Move over noodles, Spaghetti Squash Soup is here! Deliciously hearty and comforting, it’s the perfect meal to make you feel better inside and out when winter refuses to go…
It’s been so cold and snowy these past few days, I often catch myself wishing that I was still 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 positive side to this unusually cold weather: it gave me the perfect excuse to whip up a huge batch of soup! Seriously, can your think of anything more comforting and soul warming than a piping hot bowl of soup when winter is acting up?
Since I’d just baked a nice big spaghetti squash the day before and had tons of leftover, I decided to throw that into the soup, in place of noodles. Whoa! What a brilliant idea that was! Now, not only is this soup crazy delicious, but it’s also a veritable nutrition powerhouse!
Of course if you’re going to make this soup but haven’t got any leftover baked spaghetti squash in your fridge, you’re gonna want to bake some of that, first. Check out my post on how to easily bake a spaghetti squash for instructions.
If that was your case, I suggest you don’t start working on the soup until your squash is ready, or almost ready, since you’re going to have to let it cool for a few minutes until you can scrape that flesh out anyway.
Of course, you could totally bake the squash ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it…
Once your spaghetti squash is good and ready to go, 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 those veggies until they are 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 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, delicately stir in the baked spaghetti squash. How much you use here really isn’t an exact science. Feel free to add as much or as little as you want…
Kill the heat and allow your soup to sit for about 5 minutes or until the squash is heated through — that much is especially true if you used leftover squash taken straight from the fridge — then serve, sprinkled with ground black pepper.
If you’re in need of a bit of extra comfort, try topping your soup with a generous dusting of Vegan Parmesan. Hmmm, hmmm good!
Spaghetti Squash Soup
Move over noodles, Spaghetti Squash Soup is here! Deliciously hearty and comforting, it’s the perfect meal to make you feel better inside and out when winter refuses to go…
Servings: 4
- 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)
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.
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
Source: Food - thehealthyfoodie.com
