Easy Spaghetti Squash Soup is a bowl of healthy noodle soup that's low-carb, gluten-free, and vegan. It's comfort food for anyone who needs a big warm hug!
Wondering if you can add spaghetti squash to soup? You can and it's delicious!
- Leftover squash? Use it.
- Love the flavor of roasted spaghetti squash? It's fantastic in this recipe.
- Pressed for time? Microwave it. Or cook spaghetti squash whole in a slow cooker or the oven.
The long strands of squash are the "noodles" in this recipe. They give vegetable soup a fall and winter seasonal twist.
We added a hint of turmeric which gives this soup a spicy kick. You can, of course, leave it out. But you'll miss out on the health benefits.
Want to make it a meal? Add chicken, sausage, shrimp, tofu, or beans, and dinner's done!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Here's the list of ingredients you'll need to make spaghetti squash soup and what you need to do to prepare them:
- Onions, celery, and carrots (a.k.a the "holy trinity" of vegetables) - Dice into small pieces.
- Garlic cloves - press or mince it.
- Spaghetti squash - Scrape strands from the cooked squash. See the section below on ways to cook it.
- Vegetable broth - Keep it healthy by using a low-salt product. Chicken or bone broth may also be used.
- Note: Using a broth you're unfamiliar with can completely change how a soup recipe will come out!
- Seasonings - Basil, thyme, and pepper.
- Turmeric - This spice deserves special mention because of the health benefits described in Everyday Health's article. It adds a bit of zing. You can reduce the amount or leave it out.
- Salt - to taste. You may need to add a little if you use a very low to no-salt broth.
Variations: Add your favorite seasonal vegetables to this soup. If adding sweet potato or butternut squash, dice them in smaller cubes so they will cook quickly. You can even add quinoa as we did for Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili.
Related soup recipe: Butternut Squash Soup
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Use leftover spaghetti squash that's not heavily flavored if you have it! Otherwise, pick from the three methods below:
Microwave - the fasted method
First, you will need to cut the gourd in half, which is my least favorite part of this recipe.
Poke holes all over the squash with a knife (to allow steam to escape) and microwave it for 1 minute to make it easier to cut the squash in half.
Next, place each half face down in about an inch of water and microwave for about 5-10 minutes or until the outer skin is soft and can be easily pierced with a knife.
Remove both halves to a plate and use a fork to remove seeds and scrape out the strands.
Roasted - adds the most flavor
Tip: use the microwave process above to make cutting the squash in half easier.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, brush the inside with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake the sides face down on a baking sheet for about 40 minutes in a 375 °F oven.
Whole in the Oven or Slow Cooker - the easiest method
- Poke 8-10 holes in the outer surface of the squash.
- Place squash in a slow cooker or on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 425 °F.
- Cook squash until the outer surface is soft to the touch and a knife can be inserted without much effort.
- Slow Cooker: 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
- Oven: 30 minutes, rolling over halfway through.
- Allow spaghetti squash to cool for about 10 minutes and carefully remove to a cutting board using oven mitts or a towel. It will easily break apart.
- Cut in half and remove seeds.
Directions with Pictures
Here's the easy process to make spaghetti squash soup:
- Cook and remove spaghetti strands from the gourd using one of the above methods.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more.
- Add broth and spices to the pot, except for the spaghetti squash.
- Note: If the spaghetti squash was previously cooked and is cold from being in the refrigerator, add it now too.
- Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in spaghetti squash and enjoy.
Make it a Meal
Once you've made a batch of spaghetti squash soup, you're not far from a complete dinner. Here are some proteins we like to add:
- Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken or Baked Blackened Chicken for a chicken spaghetti squash "noodle" soup.
- Skillet Shrimp for a seafood version.
- Tofu - like Quick and Easy Crispy Tofu by the Minimalist Baker
- Any type of beans, like chickpeas, Great Northern Beans, or white beans
- Sausage
- Meatballs, like Easy Chicken Meatballs
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Tip: Store in single-serving portions for quick defrosting and heating.
More Spaghetti Squash Recipes
You'll probably have leftover spaghetti squash strands unless you buy a small gourd. Use them to make these low-carb, family-friendly recipes:
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a rating and tell us how you liked it!
📋 Recipe
Easy Spaghetti Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups spaghetti squash strands cooked, see methods in the notes below
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- ½ cup carrots diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- 32 ounces low-salt vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon basil dried
- ½ teaspoon thyme dried
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste depending on how salty the broth is
Instructions
- Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrots and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more.
- Add broth and spices to the pot, except for the spaghetti squash. Note if the spaghetti squash was previously cooked and refrigerated then go ahead add it now too.
- Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in spaghetti squash and enjoy.
Notes
- Poke 8-10 holes in the outer surface of the squash.
- Place squash in a slow cooker or on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 425 °F.
- Cook squash until the outer surface is soft to the touch and a knife can be inserted without much effort.
- Slow Cooker: 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
- Oven: 30 minutes, rolling over halfway through.
- Allow spaghetti squash to cool for about 10 minutes and carefully remove to a cutting board using oven mitts or a towel. It will easily break apart.
- Cut in half and remove seeds.
Sues
I love spaghetti squash, but have never thought to put it in soup before. Brilliant idea as a substitute for noodles!
wilhelmina
This is such a healthy and filling bowl of soup!
Cathy
Im thinking of pureeing it all to make a creamy soup. Really looking forward to trying this !
Marjory Pilley
Great idea! I hope you enjoy...love to know how it turns out!