If you make turkey stock after the big Thanksgiving dinner, this Fall Festival Spaghetti Squash Soup is the perfect soup to make taking advantage of all that fresh flavor. Fear not if you don’t, store-bought chicken broth works equally well.
Since we had an overabundance of spaghetti squash in our garden this year, I’ve been trying to come up with new recipe ideas that will utilize this delicious and flavorful winter squash. Since spaghetti squash is widely available in most markets this time of year, so if you don’t grow your own, I urge you to pick a few up at the market and make this soup. It’s a wonderfully hearty, comforting and healthy way to eat your veggies.
This soup can also be made with our without the meat, depending on what your family enjoys. My husband happens to love Italian sausage, so I made sure to add it to the soup pot. However, I would have been just as happy with the veggies and broth alone.
That said, since you can tailor this soup to your tastes and preferences why not think about adding in some leftover Thanksgiving turkey (if you’re lucky enough to have any)? And what about a cup or two of that leftover stuffing? That might sound strange suggestion, but I’ll bet the addition of the bread stuffing would be a wonderful addition to this soup and would make it even heartier. And of course, it would thicken it up just a bit making it more like a winter squash stew.
See? That’s the fun of cooking. There aren’t any rules, so it’s okay to play with your food and get creative in the kitchen! It’s actually encouraged, so don’t be scared!
SPAGHETTI SQUASH SOUP {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Yield: 10-12 cups Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes
2 small spaghetti squash, split lengthwise with seeds removed
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound Italian sausage
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes, including their liquid
2 quarts chicken stock (or turkey stock if you have it)
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese to garnish
-In a large skillet heat the canola oil over medium heat. Place the spaghetti squash cut side down in the pan and allow to brown (approximately 5 minutes). Remove and continue the same process with the second squash. *Note – This step is optional but the extra browning of the squash will add more flavor to the final soup.
–Place the browned squash in a microwave safe dish and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until the squash becomes tender and strands will form when the interior of the squash is scraped with a fork. Set aside to cool.
-Meanwhile, in the same skillet over medium/high heat brown and crumble the Italian sausage (approximately 7-10 minutes). Add in the onion, zucchini and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sausage is no longer pink in the center.
-When the spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, scrape the strands of the squash into a large stock pot. Add in the sausage mixture, oregano, basil, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and chicken stock. Stir well. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook over low for 20-30 minutes. Stir in the butter and apple cider vinegar. Remove from the heat. Add additional seasoning to taste, if desired.
-To serve, spoon the soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.
It may seem weird to add butter and vinegar to the finished product, but it’s something I’ve been doing lately when cooking soup that makes a very big difference to the end result. The butter allows the flavor of the soup to linger on the tongue, and the vinegar adds a brightness to the finishing taste that is undetectable, and yet subtly noticed. I do hope you’ll try it!
And in the great words of Julia Child:
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this soup would really hit the spot here today, it's cold and rainy.
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I love spaghetti squash but never even thought to put it in a soup! It looks delicious!
That looks soooo good! Swooning! I could never say no to this delicious and hearty soup.
This looks wonderful and overabundance of spaghetti squash, YES!! We planted a wee bit too many this year and still have a huge wheelbarrow full of them! Look forward to trying this recipe!
Never heard of a soup like this, LOVE it!
Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite things to eat during the fall and winter, and this soup sounds like a wonderful way to switch things up!
I LOVE that you put the spaghetti squash into something vs. putting something in the spaghetti squash!
I have a squash on my counter that would be perfect for this!
Can I 3x up the same recipe for bigger amounts
Hey Annie! I’m all about the larger amounts of food. Yes, Triple the quantities given and you’re good to go. Also, don’t be afraid to “tweak” the recipe (and quantities of ingredients) to your specific tastes. I’m a huge advocate for adjusting recipes to suit individual tastes. That’s what makes cooking FUN!