Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

It doesn’t get much more comforting than a warm bowl of vegan chicken noodle soup! With a flavourful broth, vegan chicken, bowtie pasta, and a handful of greens, this cozy soup will cure whatever ails you.

They say the best remedy for a cold is chicken noodle soup, but what do you do if you’re vegan?! Well, the answer is that you make chicken noodle soup without the chicken!

You can simply skip the chicken, but that’s a bit boring; you can swap in chickpeas or tofu, but it doesn’t have the same flavour or texture as chicken. Using plant-based chicken gives you everything you want from a bowl of chicken noodle soup, but in vegan form!

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

• Comfort food goodness. This soup is the perfect combination of comforting and nourishing, making it a go-to meal for those days when you’re feeling under the weather. (I also love mulligatawny soup when I have a cold!)
• Loaded with veggies. The broth is full of flavour from sautéed carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, but I also add a handful of spinach to make this soup extra satisfying.
• Quick and easy to make. Some soup recipes require a long simmer on the stovetop, but this vegan chicken noodle soup is done in just an hour.

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Olive oil 
• Vegan butter – Using vegan butter adds richness to the soup that you can’t get from oil alone.
• Mirepoix – Onion, carrots, and celery form the base of flavour for this vegan chicken noodle soup.
• Salt and black pepper
• Garlic
• Dried thyme and oregano – Thyme is a classic seasoning for chicken noodle soup, but I like adding oregano too for a little extra flavour.
• Low-sodium vegetable stock – I use my homemade vegetable stock. A store-bought no-chicken broth will also work.
• Dry bowtie pasta
• Shredded or chopped vegan chicken – My vegan chicken holds up well in this soup, but you can use a store-bought variety, seitan, or even vegan turkey if you’d like.
• Baby spinach – A non-traditional addition to boost the nutrition of this soup without changing the flavour.

Can I Add a Different Green to This Soup?

Kale or chard would be excellent additions to this vegan chicken noodle soup recipe if you prefer a more assertive green to mild spinach. If you’re using chard, you can slice the stems and cook them with the onion.

How to Make Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

• Cook the mirepoix. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in the oil and butter until they’re softened. Add the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant.
• Simmer. Stir in the seasonings and stock, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
• Cook the pasta. Stir the bowties into the soup and cook until the pasta is al dente.
• Add the spinach and vegan chicken. Stir them in and cook until the spinach wilts and the chicken is warm.
• Finish. Season to taste and serve.

Tips for Success

• Cut the vegetables into evenly-sized pieces. This ensures that they all finish cooking at the same time so they’re perfectly tender!
• Don’t overcook the pasta. It will continue to soften as the soup sits on the stovetop (and the fridge if you have leftovers), so it’s important to cook it until it’s just al dente.
• Use fresh herbs if you’d like. If you have sprigs of fresh thyme and oregano on hand, you can add them to the soup instead of dried. I like tying them together with kitchen twine so it’s easy to remove them once the soup is done cooking.

Variations

• Add a splash of wine. If I happen to have a bottle of dry white wine on hand, sometimes I’ll add a glug or two to the pan to deglaze it after adding the garlic. This adds another layer of flavour to the vegan chicken noodle soup.
• Try another pasta shape. You don’t have to stick with bowties! Any small pasta shape like ditalini, elbows, or orecchiette would work well in this soup.
• Give it a protein boost. For extra protein, add a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or white beans.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this soup with homemade vegan dinner rolls for soaking up all that delicious broth. It’s also great paired with a simple salad like my cucumber and tomato salad, or with a sandwich like this vegan BLT sandwich.

How to Store Leftovers

Transfer leftover vegan chicken noodle soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through, or in the microwave.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

If you’re making this soup specifically to freeze for later, I recommend making it without the pasta. This might sound odd, but during freezing, thawing, and reheating, the pasta will absorb too much liquid from the soup, making your pasta mushy and your soup unpleasantly thick. 

Instead, cook the soup without adding the pasta and freeze it for up to 3 months. Once you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw in the fridge overnight and warm on the stovetop over medium heat. Add your desired amount of dry pasta and cook until al dente.

More Vegan Soups to Try

• Gnocchi Soup
• Thai Coconut Curry Soup
• Creamy Tomato Soup with Cheesy Croutons
• Vegan Cheeseburger Soup
• Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan chicken noodle soup, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!