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
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , 15 ml
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter , 28 grams
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 5 carrots , sliced into rounds
- 4 celery ribs , sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt , 6 grams
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper , 1 gram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme , 1.4 grams
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano , 2 grams
- 10 cups low-sodium vegetable stock , 2.4 liters
- 2 ½ cups dry bowtie pasta , 280 grams
- 3 cups shredded or chopped vegan chicken , 420 grams
- 2 cups baby spinach , 60 grams
- Extra salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and vegan butter over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery and season with salt. Saute until softened. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
- Stir in the pepper, thyme, oregano, and vegetable stock. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir the pasta into the soup and cook until al dente.
- Stir in the vegan chicken and baby spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted and the vegan chicken is cooked through.
- Taste the soup and season with extra salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter 28 grams
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 5 carrots sliced into rounds
- 4 celery ribs sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt 6 grams
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 gram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1.4 grams
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano 2 grams
- 10 cups low-sodium vegetable stock 2.4 liters
- 2 ½ cups dry bowtie pasta 280 grams
- 3 cups shredded or chopped vegan chicken 420 grams
- 2 cups baby spinach 60 grams
- Extra salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and vegan butter over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery and season with salt. Saute until softened. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
- Stir in the pepper, thyme, oregano, and vegetable stock. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir the pasta into the soup and cook until al dente.
- Stir in the vegan chicken and baby spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted and the vegan chicken is cooked through.
- Taste the soup and season with extra salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-chicken-noodle-soup/ June 19, 2024
These vegan buckwheat pancakes are light and fluffy, with a slightly nutty flavour that sets them apart from traditional pancakes. Stack them tall and pour on the syrup!
Despite the “wheat” in its name, buckwheat is not a type of wheat at all! It’s actually a seed from a plant related to rhubarb. Because it’s not really wheat, it’s naturally gluten-free, and it adds different qualities to foods when you use it in recipes.
Take these buckwheat pancakes! They have a unique nutty, earthy flavour, a texture that’s both hearty and light, and a deeper colour than typical vegan pancakes .
Why You’ll Love These Buckwheat Pancakes
- Easy to make . Like my vegan strawberry pancakes , buckwheat pancakes come together quickly with a little bit of stirring, cooking, and flipping.
- Gluten-free option . I like to use some all-purpose flour because adding a bit of gluten helps the pancakes hold together, but you can use all buckwheat flour to make them gluten-free.
- Versatile . These buckwheat pancakes can be customized to your taste preferences by adding different toppings or mix-ins.
- Light and fluffy texture . Despite being made with hearty buckwheat flour, these pancakes are still light and fluffy!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Buckwheat flour – Not all grocery stores carry buckwheat flour, so natural grocers or stores that tend to have more specialty ingredients are your best bet.
- All-purpose flour – Swap for gluten free all purpose flour if you want to make gluten-free vegan buckwheat pancakes.
- Sugar
- Baking powder – This, along with the apple cider vinegar, helps give the pancakes their fluffy texture.
- Salt
- Neutral plant milk – You can add a little extra for thinner pancakes.
- Oil – Or another oil you like to use for cooking.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon – This adds some cozy flavour.
- Non-stick cooking spray
How to Make Buckwheat Pancakes
- Make the batter. Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl, then stir in the remaining ingredients, through the cinnamon.
- Rest. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Cook the pancakes. Heat a pan over medium and coat it with cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into the pan per pancake and cook both sides until lightly browned and cooked through.
Tips for Success
- Don’t skip the rest . During the 5 minute resting time, the flours absorb the liquid and create a thicker batter, resulting in fluffier pancakes.
- Avoid over-mixing . Since there’s still some all-purpose flour in this buckwheat pancake recipe, over-mixing will create tough and dense pancakes. Mix until everything is just incorporated.
- Flip at the right time . Wait for bubbles to form on the surface of the pancake and the edges to look set before flipping. This ensures that your pancakes won’t fall apart when you flip them.
- Adjust the stove temperature as needed . If your pancakes are burning on the outside while the insides are still gooey, turn the heat down. If they’re taking much too long, turn the heat slightly up. When making pancakes, you usually have to adjust the temperature a few times through the cooking process.
Topping and Mix-In Ideas
- Add some fruit . Blueberries, diced apples, or chopped strawberries are delicious stirred into the batter, or you can serve your buckwheat pancakes with fruit on top.
- Drizzle with syrup . Maple syrup is the traditional choice, but date syrup is also delicious!
- Get fancy with whipped cream . A dollop of coconut whipped cream or cashew whipped cream adds some indulgence to your breakfast.
- Make it chocolatey . Fold some vegan chocolate chips into the batter—because breakfast is always better with chocolate!
How to Store Leftovers
You can store buckwheat pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave, toaster oven, or on a sheet pan in a 325ºF oven. (If you reheat them in the oven, I recommend covering the pan with foil to keep the pancakes moist.)
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes! Place the pancakes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze them until they’re solid. After they are frozen, transfer the pancakes to a freezer-safe bag or container. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. They can be reheated directly from frozen.
More Vegan Pancake Recipes
- Protein Pancakes Recipe
- Silver Dollar Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Vegan Gingerbread Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour , 120 grams
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour , 90 grams
- ¼ cup sugar , 50 grams
- 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon baking powder , 16.4 grams
- A pinch of salt
- 1 ¾ cup neutral plant milk , 414 ml, 2 cups ( 473 ml) if you like a thinner pancake
- 3 tablespoons oil , any oil you like works 44 ml
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar , 7 ml
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , 5 ml
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon , 2 grams
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Whisk together the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the plant milk, oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix until smooth but don’t over-mix.
- Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and grease it with cooking spray. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto the skillet per pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes and the edges start to look set (2-3 minutes). Use a large spatula to flip the pancakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes more minutes or until cooked through. Transfer the pancakes to a plate, grease the skillet again, and repeat with the remaining batter.
