Move over noodles, Spaghetti Squash Soup is here! Deliciously hearty and comforting, it’s the perfect meal to warm you up inside and out when winter just won’t quit.
It’s been so cold and snowy these past few days, I often find myself wishing I was back in Costa Rica! Trust me, I’d much rather be on the beach right now. Well, if the beaches weren’t all closed, that is…
But, there’s a silver lining to this unusually cold weather: it gave me the perfect excuse to whip up a huge batch of soup! Seriously, can you think of anything more comforting and soul-warming than a piping hot bowl of soup when winter is in full swing?
Since I’d just baked a big spaghetti squash the day before and had tons of leftovers, I decided to throw that into the soup instead of noodles. Whoa! What a brilliant idea that was! Now, not only is this soup incredibly delicious, but it’s also a nutritional powerhouse!
Of course, if you’re going to make this soup but don’t have any leftover baked spaghetti squash in your fridge, you’ll need to bake some first. Check out my post on how to easily bake a spaghetti squash for instructions.
If that’s your case, I suggest you don’t start working on the soup until your squash is ready, or almost ready, since you’ll need to let it cool for a few minutes until you can scrape out the flesh. Of course, you could totally bake the squash ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Once your spaghetti squash is ready, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil (or your preferred cooking oil) in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper.
Cook the veggies until they are slightly softened and fragrant, then add the fresh thyme, dried Italian seasoning, and ground turmeric. Stir well and continue cooking for a minute or two to develop the flavors.
Add your favorite vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently until the carrots are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Next, throw in the chopped spinach and frozen edamame—no need to thaw the beans first—and stir until the spinach is completely wilted.
Finally, gently stir in the baked spaghetti squash. The amount you use here isn’t an exact science. Feel free to add as much or as little as you want.
Turn off the heat and let your soup sit for about 5 minutes or until the squash is heated through. This is especially important if you used leftover squash straight from the fridge. Then serve, sprinkled with ground black pepper.
If you need a bit of extra comfort, try topping your soup with a generous dusting of Vegan Parmesan. Hmmm, so good!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1-1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
- 1 cup frozen edamame
- 4 cups baked spaghetti squash*, (about 1/2 a large squash)
Instructions
- Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil (or other cooking oil of your choice) in a large pot over medium-high heat; once hot, add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, salt and pepper.
- Cook until slightly softened and fragrant, then add the fresh thyme, dried Italian seasoning and ground turmeric and stir well; continue cooking for a minute or two, to develop the flavors.
- Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently until the carrots are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Next, throw in the spinach and edamame, stir until the spinach is completely wilted, and then delicately stir in the baked spaghetti squash.
- Kill the heat and allow your soup to sit for about 5 minutes or until the squash is heated through, then serve.
Notes
*Preparation time does not include time to bake the squash*
NUTRITION INFORMATON: Calories: 205kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 367mg, Potassium: 593mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 9225IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 91mg, Iron: 2mg
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