This Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup recipe is bursting with so much flavor, you won’t even miss the chicken! It’s a plant-based version of traditional chicken noodle soup, the ultimate cold weather comfort food. No need to wait until soup season, save this recipe for the next time you’re craving a piping hot bowl of a nostalgic favorite!
This delicious chickpea noodle soup is a great way to instantly savor some familiar flavors while getting a hefty dose of vegetables and fiber-packed beans. As a registered dietitian, those are two things I constantly remind folks to focus on, as the majority of Americans don’t eat enough veggies or fiber.
Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are often touted as a good source of plant-based protein. And that’s true, they offer about 14 or 15 grams of protein per one cup serving.
But I think the fiber content is even more noteworthy, with 12.5 grams of fiber for that same amount. Considering most people should be aiming for 25-30+ grams of fiber each day, that’s going to get you well on your way to meeting that goal!
Nutrition aside, I think you’re really going to enjoy how savory and flavorful this hearty soup is. I often hear clients, and even friends and family, noting that they think plant-based recipes are bland. I certainly don’t think that’s the case here, but I’ll let you be the judge of that!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Hopefully most of these simple ingredients are already on hand. But add whatever you’re missing to your shopping list as you get ready to make this simple recipe:
- White or yellow onion, carrot, and celery, the flavorful trio for a classic mirepoix
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Low sodium vegetable broth or vegetable stock
- Old-fashioned egg noodles
- Canned chickpeas (AKA, garbanzo beans)
- Fresh or dried thyme
- Fresh parsley
- MSG, or monosodium glutamate. More notes on this below!
- Black pepper
- Oyster crackers or soup crackers for serving
Swaps and Substitutions
The best part about this chickpea noodle soup recipe is that it’s so easy to customize! It’s very forgiving, so these alterations will only improve the base recipe.
Swap the canned chickpeas for any other type of white beans. You can try cannellini beans (white kidney beans), Great Northern beans, navy beans, or butterbeans (baby lima beans). And while I love the convenience of canned beans, if you’re feeling ambitious you can also prep dried beans instead. Canned beans are pantry staples for us so we tend to use whatever we grab off the shelf. Just be sure to shop for low-sodium or “no salt added” options. Check out this post about making a low-sodium diet taste good if you’re watching your salt intake.
Add extra veggies if you like, especially ones that add rich flavor. I recommend wilting in some spinach or kale at the end of cooking. You can also include mushrooms for more umami flavor. Shiitake mushrooms work especially well for this. Or, drop in some green beans, green onions, or any other fresh veggies. This is a great way to work through odds and ends leftover from other recipes to reduce food waste.
And for the pasta, I really like the traditional vibes of old-fashioned egg noodles. But you can use any short shape, like rotini, elbows, or ditalini pasta. I’ve also seen some chickpea noodle soup recipes that use spaghetti noodles or other long shapes, although I haven’t tested these versions myself.
Regardless, this easy vegan soup recipe is meant to be truly easy. If you have a random box of pasta hanging out with your other pantry ingredients, why not include what you already have?
Maximizing Flavor in Vegan Recipes
There’s no reason vegan recipes should be bland or boring…unless you prefer them that way! There’s so many tasty ways to build up amazing flavor without relying on butter, bacon, cheese, or other animal products.
Side Note: I have absolutely nothing against using these ingredients, and in fact, I often do! This isn’t a vegan food blog, and although I feature 100% plant-based recipes here, there’s also many options that aren’t vegan or vegetarian.
Anyways, let’s focus on the flavor. One thing that’s often missing from vegan recipes is a savory note, or umami flavor. Umami flavor is usually associated with proteins, which is why meat-based dishes can taste more satisfying or rich. It’s a really common mistake to just add extra salt to try to build flavor. But too much salt starts to taste bad, and can really increase the amount of sodium in your diet.
The good news: you can build umami flavor using 100% plant-based and vegan ingredients. For example, adding nutritional yeast is very common in vegan cooking, especially vegan cheese. You can also turn to dried mushrooms or sun-dried tomatoes. Both of these are inherently rich in MSG, or monosodium glutamate.
That’s why I included MSG in this easy vegan soup recipe. Because what could be easier than simply adding some MSG during cooking to infuse a rich, savory flavor into your soup? Check out this post about the basics of cooking with MSG. The bottom line is that it’s safe, simple, and pretty affordable compared to other seasonings.
But if you prefer not to go that route, you still have other options! Turn to fresh herbs, dried spices or other sauces/condiments to mix into your soup broth. Here’s a few suggestions that will pair well with this chickpea noodle soup recipe:
- Bay leaves
- Dill, tarragon, sage, or marjoram
- Dried herb mixes like poultry seasoning or an Italian seasoning. Despite what it suggests, “poultry mix” simply refers to a combination of herbs and seasonings that pair well with poultry. This is still a vegan-safe option!
- Extra garlic
- Grated ginger or fresh ginger paste
- Miso paste
- A spoonful of pesto (just make sure it’s a vegan version if you’re sticking to that)
- A squeeze of lemon juice or splash of apple cider vinegar
So with these ideas in mind, you’re going to be a pro at making your vegan meals taste amazing. Let’s get into this chickpea noodle soup!
How to Make Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup
It couldn’t be easier to make this easy vegan soup in one pot on the stovetop! You can get it done in about 30 minutes, so start with your veggie prep first.
- Peel the carrots and slice them into coins or half-coins, depending on how thick the carrots are. Wash and dry the celery then slice into pieces of similar thickness.
- Dice the onion.
- Mince the garlic if using fresh garlic cloves. Otherwise, portion out pre-minced garlic so it’s ready to go.
- You can also go ahead and drain and rinse the chickpeas and chop the fresh parsley at this point.
From here, grab a large pot or Dutch oven. Use medium-high heat to heat the olive oil, and once it’s shimmering, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Give it a stir every once in a while, but let it cook down for 5-6 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Next, add the garlic and let it heat for about 60 seconds. Your kitchen should be smelling amazing at this point! Stir in your other seasonings, including the sprigs of fresh thyme. I recommend starting with a little bit of MSG, dried herbs, and black pepper. You can always add more if the flavor feels a little flat. But once it’s in there, there’s no getting it back out.
Pour in the vegetable broth, plus additional cups of water.
Street Smart Nutrition Tip: The way this recipe is written, it uses one full carton of pre-made broth. If you’re using a homemade vegetable broth, you can omit the water and adjust to include two extra cups of broth for a more concentrated flavor.
Quickly bring the soup to a high simmer and add your noodles. Follow the directions for al dente. For mine, it suggested 12-14 minutes but it varies depending on brand and type of pasta.
Once the noodles are done, reduce the heat to low. Add in the chickpeas and half of the chopped parsley. Stir it in and give it just enough time for the chickpeas to heat through. This only take a couple of minutes tops.
When you’re ready to serve, remove the thyme sprigs (which will not be fun to eat). Use a ladle to portion the chickpea noodle soup into individual bowls. Top each bowl of soup with some of the remaining parsley, add your oyster crackers or any other garnishes, and enjoy!
Can I use an Instant Pot or slow cooker?
Technically…yes. Like all soups, you could use either one of these appliances to make this chickpea noodle soup recipe.
But honestly…I’m not sure it’s worth it. The prep steps are going to be the same, and the order of operations help build better flavor. Since it doesn’t take much time to make this soup recipe on the stovetop, you likely won’t gain much time back and could risk overcooking the veggies or pasta to the point that they’re mushy and way too soft.
My recommendation is to stick with the stovetop method for this one. Save the Instant Pot or slow cooker for other recipes, like my Miso Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan chickpea noodle soup is pretty much ready to serve as is once it’s done cooking! But if you want to dress it up a bit, I highly recommend some chopped parsley and oyster crackers for servings.
The fresh parsley adds such a nice, bright green color. The entire bowl automatically looks more appetizing and cozy. And the oyster crackers add some nice crunch in each bite. We are big fans of these Wicked Minis (which come in many flavors, but are not vegan). You can also use saltines, regular oyster crackers, or a piece of crusty bread instead.
Storage and Meal Prep Tips
Soups are made for meal prep, and this vegan chickpea noodle soup is no different. When you’re ready to store leftover, grab a few airtight containers with tight fitting lids. I really love these round Pyrex containers, which seem to be the perfect size for a single-serve lunch.
Stash your leftover soup in the fridge for up to 5 days. Although, for best results, I think the sooner the better so the noodles don’t get overly soggy. If you plan to make a big batch for meal prep, shorten the cooking time on the noodles by 1-2 minutes.
To reheat, you can pop it in the microwave. Or heat in a small saucepan on the stovetop using low to medium heat until heated through.
Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced, about 1 1/4 cups
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, or about 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1 tsp MSG (monosodium glutamate), or 1/4 tsp of salt, to taste
- 32 oz low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 10 oz old-fashioned egg noodles, or similar short pasta shape
- 1 14.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- oyster crackers, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare your cooking area by peeling the carrots. Slice them into coins or half-coins depending on thickness. Wash and dry the celery, then slice into pieces of similar thickness. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and chop the fresh parsley.
- Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas until cool, running water. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Give it a stir every once in a while, but let it cook down for 5-6 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Next, add the garlic and let it heat for about 60 seconds. Stir in the remaining seasonings (thyme, MSG, and black pepper). Then, pour in the vegetable broth. + water.
- Quickly bring the soup to a high simmer and add the noodles. Follow the directions for al dente, with cooking times adjusted for the type of pasta.
- Once the noodles are done, reduce the heat to low. Add in the chickpeas and half of the chopped parsley. Stir it in and give it just enough time for the chickpeas to heat through, about 2 minutes.
- Before serving, remove the thyme sprigs. Portion the soup into bowls, then top with the remaining parsley and oyster crackers, if using. Serve while hot, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy this easy vegan soup recipe! Chickpea Noodle Soup is a top-tier vegan comfort food chock full of delicious flavor. Save this recipe for when the craving strikes, and be sure to leave a rating or comment to let me know what you think.
And as always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!
Questions & Reviews
Loved this… especially the garlic crackers as a topping
What a fabulous vegan recipe! I made this for the family and everyone wanted a second bowl. So perfect for this cold night!
It was really delicious! I found this recipe today, and I thought to give it a try, and I’m happy I did because it came out super good. I also like to use MSG in the food, but I never used it before in soups. But this might change because I loved the soup! Thanks x