Description
This spooky Skull & Pumpkin Halloween Soup combines savory ground beef, Italian sausage, and hearty vegetables creatively shaped to resemble Halloween skulls and pumpkins. It’s a festive, comforting one-pot meal perfect for October gatherings, featuring a rich tomato and beef broth infused with aromatic herbs and spices.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Broth
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb Italian sausage (no casing or casing removed)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 5 carrots, peeled
- 1.5 lbs mini gold potatoes
- 8 oz white mushrooms, washed
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
Herbs and Spices
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
Instructions
- Prepare the Pumpkin Carrots: Peel the carrots and make two parallel shallow cuts lengthwise about 1/8-inch deep, framing where the stem will be. Then, make two additional 45-degree angle cuts intersecting at the base of each initial cut. Remove the pieces between these cuts to form the ‘stem’ shape. Slice the carrots into ¼-inch rounds that look like small pumpkins. Set aside.
- Carve the Potato Skulls: Halve the mini gold potatoes and place them flat-side down. Use a stainless-steel straw to puncture two ‘eye’ holes in each half, removing potato pieces after each puncture to prevent clogging. Then, carefully carve a mouth below the eyes with horizontal and vertical slits to create a skeleton-like mouth. Set aside.
- Make Mushroom Skulls: Halve the mushrooms and lay them flat side down. Using the straw, gently puncture ‘eye’ holes in the mushrooms to create skull faces, taking care to avoid breaking them. Set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Brown the Meat: Add the Italian sausage and ground beef to the pot. Break the meat apart with a wooden spatula and cook until about two-thirds done, making sure there are no large meat chunks.
- Add Broth and Seasonings: Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce. Add salt, black pepper, dried basil, garlic powder, oregano, fennel seed, dried sage, and bay leaves. Stir well to combine.
- Add Vegetables: Gently add the carved pumpkin carrots, potato skulls, and mushroom skulls to the soup. They will float and add a fun Halloween theme.
- Simmer the Soup: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and the meat is fully cooked.
- Finish and Serve: Remove bay leaves, stir the soup, and serve hot to enjoy a spooky and savory Halloween meal.
Notes
- Use a stainless-steel straw or metal skewer for precise carving of the vegetable ‘faces’.
- Be gentle when poking eyes into the mushrooms as they are delicate and can break easily.
- Adjust salt to taste, especially if using a broth that is already salted.
- This soup can be made ahead and reheated; flavors improve after resting.
- For extra heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes when adding spices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
