skillet-blackened tomatoes and a dressing prepared right in the pan--maximizing all the flavor from the tomatoes.

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Miso Soup Cup of Noodles with Shrimp & Green Tea Soba

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Green tea soba noodles, or cha soba, are buckwheat noodles made with powdered green tea, which imparts a subtle grassy note and pretty color. You can find them in Japanese markets or online. Regular buckwheat soba noodles work just as well in this cup-of-noodles-style mason jar noodle soup.

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Spring Roll Salad

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All the tastes, color and fun of a spring roll without all the work! This healthy salad recipe is bursting with the colors of rainbow from generous amounts of fresh vegetables, shrimp and whole grains all topped with a peanut dressing for the ultimate satisfying salad.

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The EatingWell Cobb Salad

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This Cobb salad is true to the original with all the good stuff--chicken, eggs, bacon, avocado and a tangy dressing. But we cut the saturated fat in half and doubled the amount of healthy monounsaturated fat. We've left the blue cheese optional, but the salad is so nutritious you might just want to go ahead and indulge yourself with a little bit anyway.

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Tuscan-Style Tuna Salad

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This streamlined version of a northern Italian idea is perfect for a summer evening: no-fuss, no-cook and big taste. You can even make it ahead and store it, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. If you do, use it as a wrap filling for the next day's lunch.

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Curried Red Lentil Soup

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This curried red lentil soup is inspired by the Indian side dish dal; the Hindi word means “split” and refers to the split peas or lentils used in its preparation. Fragrant ginger, curry, cinnamon and cumin add lots of rich flavor. Look for lentils and spices in bulk--you'll often get a better deal and you can buy just the amount you need.

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Greek Salad with Edamame

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Edamame adds protein to the classic Greek salad: romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dried oregano or za'atar.

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Chicken & White Bean Salad

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Zucchini and celery give this chicken-and-bean salad a nice crunch. We like serving it over a bed of slightly bitter escarole and radicchio, but any type of salad greens will work. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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Chopped Greek Salad with Chicken

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Chicken turns this Greek-inspired salad into a substantial main course. Feel free to substitute other chopped fresh vegetables, such as broccoli or bell peppers, for the tomatoes or cucumber. Use leftover chicken, store-roasted chicken or quickly poach a couple boneless, skinless chicken breasts while you prepare the rest of the salad. Serve with pita bread and hummus.

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