The BEST Vegan Chicken(less) Noodle Soup

This vegan chicken noodle soup is the stuff of our childhood sick day dreams! There’s a warm + cozy broth bursting with flavor, thick brothy noodles, meaty soy curls, and the perfect combo of sauteed carrots, celery, and onions. It’s easy to make, super soothing, and includes a gluten-free option. This is the best vegan chicken noodle soup recipe for colds or for just warming up on a cold winter day!


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I don’t know about you, but when I get a cold, all I want to do is lie under a blanket and consume LARGE amounts of this vegan chicken noodle soup.

 It’s a craving that definitely go back to childhood.  There was always something super healing and comforting about a large bowl of chicken noodle soup – with those thick, broth-infused noodles and perfect blend of herbs and spices…

Just thinking about it has me feeling better already!

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Overhead photo of the ingredients you need for vegan chicken noodle soup: spaghetti, diced carrots, celery, and onions, veggie chicken (soy curls), all purpose flour, no chicken bouillon powder, and olive oil

What makes this the “BEST” vegan chicken noodle soup?

Everyone has their own idea of the “best” vegan chicken noodle soup. Here are the qualifications we had in mind when creating this recipe. If it sounds like your kinda soup, you’ve landed in the right place:

A rich, flavorful broth. The key to this recipe is one magical concoction we like to call our Life-Changing Chicken(less) Noodle Soup Powder. It’s an easy veggie bouillon  powder made with a base of nutritional yeast and other spices + herbs that has a dead-on chicken broth flavor and also acts as a mild thickener – leaving you with one luxurious and super-healing bowl that will taste just like the chicken noodle soup you grew up eating.

Thick brothy noodles. Remember when you’d heat up a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup when you were little, and those noodles were so thick and full of chicken-y flavor and just downright perfect? Yea, us too. Thanks to the aforementioned bouillon powder and a little patience, these noodles can be yours once again.

The meatiest meat-free chicken. Our favorite vegan meat to use in this recipe is soy curls. While you can use whatever kind of vegan chicken you prefer (or skip it if it’s not your thing), we have found that soy curls are hands-down the best texture, the easiest to use, and the most cost-effective option. Your non-vegan friends and family will be shocked there aren’t actually chunks of chicken lurking amidst the perfect brothy noodles of this soup. Ours always are!

Vegan Chicken Soup Add-Ins (to up the healing factor):

I love this vegan chicken noodle soup anytime I need a warm + cozy dinner, but when a cold or the flu hits (which happens pretty regularly, living with a teacher), I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help boost the healing power of this vegan chicken noodle soup:

  • Fresh Garlic: Add up to 6 cloves minced garlic with the rest of your veggies. Garlic is great for when you have a cold, so I like to add this when I can!
  • Crushed Red Pepper: Add up to 1 tsp crushed red pepper to add a major kick of spicy and clear those sinuses. 
  • Fresh Lemon Juice: For a blast of Vitamin C, I like to squeeze ½-1 full lemon into the pot just before serving. If you really dig that lemon-y flavor, you can also throw in some lemon zest while you’re at it!

A big delicious hug in a bowl. You’ll be feeling better in no time!

This vegan chicken noodle soup is the stuff of our childhood sick day dreams! Warm + cozy broth bursting with flavor, thick brothy noodles, tender chicken-free chicken. Easy, soothing, gluten-free option. #vegan #soup #plantbased #veganrecipe // plantpowercouple.com

How to Make Easy Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

Step 1: Cook the veggies.

Dice the vegetables and add the olive oil to a large pot on medium high heat. Add the veggies to the pot with and a pinch of salt. Stir and saute for 5 minutes. Then, add the flour and stir to coat. Slowly pour in the water while continuing to stir. Finally, cover the pot, turn the heat to high, and bring the water to a rolling boil. 

Three photos side by side showing the first three steps of making plant based chicken noodle soup: saute the carrots, onions, and celery in olive oil, mix in the flour, and then stir in the water

Step 2: Cook the pasta.

Once boiling, turn the heat to medium high and stir in the bouillon powder. Add your pasta and cook uncovered for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3: Simmer the soy curls.

When the pasta is finished, add the soy curls to the pot, turn the heat to medium, and let the soup simmer, uncovered, for another 10 minutes.

Three side by side photos showing the final three steps of making a vegan chicken noodle soup recipe

Step 4: Finishing Touches

Next, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. This step is optional but highly recommended, as it lets the noodles soak up even more of that delicious chicken-y flavor.

Taste and adjust seasonings as you wish. If it’s too thick for your taste, feel free to add 1-2 more cups of water until the broth reaches your desired consistency. Serve in a big bowl with crackers or a slice of fresh bread with vegan butter. Enjoy!

This vegan chicken noodle soup is the stuff of our childhood sick day dreams! Warm + cozy broth bursting with flavor, thick brothy noodles, tender chicken-free chicken. Easy, soothing, gluten-free option. #vegan #soup #plantbased #veganrecipe // plantpowercouple.com

More Cozy Vegan Soup Recipes:

Looking for a creamier vegan chicken soup? Check out our Vegan Condensed Cream of Chicken recipe! And if you’re looking for a casserole version of this soup, check out or vegan chicken noodle casserole!

If you start to feel yourself getting sick this season, make this vegan chicken noodle soup. Or better yet, have someone else make it for you. It’s so easy, even the most nascent of cooks could tackle it with ease. Plus, it will set you up for the rest and relaxation your body deserves!

No matter how this vegan chicken noodle soup makes its way into your life, we would love to hear alllll about your experience. You can rate the recipe + leave a comment below or tag us in your mouth-watering photos on Instagram. If you’re not already following along, we’re @theplantpowercouple with the “the”!

Yield: 6 bowls

The BEST Vegan Chicken(less) Noodle Soup

This vegan chicken noodle soup is the stuff of our childhood sick day dreams! Warm + cozy broth bursting with flavor, thick brothy noodles, tender chicken-free chicken. Easy, soothing, gluten-free option. #vegan #soup #plantbased #veganrecipe // plantpowercouple.com

This vegan chicken noodle soup is the stuff of our childhood sick day dreams! There’s a warm + cozy broth bursting with flavor, thick brothy noodles, meaty chicken-free chicken, and the perfect combo of sauteed veggies. It’s easy to make, super soothing, and includes both gluten-free + cold-buster options!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Instructions

  1. Dice the vegetables and add the olive oil to a large pot on medium high heat. Add the veggies to the pot with and a pinch of salt. Stir and saute for 5 minutes. Then, add the flour and stir to coat. Slowly pour in the water while continuing to stir. Finally, cover the pot, turn the heat to high, and bring the water to a rolling boil.
  2. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium high and stir in the bouillon powder. Add your pasta and cook uncovered for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. While that cooks, measure your soy curls and use your hands to break them up into bite-sized pieces. When the pasta is finished, add the soy curls to the pot, turn the heat to medium, and let the soup simmer, uncovered, for another 10 minutes.
  4. Next, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. This step is optional but highly recommended, as it lets the noodles soak up even more of that delicious chicken-y flavor.
  5. Taste and adjust seasonings as you wish. If it’s too thick for your taste, feel free to add 1-2 more cups of water until the broth reaches your desired consistency. Serve in a big bowl with crackers or a slice of fresh bread with vegan butter. Enjoy!

Notes

FLOUR: Whole wheat flour will also work

*To make this gluten-free: Sub tapioca starch for the all-purpose flour + use a gluten-free pasta.

To make this oil-free: Saute the veggies in water rather than olive oil.

Optional add-ins: (1) Fresh garlic: Add up to 6 cloves minced garlic with the rest of your veggies. I hear garlic is good for when you have a cold, so I like to add this when I can! (2) Crushed red pepper: Add up to 1 tsp crushed red pepper to add a major kick of heat to clear those sinuses. (3) Fresh lemon juice: For a blast of Vitamin C, I like to squeeze ½-1 full lemon into the pot just before serving.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6 bowls

Serving Size:

1 bowl

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 212mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may not always be accurate.

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This vegan chicken noodle soup is the stuff of our childhood sick day dreams! Warm + cozy broth bursting with flavor, thick brothy noodles, tender chicken-free chicken. Easy, soothing, gluten-free option. #vegan #soup #plantbased #veganrecipe // plantpowercouple.com

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21 Comments

    1. I made this for dinner and everyone loved it! There was barely any leftovers for my lunch! This was so delicious! I did not add the soy curls though.
    1. Any vegetable broth should do (or even water), but since the homemade bouillon powder has some salt content to it, you'll probably want to use a broth low in sodium.
  1. Why do you need to use veg. broth if the bouillon powder recipe can replace chicken or vegetable broth in recipes? Also, can you add just the dried dill to this recipe if you already made the bouillon powder recipe? (1/4 c. B.powder plus 2 tsp. dill.) Due to many allergies (garlic is one) it is hard to find veg. or chicken broth in a carton w/out it. And I can't use store bought bouillon. So I'm looking forward to trying this recipe. For recipes that call for 1 carton -32 0z of vegetables or ch.broth, do you make up 4 cups of broth or use the powder form in a recipe? Not exactly sure how to use it. Thank you for your reply.
    1. Hi, Catherine! You can totally substitute water instead of the extra veg broth. Feel free to add the dried dill separately as well. As for using the bouillon to replace vegetable or chicken broth, I would use it exactly as you described: Add 1 Tbsp of powder to 1 cup of hot water, stir until it's mostly dissolved, then use it exactly like you'd use veg or chicken broth. I hope that helps! Let us know if we can answer anything else. Enjoy! :)
  2. In answer to your question (I'm at work so I can't comment on FB), why vegan, the sign on my pantry door pretty much sums it up for me: " For the love of Esther and all sentient beings. For health. For the love of an adventure worth living every day. For creativity. For Peace. For love. " And of course for the environment and the world we will leave behind for future generations.
  3. Delicious! Fabulous soup and bouillon powder. I was looking for a warm, healthy lunch and this is it. I am eating it almost every day for lunch. I love that this recipe is a "base" and can adapted and changed depending on tastes and what is available. I always add garlic and red pepper flakes. Your notes are very helpful. I will try adding lemon at the end. I am addicted to this soup!
    1. Thanks, Katie! We are so, so glad you like it, and this is the perfect time of year to start making big old batches of it to have almost every day! Let us know what you think about the lemon addition. We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you again for such a nice comment!
  4. Thanks for another great recipe! This really hit the spot today. I ended up subbing fusilli and regular TVP since that's what I had on hand, and it still turned out great. Thanks again!
    1. Hello again, Ashley, and THANK YOU for another such lovely response. It really is appreciated! We are tremendously glad you enjoyed it, and your subs sound fantastic! I do love a good variety or switch up in pasta for chicken noodle, just makes it seem a little fancier, yes? And again, thank YOU for the kind words!
  5. I’ve made this twice now, and prepping the veggies to make it a third time. I had to comment that this really is a fantastic recipe as-is. No changes or tweaks needed! Thank you for such a great recipe for a soup I’ve been missing since going vegetarian. If you’re thinking about making this recipe - do it! It’s so so good.
    1. Thank you, Jenn! I'm really so very happy you enjoyed it so much! It's definitely one of our favorites around here. And if you like that, you should be sure to check out our new chicken noodle casserole! Thanks agin for taking the time to reach out to us. It's really appreciated.

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