This chickpea noodle soup is comforting, delicious, and so easy to make. A big bowl of this is the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day!
Chicken noodle soup was one of my absolute favorite things when I was growing up. So it's no surprise that my vegan chicken noodle soup is one of my favorite recipes on this site. It's a reader favorite as well!
But I do get quite a few questions on how the recipe can be modified. Making that soup is a bit of a project that involves marinating and baking tofu. And to be honest, I'd been thinking I could do with a simplified recipe myself!
Also, the recipe calls for wine. Some folks tell me they prefer a version without alcohol, either because they prefer to cook without it or in order to make the dish more kid-friendly.
I created this chickpea noodle soup recipe with those things in mind. This one has similar flavors, but it's much simpler overall than the original. It's easy, kid-friendly, adult-friendly, and alcohol-free. It's also absolutely scrumptious and so perfect when you're craving vegan comfort food.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil. Another high-heat oil such as canola oil, coconut oil, or corn oil could be substituted.
- Onion.
- Carrots.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Vegetable broth. If you can get your hands on a vegan "chicken" broth, use it. Halo, Better Than Bouillon, and Imagine all make products like this. If not, simply stick with your favorite vegetable broth.
- Dried herbs. We're using dried thyme, rubbed sage, and a bay leaf. Feel free to leave any or all of the herbs out if you've got picky eaters though.
- Canned chickpeas.
- Dried rotini pasta. You could substitute another smallish variety of pasta, such as orzo, shells or ditalini, keeping in mind that the cook times for pasta shapes varies. Use gluten-free pasta in order to keep the soup gluten-free.
- Salt & pepper.
- Fresh parsley. This is optional, but makes a really nice garnish for chickpea noodle soup.
How It's Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Heat your olive oil in a large pot, then add diced onion, sliced carrots and chopped celery. Sweat the veggies for a few minutes, until they start to soften up.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook it briefly with the vegetables, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth and dried herbs. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil, then lower it and let your soup simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Now stir in the chickpeas and pasta, then bring the liquid back up to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the soup until the pasta is fully cooked. This will take around 12 minutes, but keep checking because pasta cook times can vary among brands.
Tip: You may want to add water to the soup if it reduces too much, or if you simply prefer a higher ratio of broth in your soup. Keep a container of hot water (or a kettle) nearby so you can add it as needed.
- Season your chickpea noodle soup with salt and pepper, ladle it into bowls, and optionally sprinkle each one with some fresh parsley before serving.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover chickpea noodle soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. The pasta might suck up broth during storage. If this happens you can simply add more broth or water when you reheat the soup.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
Chickpea Noodle Soup
This chickpea noodle soup is comforting, delicious, and so easy to make. A big bowl of this is the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups vegetable broth, plus up to 2 additional cups (Note 1)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 ounces dried rotini pasta (about 1 heaping cup) (Note 2)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.
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Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots and celery. Sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften.
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Stir in the garlic and cook it with the vegetables for about 1 minute, until very fragrant.
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Stir in the broth, thyme, sage and bay leaf. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
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Stir in the chickpeas and pasta. Bring the soup back to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes, but pasta cook times will vary by brand. Stir in some additional broth or water at any point if the liquid reduces too much.
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Remove the pot from heat. Remove the bay leaf and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
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Ladle into bowls and optionally sprinkle each one with fresh parsley.
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Serve.
Recipe Notes
- If possible, use a product labelled as "no-chicken broth" or "vegan chicken broth." Regular vegetable broth is fine if you can't find one them.
- Another small pasta shape can be substituted. Cook times may vary for different pasta varieties.
- Recipe makes about 9 cups of soup.
This recipe is really the best! I have made it to share with others, who raved about it. I did make one change and used pad thai rice noodles instead of rotini or other wheat pasta. For a gluten free diet, or even to recreate the noodles of your childhood noodle soup, it's perfect. Thanks for so many great recipes!
Very comforting soup.