Cottage Cheese Is Your Secret Addition For The Creamiest Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is already a warming and nostalgic dish, but when it's made creamy, you've entered the ultimate comfort food territory. Add on the classic pairing of grilled cheese and tomato soup and you're sure to have a winning meal every time. One easy way to make creamy tomato soup is adding in the surprising ingredient of cottage cheese. A little of it goes a long way in creating a richer texture and tangy flavor in each bowl of soup.

While cottage cheese has a chunky texture, which some people may find off-putting, that won't be a problem in your soup. Simply blend it until it's smooth and no one will be able to taste that cottage cheese is the secret ingredient. If your blender is having trouble, add a few splashes of milk to create a creamy texture. Once your cottage cheese is smooth, mix in a few dollops to your favorite tomato soup recipe and enjoy!

Using cottage cheese in this dish offers some dietary benefits too. It's a nutritious alternative to heavy cream, a common soup ingredient, with less calories and fat. Plus, each cup of cottage cheese packs a whopping 25 grams of protein, making it a great vegetarian protein source. Want even more plant-based goodness? A sprinkling of nutritional yeast can boost the cheesy flavor and protein of your tomato soup. Or, if you're a meat eater, swap in your cooking liquid with bone broth for a few extra grams of protein.

There are plenty of unusual and delicious ways to use cottage cheese, but this handy ingredient isn't often utilized when it comes to savory dishes. Just like with tomato soup, cottage cheese can be a secret ingredient to add in protein and creaminess to a variety of meals. If you don't feel like blending your cottage cheese until smooth, look for a smaller curd option, as it will combine into dishes more easily than large curds. Also opt for full fat cottage cheese, since low-fat often has drier curds that don't contribute as rich of a texture.

Cottage cheese can be used in a variety of spreads, like as the base of spinach-artichoke dip or even heated with other cheeses to create queso. Serve with your favorite dipping sides like crackers, chips, and crudite, or even spoon over a crunchy piece of toast to start the day. Just make sure to cook your toast thoroughly before topping, as cottage cheese's high moisture content can result in soggy bread.

Cottage cheese can be whipped in a food processor to create a texture similar to ricotta. This makes it great for recipes that require a rich cheesy addition, like layering into a lasagna or mixing into Alfredo sauce. Add a few dollops of cottage cheese to jarred marinara or pesto sauces and you'll soon have a hearty pasta sauce worthy of dinnertime.