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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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!
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.
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.
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!
More Cozy Vegan Soup Recipes:
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”!
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 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!
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (see notes for options)
- 10 cups water
- ½ cup vegan chicken-style bouillon powder
- 8 oz. dry spaghetti
- 1.5 cups dehydrated soy curls, broken into small pieces
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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 bowlsServing Size:
1 bowlAmount 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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