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This Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup is made with wholesome plant-based ingredients, yet tastes exactly like the real thing! It’s easy to make, jam-packed with flavor, and guaranteed to hit the spot on sick days or during the cold winter months!
Table of Contents
When it comes to cozy vegan soup recipes, it’s hard to beat a classic chicken noodle soup recipe! This vegan version has all of the comforting qualities you want in the classic dish and tastes exactly like we remembered growing up. Plus, it’s easy to make and will be ready to soothe your soul in 40 minutes or less!
This vegan and vegetarian chicken noodle soup recipe is inspired by the traditional soup my mother and grandmother used to always make for me as a kid when it was a cold day or when I was feeling under the weather. It’s the definition of the perfect comfort food and we are stoked to share this classic vegan chicken noodle soup made entirely from plants and mostly whole foods.
If you love comforting soups, make sure to check out these other blog favorites: Vegan Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, Vegan Miso Soup, One Pot Vegetable Noodle Soup, and Instant Pot Lentil Noodle Soup.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This vegan chicken noodle soup recipe requires just a few simple ingredients!
- Vegan butter: Used to sauté the vegan chicken and aromatics. We find vegan butter adds more richness than a standard cooking oil, but feel free to use a cooking oil as needed.
- Vegan chicken: Opt for your favorite store-bought brand of vegan chicken strips! If needed, you can also replace the chicken with another plant-based protein such as a can of chickpeas, tofu, or 8 ounces of rehydrated soy curls (rehydrated weight).
- Aromatics: The flavorful soup base is made from onion, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, and 6 to 8 sprigs of fresh thyme. If you’re out of Italian seasoning, replace it with poultry seasoning (yes, poultry seasoning is naturally vegan!). If you want to add a touch of spice, add the optional red pepper flakes.
- Vegan chicken broth: We like to use Better Than Bouillon Vegan Chicken Base for the most robust flavor. If preferred or needed, use a standard vegetable broth of choice.
- Pasta: Use regular or gluten-free pasta. If you are using gluten-free pasta, we recommend using pasta made from brown rice or corn – it holds up better than bean-based pasta like chickpea-based pasta.
- Miso paste: We use chickpea miso or white miso. It adds a great umami flavor and is lighter in both flavor and color compared to red miso. A few readers have shared that they omitted the miso and it was still delicious!
Equipment Needed
- Large soup pot
- Spatula
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Cutting board
- Sharp kitchen knife
How to Make Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
- Brown the vegan chicken. In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter. Add in the vegan chicken and sauté until browned and crispy on the edges. Remove the chicken and set aside and cool. If the vegan chicken is in large pieces, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add the remaining vegan butter to the pan, then add in the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Stir in the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and optional red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 additional minute.
- Add vegan chicken broth. Pour in the vegan chicken broth, stir, then bring to a boil.
- Stir in the chicken and pasta. Once boiling, stir in the pasta and vegan chicken. Cook until the pasta is al dente, according to the package directions, remove the bay leaves and thyme stems, and reduce the pot to low heat.
- Whisk in the miso paste. Remove about 1/4 cup of the chicken soup broth from the pot and add it to a small bowl. Whisk in the miso paste until smooth, then add the miso mixture to the soup.
- Season and serve. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then serve immediately with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and parmesan, plus a side of vegan crackers or bread if desired. Enjoy
Serving Suggestions
A cozy bowl of vegan chicken noodle soup is the perfect pair for a slice of crusty bread or crackers and a side salad. Serve as a warm lunch or dinner with a crusty slice of Vegan Garlic Bread or No Knead Bread, and a simple side salad such as this Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad with crispy chickpeas and homemade vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast!
Recipe FAQs
We like to use Better Than Bouillon Vegan Chicken Base, but there are also bouillon cubes available from brands like Edward & Sons and Gardein. These broths can be difficult to find in stores so we like to purchase ours on Amazon. Or, if needed, you can make your own homemade vegan chicken broth with this recipe: Vegan “Chicken” Broth Bouillon & Seasoning!
Egg noodles are not vegan as they are made with eggs. But don’t worry, any store-bought dried pasta will work in its place and is just as delicious as the classic soup recipe.
Great question! If you’ve made our Authentic Homemade Vegan Pasta, it can be cooked in this soup broth, but reduce the amount of vegan chicken broth the recipe calls for to 5-6 cups. Fresh pasta does not absorb nearly as much moisture as dried pasta. Additionally, wait to add the pasta to the broth until the final 5 minutes (fresh pasta cooks significantly faster, too!).
For those following an oil-free diet but are still craving classic comfort food, you can use vegetable broth in place of the vegan butter to saute with, adding a tablespoon or two at a time as needed to prevent burning. This recipe can also easily be made gluten-free when made with gluten-free pasta, a wheat-free miso paste (chickpea miso is great!), and a gluten-free vegan chicken.
If you follow an oil-free or gluten-free vegan diet, make sure to check out our collections of Oil-Free Recipes and Gluten-Free recipes!
Storage Instructions
Leftover soup will keep for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before refrigerating, let the soup cool to room temperature. We don’t recommend freezing the final soup as soups made with pasta become mushy and grainy upon thawing.
Reheat leftover chicken noodle soup in a microwave-safe bowl or in a small pot on the stovetop until just warmed through. Avoid overheating or the pasta will become mushy.
More Vegan Soup Recipes You May Enjoy:
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Easy Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: About 5 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup is made with wholesome plant-based ingredients, yet tastes exactly like the real thing! It’s easy to make, jam-packed with flavor, and guaranteed to hit the spot on sick days or during the cold winter months!
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 (8-ounce) bag vegan chicken
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- Optional: ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 9 cups vegan chicken broth
- 8 ounces fusilli
- 1/2 tablespoon white miso
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Serve with (optional):
- Fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- Lemon wedges
- Crackers or bread
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- Spatula
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Cutting board
- Sharp kitchen knife
Instructions
- Brown the vegan chicken. In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter. Add in the vegan chicken and sauté until browned and crispy on the edges. Remove the chicken and set aside and cool. If the vegan chicken is in large pieces, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add the remaining vegan butter to the pan, then add in the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Stir in the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and optional red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 additional minute.
- Add vegan chicken broth. Pour in the vegan chicken broth, stir, then bring to a boil.
- Stir in the chicken and pasta. Once boiling, stir in the pasta and vegan chicken. Cook until the pasta is al dente, according to the package directions, remove the bay leaves and thyme stems, and reduce the pot to low heat.
- Whisk in the miso paste. Remove about 1/4 cup of the chicken soup broth from the pot and add it to a small bowl. Whisk in the miso paste until smooth, then add the miso mixture to the soup.
- Season and serve. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then serve immediately with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and parmesan, plus a side of vegan crackers or bread if desired. Enjoy
Notes
- Gluten-free: This soup can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta, a wheat-free miso paste, and a gluten-free vegan chicken.
- Storage: Leftover soup will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this soup as pasta doesn’t tend to freeze well.
- Reheating: Reheat soup in the microwave or in a small pot on the stovetop until warmed through. Avoid over-reheating, as this can overcook the pasta and make it mushy.
- Miso: We use chickpea miso or white miso. It adds a great umami flavor and is lighter in both flavor and color compared to red miso. A few readers have shared that they omitted the miso and it was still delicious!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
Delicious. 10/10 will make again.
I didn’t have any vegan chicken so I used 4 ounces of soy curls, hydrated them with 1 chicken cube and 2 cups water, drained them and then put them into the air fryer for 6 minutes at 400 to dry them out a bit then I added them per your recipe. So yummy. Thank you.
I don’t see how to correct my previous post. If you use it, could you just put my name as Barb? Thanks!
This was so good! I skipped the miso because I didn’t know what it was or where to find it (too lazy to search) but it was delicious without it. My broth was a little darker because my store only had The Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base. Thank you!
I did this in the instant pot and subbed the fusilli for egg noodles because that’s what I had on hand. Turned out fantastic will definitely make again!
Yay, we are so glad that you like it! 🙂
I skipped the miso, bay leaf, thyme, and vegan chicken. I don’t usually buy faux meats because I don’t care for them and they’re expensive. The only miso I could find was too expensive so I skipped it but it probably would have been really good. I added extra carrots and noodles and used a little less water. It was really good and something that will be a staple. The noodles were great and even though I forgot about them on the stove – they were still chewy and not overdone. I used brown rice fusilli. Can’t believe I’ve never made this before it’s so fast and easy.
We are so glad that you liked this recipe, Annie! Thanks for sharing all of your changes in case anyone else wants to try them 🙂
Delicious!
Added red pepper for extra kick but otherwise followed the recipe and used the same ingredients. Will makes again
Yay we are so glad that you liked it 🙂