A Deliciously Tasty Spaghetti Squash Soup Recipe
If you are looking for a soup dish that is both low-carb and meets some of the most complex diet restrictions, then it is time to add this spaghetti squash soup recipe to your soup rotation. This is great as an appetizer or a quick meal when you want something warm but also light.
Benefits of Spaghetti Squash Soup Recipe
For the last decade, spaghetti squash has been used as a noodle replacement to make dishes healthier because of its texture. Traditional noodles in soups increase the carb count, but adding spaghetti squash to the dish means that you don’t have as many carbs or calories. This encourages a healthier lifestyle and is heart-healthy.
Another benefit is making this dish gluten-free or vegan if you or some of your guests need these accommodations. When you make this dish, you know that everyone can enjoy it and it will not be controversial.
The amount of veggies added to this soup makes it great for getting rid of what you have in your fridge and avoiding waste. Spaghetti squash soup can substitute for a variety of different vegetables and stand up to them when they are being cooked.
Gathering Your Ingredients
Whether going to the local farmers market or your supermarket, you need to make a shopping list for the ingredients below to have a balanced spaghetti squash soup recipe.
- Two roasted spaghetti squash
- Two medium carrots
- One celery stalk
- One small yellow onion
- One tablespoon of tomato paste
- Two cans of diced or stewed tomatoes
- Two tablespoons olive oil
- One tablespoon of Italian seasoning
- Two stalks of Swiss chard
- One tablespoon of minced garlic
- Three cups of vegetable broth
Ingredient Substitutions
The ingredients in spaghetti squash soup can be substituted, all except for the spaghetti squash. As the star ingredient, it is always a requirement. However, you can always sub out the Swiss chard for a cup of kale or spinach if that is what you have available when you go to make the soup.
If you want to make this dish a bit heartier and increase the protein, feel free to add a pack of sliced baby Bella mushrooms or a can of drained garbanzo beans. These are great additional if you are looking to meal prep for lunch and need to feel fuller longer.
If you do not need to make this dish vegan, you can substitute half of the vegetable broth for heavy whipping cream to give the soup a thicker texture. In that case, you could also use butter instead of olive oil.
Roasting Your Spaghetti Squash
Before you can start building your soup, you must roast your spaghetti squash so that you can get that stringy noodle texture. Start the process by turning your oven on to 400 degrees and halving your two spaghetti squash plants in half. This part is important because you want to cut it from the stem to the talk in long half cuts, not through the center of the squash.
Grab a metal spoon and make sure to scrape out all the seeds from the spaghetti squash, making it look hollow in the middle on both sides. Take a bit of olive oil and coat the spaghetti squash all over the flesh that you will be scraping when this is done. You should also sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic, if you prefer, over each piece while it cooks.
Lay the cut sides face down on your baking sheet with the domes in the air. Put them in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Once they come out, let them cool, and then scrape out the noodles with a fork that you plan to use.
Build Your Spaghetti Squash Soup Recipe
Once you have roasted your spaghetti squash and have it ready, it is time to begin building the soup.
1. Prepare Your Veggies
Outside of the spaghetti squash, you need to prepare the veggies that you are planning to use in the dish. First, wash all the veggies and ensure they are ready to be used. Dice up your yellow onion, and cut up your celery, carrots and Swiss chard. If you opted for mushrooms, you can slice them down further if you would like.
2. Saute Away
In your large soup pot, turn your burner on to medium-high heat and add in your olive oil first. Once it warms up, add in the sliced veggies, garlic and other seasonings. You want these veggies to cook down for about five minutes on their own, getting tender and starting to darken up.
3. Add in the Rest
Once the veggies are tender, add in your cans of tomatoes and tomato paste first to the pot, give the mixture a good stir so that it is all blended well together. Now it is time to add the broth and let the soup boil for about five minutes. After a steady boil, let the soup simmer for ten more minutes.
4. Time to Blend
Once the soup has cooled to a simmer, it is time to pour the contents into the blender and begin pulsing the soup. This gives the soup that smooth texture and consistency. Transfer the soup back to the pot after blending for a minute or two.
Add the spaghetti noodles to the blended soup and let simmer for another ten minutes.
5. Serve and Store
Once the soup has simmered with the spaghetti noodles, you can ladle it into soup bowls and begin serving. If you have any leftovers, make sure you let them cool completely before transferring to the refrigerator for up to three days or the freezer for up to six months.
Garnishes are Great, too!
When you are serving your soup to our guests, make sure you have garnishes available that they can add later if they choose. Fresh chopped parsley, grated parmesan and even bacon bits are great options to add to this soup to bring together the full flavor.
