Spaghetti Squash Soup

🍲 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this spaghetti squash soup:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Spaghetti squash: This is the key to the soup, as spaghetti squash has a stringy texture (hence the name) that creates "noodles" for this soup. We wouldn't recommend substituting for another type of squash. You'll have to roast the squash before adding to the soup, but luckily you can get the broth going while the squash is in the oven to speed things up.
• Swiss chard: Feel free to substitute with lacinato kale, spinach, collard greens or another leafy green of choice.
• Italian seasoning: This dried herb blend makes it easy to add flavor to this spaghetti squash soup without having to open and measure several different dried herbs. If you don't have any of the blend, you can also use 1 tablespoon total of a mixture of dried basil, parsley and oregano instead.
• Tomatoes: Crushed or diced tomatoes are both fine in this soup since the broth is pureed. Don't skip the tomato paste – it adds an extra rich, concentrated tomato flavor.
• Parmesan: To keep this spaghetti squash soup vegan, we used dairy free parmesan; feel free to use regular parmesan if preferred.
• Flour: A small amount of flour helps thicken up the broth for a super creamy soup without added dairy like heavy cream. We used gluten free all purpose flour, but of course regular all purpose flour works, too. If you would prefer a thinner broth, you can leave it out.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

Prep: Preheat oven to 400˚F / 205˚C. Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

(1) Brush each half of the spaghetti squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

(2) Place the squash cut side down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and use a fork to poke some holes in the back of the squash (this helps release steam in the oven).

(3) Roast the squash for 30 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, then flip and use two forks to pull the squash away from the skin. Set your spaghetti squash "noodles" aside.

(4) While the squash is roasting, add ¼ cup of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, then stir in the carrots and celery and cook for another 5 minutes.

(5) Stir in tomato paste, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper, then stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.

(6) Add the broth and tomatoes and bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

(7) After 20 minutes, transfer the soup to a heat safe blender, add lemon juice, and blend until smooth.

(8) Pour the soup back into the pot and stir in the Swiss chard, parsley, spaghetti squash “noodles”, and parmesan. Cook for 8-10 minutes on medium low heat just until the greens have wilted.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• You can still make this soup without a blender. We tried this spaghetti squash soup both with a blended broth and an unblended broth. It's delicious both ways, although we love the creaminess of the blended broth. If you don't have a blender or would prefer to skip this step, simply add the squash, swiss chard, parsley and parmesan straight to the soup.
• Add a protein: This spaghetti squash soup works well with sausage added in at the end, so feel free to add in your favorite vegan sausage or regular Italian sausage for your meat-eating friends and family.
• Leafy green of choice: We chose Swiss chard because it holds up well to a heavier broth, but feel free to use with another green of choice, like kale or spinach.
• Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave or on stovetop.
• Freezer: let the soup cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe container. You can freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then heat in a pot over low until fully warmed.
• What to serve with vegan spaghetti squash soup: you can't go wrong with a crusty baguette or sourdough! We also like serving ours with a simple salad or sandwich, like this Italian Chopped Salad or this Chickpea "Tuna" Melt.

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