Since cold and flu season is almost upon us (PSA: get a flu shot, if you haven’t yet!), I’m sharing this recipe for vegan no-chicken noodle soup just in case you need a comforting bowl of soup to help you make it through. It’s hot, easy, full of veggies, and I think it tastes just like traditional chicken noodle soup.
I do have to admit that it has been decades now since I’ve had “real” chicken noodle soup. But it tastes just like my distant memories of chicken noodle soup.
About a month ago, I caught a cold. It wasn’t even a bad one, but it felt worse than it was because I had just started to feel better as I got to the end of my first trimester nausea, and then I went right back to feeling sick and tired. And nothing sounded appealing, except for a bowl of hot no-chicken noodle soup. So I made myself a vegan chicken-less noodle soup, and I pretty much ate nothing but big bowls of it for the next week.
I’ve made this soup on the stovetop and in my slow cooker, and both ways are delicious, so I have instructions for both. And if you’re feeding a crowd (or just want lots of leftover soup in your fridge) doubling it is no problem.
No-Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 1/2 quarts (48 oz) vegan chicken vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base)
1 cup water
Bay leaf
2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves pulled off
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1/2 cup soy curls, crushed and broken into pieces about 1/4-inch-long
1 packet instant ramen noodles, crushed, flavor packets discarded
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Stovetop Instructions:
In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and gently saute the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
Add in the carrots, celery, broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and cover the pot with a lid. Let the soup simmer until the vegetables are just tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Add chickpeas, soy curls, and ramen noodles, and simmer for 5-10 minutes longer, until the ramen noodles are cooked and the soy curls are re-hydrated. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Slow Cooker:
Add the olive oil to the slow cooker, then the garlic and onions. Put the lid on while you chop up the carrots and celery. Add the carrots, celery, broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook on high until vegetables are tender.
About 30 minutes before you plan to eat, add the chickpeas, soy curls, and ramen noodles. Cook until the noodles and soy curls are re-hydrated, then taste, and add more salt and pepper if desired.
