This Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup takes just 30 minutes to make and is just like the classic soup you grew up eating. Cozy, comforting and it tastes incredible!

large pot of soup with noodles

This Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup is so wonderful to make when it’s cold outside. It’s warming, comforting and reminds me of my childhood.

It has all the comforting qualities of the classic soup we grew up eating, without any animal products!

I know some people think it’s strange to want to re-create familiar meat/dairy/egg dishes with vegan ones, but I don’t agree with that.

Food is cultural, and we tend to enjoy foods we are familiar with and grew up eating. If copycat recipes like this one help people eat less animals, then I am all for it!

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Ingredients Needed

  • Normal stuff: Onions, garlic, celery, carrots, dried basil and thyme.
  • Broth: I used Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base, which I highly recommend! Vegetable broth works as well.
  • Vegan “Chicken”: My local store carries Tofurky Chik’n in the refrigerated section, and I really like the texture and flavor of it. I often use it for my Vegan Pot Pie as well. But use any vegan “chicken” you like, seitan or even chickpeas!
  • Pasta: I used Trader Joe’s Gigli Pasta (I used them in my Mushroom Stroganoff, too!), which are such a fun shape. Use any eggless pasta you’d like, gluten free or whole grain works too.

collage showing vegan chicken broth and tofurky chicken.

How to make Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

Start by sautéing the onion, garlic and celery in a large pot for about 5 minutes.

celery and onions in a pot being cooked

Now add the carrots, broth, “chicken” and herbs. Stir and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

broth and vegetables for vegan chicken noodle soup

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package instructions, but 1 minute less. Drain and set aside. It’s important to keep the noodles separate from the soup except when serving, because they will soak up the broth and get very mushy.

drained, cooked noodles in a colander

Serve the soup in bowls with a handful of noodles added.  (For photo purposes, I added all the noodles to the pot, but I don’t recommend this unless you are going to serve it all at once.)

Instant Pot Version

You can make this soup in an Instant Pot as well. Simply use the saute button and cook the onions, garlic and celery for 5 minutes.

Then add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the pasta, place the lid on, lock and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Release the pressure carefully, then stir and serve in bowls with cooked pasta.

close up of pot of vegan chicken noodle soup

How to store Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

  • Refrigerator: Store soup and pasta separately in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
  • Freezer: Let the soup cool completely, then place in a freezer safe container without the pasta, and freeze. When ready to serve, move the container to the refrigerator overnight, then warm in a pot and add noodles to bowls with the soup.

Want more Vegan Soup Recipes?

bowl of noodle soup, blue rim and white bowl

close up of pot of vegan chicken noodle soup
4.99 stars (65 ratings)

Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

This Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup is just like the classic soup you grew up eating. Cozy, comforting and it tastes incredible!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 8 cups vegan "chicken" broth or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups vegan "chicken" pieces, chopped small*
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 12 ounces small shaped pasta*
  • salt + pepper, to taste
  • fresh chopped parsley, for serving
  • crackers or french bread, for serving

Instructions 

  • Add the olive oil to a large pot and warm over medium-high heat. Now add the onion, garlic and celery and saute for 5 minutes, until softened and the onions are translucent.
  • Add the carrots, broth, chopped vegan chicken pieces, basil and thyme. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
  • While the soup simmers, cook the pasta in a separate pot according to package instructions but 1 minute less than called for. You don't want to overcook the noodles. Drain and set aside.
  • Taste the soup and make any necessary seasoning adjustments, such as more herbs, salt + pepper.
  • Serve the soup in bowls with a handful of cooked noodles. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired and serve with crackers or bread. Keep the pasta noodles separate when storing so they don't get mushy and soak up all the broth.

Video

Notes

  1. I used this Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base for my broth and I highly recommend it for this soup. But plain vegetable broth will work as well.
  2. For the vegan "chicken" pieces, I like to use Tofurky's Plant Based Chik'n. You can find it in the refrigerated section. Feel free to use another vegan chicken, frozen or otherwise, OR substitute seitan pieces or even chickpeas!
  3. For the pasta, I used Trader Joe's Gigli noodles, they are such a fun shape. You can apparently find egg free egg noodles at Wal Mart, or use your favorite pasta. Whole grain or gluten free is fine to use.
  4. Instant Pot: Use the saute button and cook the onion, garlic and celery for a few minutes before adding the carrots, broth, "chicken" and herbs. Put on the lid, lock and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Release the pressure carefully, then add to bowls with cooked noodles.
  5. Storing the soup: Keep the soup in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, but store the cooked pasta separately. If not, the noodles will soak up the broth and you won't have soup anymore! 
  6. Freeze it: The soup can be frozen without the pasta. Cool completely first, then store in a freezer safe container. When ready to serve, place in the refrigerator overnight, then warm in a pot and cook your noodles.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 902mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3512IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Author: Nora Taylor
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!

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Comments

  1. So easy to follow and the soup was sooooo goood! This vegan chicken noodle soup will surely be added to my regular rotation. Thank you for another delicious recipe.

  2. Found your website a few months ago and been in heaven ever since. Made this soup a few times now because I can’t stop coming back to it, the perfect comfort food. Thank you so much for sharing your lovely recipes!

    1. Welcome to my site! I am so glad you found it, and that you are enjoying my recipes! I agree, the chicken noodle soup is a very cozy recipe! Please reach out if you have any any recipe questions, and enjoy your journey through all the flavors! Happy cooking!

    1. Hi Julia. I think it is a wonderful thing that you made soup for your brother when he is sick! Your kindness is inspiring! I am so glad that he loved the soup! You must be a great cook! Thank you for sharing your story!

  3. I don’t know why I’m surprised anymore because all of your recipes are fantastic.

    I did go ahead and buy the bullion
    specifically for this recipe but it was well worth it and I am definitely going to use it again.

    1. Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback! I’m so glad you loved the soup! I appreciate you using my recipes, and am so glad that you are enjoying them. Wishing you lots of happy cooking!

  4. Absolutely delicious!
    Used tofurkey lightly seasoned chick’n as suggested and loved it (pan fried separate and added to serve)
    Wrote down the recipe to make again! YUM!

    1. Hi Alisha. Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you love the soup, and will be making it again! Happy cooking!

  5. Fantastic!
    I don’t like to cook but as a vegan (even though I live in San Francisco) sometimes you just need some home-cooked food. DoorDash got me through the pandemic so far, but you just can’t beat home-cooked food.
    This was really fantastic and easy! I added extra parsley at the end because I LOVE parsley. Thanks so much for this recipe!!

    1. Hi Stephanie. You are welcome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review! I agree, there is nothing like home-cooked food! I am glad you love the soup!

  6. I appreciate this recipe because it was just what I was needing when feeling under the weather. My only issue is that this says it yields 10 servings which I cannot see how. I was able to very carefully measure out 6 servings. The flavor was great and nostalgic. I browned up bit of the veggies and chicken for extra flavor and traded in fresh herbs and let out an audible “ahhh” when I sat down to eat this. Thank you again! 

  7. Amazing recipe! Just what I needed to cheer me up when I have a cold. Thanks very much, will definitely make again ?

    1. Hi Lydia. I sure hope you will be feeling better very soon! I’m so glad the soup was just what you needed, and that you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, even when not feeling well. May you be healthy! Happy cooking1

  8. This recipe is delicious! I have been making it now for several months, and it’s a regular in our meals. My husband and I both love it. I recently had my nephew over who I don’t get to see very often, and he’s big into eating meat; my husband and I are both vegan, so he was a little hesitant to eat when he came to stay with us. He was really into this soup! He said it smelled great when we were cooking it, and he ate his entire serving!
    We used Sweet Earth Mindful Chik’n, the eggless egg noodles, and I add a little bit of poultry seasoning. But this recipe is pure gold. Thank you for sharing it! 🙂

    1. Thank you so much, Lisa, for sharing your kind review! It means a lot to me! I’m thrilled you guys cook my chicken noodle soup on a regular basis! It’s so great your nephew loved the soup as well! Thank you again for using my recipes, and happy cooking!

  9. Very nice recipe. I enjoyed it. Couldn’t get the Tofurky faux meat so I used some seitany stuff. Next I’m on to the vegan pot pies!

  10. Just made this today! Perfect for a rainy day. I’ve missed eating chicken soup since becoming vegetarian and this just made my day. Thank you for sharing this recipe! Tried it with chickpeas (:

  11. I made this in the Instant pot for my family and everyone loved it! My two daughters are super picky and I am always thrilled to find a recipe they enjoy.  We added some “chicken” seitan and are it with some fresh sourdough bread.

    1. Hi Meghan. I’m glad you and your family loved the soup! The side of sourdough bread sounds so delicious and cozy! Thank you for sharing!

  12. This is a super easy fun recipe and was delicious.

    I used Orrington Farms broth base and seasoning chicken powder and it was pretty salty so I added no salt. I also used fresh basil which I think got too cooked down so I added some more at the end. I really want to try to find an alternative for the chick’n because I feel like the flavoring of it seeped into the soup and I would have preferred to taste the basil, thyme, broth, etc. Overall very happy with the results. I posted a picture here: https://www.reddit.com/r/veganrecipes/comments/l55u51/plant_based_chickn_noodle_soup_with_french_bread

    1. Hi Jack. Thank you for your beautiful picture! The soup looks delicious! I’m glad you are happy with the soup! Thank you!

  13. Really curious how to make the chicken soup with a bully and there’s not a specified amount of how much I should use? But then also makes me wonder how much water or vegetable broth or we need to complement that?

    1. On the bouillon container there are instructions for how to make broth from it, which just involves mixing it with water, I believe it’s 1 teaspoon bouillon to 1 cup water. Or you can just use broth instead. Hope that helps!

    1. Follow the instructions on the bouillon container, I believe it’s 1 tsp per cup of water, so 8 tsp and 8 cups of water for this recipe. Hope that helps!

  14. I just made this tonight followimg everything on the recipe! Was going to make a few days ago but my fiance came home with better than bouillon chicken base! ?‍♀️ I almost used normal veggie stock but I’m glad I waited to scout out the no chicken better than bouillon!! Perfect for this soup and our house because we’re all sick! Very easy recipe! The only thing I would do different next time is use less or maybe no thyme, but that’s completely personal preferences. Nothing wrong with the receipe itself, I just realized I don’t think I’m the biggest fan of it. Thanks for the simple recipe! I’ll be back and will probably have it memorized soon, only wish I could have given it to my sick 4 month old ? but the rest of us enjoyed it for sure

    1. Hi AliJo. I’m glad you found comfort and deliciousness in the soup! I’m sorry you and your family are sick. Wishing you all a speedy recovery! Thank you for taking the time to share!

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