High Calorie Soup [Italian Sausage and Summer Vegetable Soup with Orzo]

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A high calorie soup is a good meal option, especially on a cold day. Soup is mostly liquid and it helps with hydration, so a high calorie soup is great if you are trying to promote weight gain or prevent weight loss. There are a ton of delicious ingredients in this Italian Sausage and Summer Vegetable Soup with Orzo soup!

Benefits of High Calorie Soup

Making a high calorie soup is an easy way to get some veggies in your body. This Italian Sausage and Summer Vegetable Soup with Orzo is a god way to use some of your produce that is about to go bad. Frozen vegetables are also a valid option to use when making this high calorie soup.

This recipe could be made if you want to meal prep lunch or dinner in advance. You can make a batch of this high calorie soup on the weekend and store some in the freezer to consume later. It saves you time, effort and you get a healthy meal. 

High calorie soup is a great immune system boost because it has disease-fighting nutrients. There are studies that show chicken soup can help prevent common cold, especially if it has garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Warm soup can also help a sore throat.

This Italian Sausage and Summer Vegetable Soup with Orzo high calorie soup makes 4 servings in total. Each serving is 1 ½ cups, has around 400 calories, and  13 grams of protein. Take a look at the recipe below to find out how to make this tasty and nutritious high calorie soup.

Ingredients for Soup

The high calorie soup uses a variety of ingredients. Therefore, this soup is very nutrient-dense. It is a healthy, delicious, and inexpensive food item that can be used for multiple meals.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients:

• 8 oz Italian sausages, (about 2 links) with casing removed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onion, diced (about 1 medium)
• ½ cup celery, diced (1 large stalk)
• ½ cup carrot, diced (1 large)
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup green pepper, large diced (about 1 pepper)
• 1 cup zucchini, large diced (about 1 small)
• 2.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ½ cup dried orzo
• ¼ cup heavy cream

To ensure that this really is a high calorie soup, it is important to choose ingredients that are high in calories. Try to stay away from low-fat, reduced fat, or light varieties. That way you can increase the number of calories from this high calorie soup.

Is it harmful to eat soup daily?

No, you can eat soup daily without any harm. In fact, high calorie soup provides an excellent source of a variety of nutrients. Follow this link for a high protein soup recipe that’s sure to please. Make sure you are getting different types of nutrition to meet all of the macro- and micro- needs.

However, it can be important to pay attention to the serving size and not eat too much if your are trying to stay within a certain calorie range. Drinking high calorie soup is good before eating because it provides more calories than water and many other drinks while stimulating the digestive tract mucosa.

Overall, high calorie soup is great for weight gain because it is high fat and high calorie and has a lot of vegetables. It is relatively low carbohydrate which may be good if you are watching your blood sugars. For more help with diets that are for specific disease states, check out this article here.

How to Make High Calorie Soup

Put a medium sized pot over medium heat. Then cook Italian sausage by breaking it into small pieces until browned and cooked through for about 10 minutes. Take meat to a separate plate and set aside (be sure to leave behind fat in the pan).

Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the same sauce pan. Then add onion, celery, carrot and cook them until they begin to soften in about 5-8 minutes. Next add garlic, salt and tomato paste and cook for an additional 1 minute.

Throw in green pepper, zucchini, chicken broth, oregano and basil and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add in orzo and recover to cook for an additional 11 minutes until orzo is fully cooked. Mix in heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve immediately.

Special note: The orzo will continue to absorb the soup as it sits. If you are not serving the soup immediately, then you can cook the orzo separately (follow package instructions) and add into soup upon serving.

If you choose to follow this method, then make sure to cook the high calorie soup for the full 21 minutes so the vegetables are fully cooked.

Some Soup Changes

Let’s imagine that you make this so much that this high calorie soup recipe gets boring. Then you could change the meat, throw in some cheese, or change the vegetables. Below are some ideas to help you get started!

Meat:

• Chicken
• Ham
• Turkey
• Bacon
• Etc.

Cheese:

• Cheddar Jack
• Provolone
• Colby Jack
• Mozzarella
• Swiss
• Cheddar
• Etc.

Vegetables:

• Broccoli 
• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Cucumber
• Egg plant
• Any type of pepper
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Potato
• Brussel sprouts
• Peas
• Artichoke
• Cabbage
• Any type of bean
• Etc.

Side Dishes for High Calorie Soup

Pairing up almost any type of bread with high calorie soup is a good idea. You can eat it separately or dip it into the soup to combine the flavors. Whichever way you choose to eat the bread it will add a nice touch.

Preparing a side salad will add a nice crunchy texture to the soup. It will also provide you with even more healthy nutrients along with the soup. Since salads are generally light in flavor, they can serve as a nice contrast to the heavier soup flavor.

Another side dish option that goes well with high calorie soup is parmesan baked broccoli. Not only does it provide an extra tasty serving of vegetables, but it also adds some dairy from the cheese.

How Do You Store High Calorie Soup?

You can freeze soups by using a freezer-safe sealable bag or container. If you choose containers, then make sure to leave about ½ inch space for expansion. If you choose to use bags, then write the date on the bag and add the soup. Make sure there is no air in the bag before sealing.