Classic Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup is made vegan by simply replacing the chicken with healthy, hearty potatoes. Much healthier and still filling and comforting. This soup still has that classic comfort flavor and feel without the excess sodium. A bowl of this will fill you up and satisfy you perfectly.
CLASSIC VEGAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Today, I’m sharing a classic with you. I grew up eating chicken noodle soup…honestly, who didn’t? That warm bowl of comforting soup that was overly loaded with salt, was somehow so satisfying. Of course, looking at the can of ingredients now is pretty gross. I do remember how the chicken in the can was always really rubbery and I would end up spitting most of it out.
When I became an adult my mom started making a chicken noodle soup recipe that she picked up from a newspaper. It was creamy and slightly spicy and incredibly delicious. Come to find out, it was made using a cream of mushroom can of soup! What?! I thought it was homemade 100%. Lol. Regardless, it was really yummy and I always requested it.
Instead of using actual chicken or even vegan chicken, I used healthy whole food potatoes! They are just as comforting, filling and satisfying. I love comforting soups and stews so much and it’s something that I thrive at when being creative in the kitchen.
You can make this for 8 easy ingredients, so simple and nothing fancy and completely plant-based.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
Full recipe and details on recipe card below.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Red potatoes or yukon gold potatoes
- Veggie broth
- Vegan bouillon cubes (see recipe below for alternate version)
- Dried thyme
- Nutritional yeast
- Noodles: Use regular or gluten-free. I used gluten-free brown rice spiral noodles.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Step 1: Add the water (or broth if using the alternate version) and bring to a boil. Add the bouillon cubes (or spices version) and whisk to ensure thoroughly mixed.
Step 2: Add all of the veggies except the pasta. Bring back to a boil and stir well. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes until veggies are becoming tender, but not fully.
Step 3: Add the pasta and raise the heat to medium-high and bring back to a boil. Cook about 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender to your liking. If using gluten-free, it will cook faster, so watch closely so that it doesn’t become mushy.
Step 4: Taste and add any more salt, if needed, as this can greatly vary depending on the broth or quality of bouillon cubes used. I like a good grind of freshly ground black pepper to serve on top.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS SOUP?
A perfect thing to serve with a delicious healthy vegan chicken noodle soup is my Vegan Caesar salad and have a really satisfying, healthy dinner.
MORE VEGAN SOUP RECIPES
- Vegan Red Lentil Curry Soup
- Low-fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup
- Vegan Cauliflower Curry Soup
- Creamy Vegan Lentil Soup
- Hearty Veggie Potato Stew
- Lazy Day Vegan Tomato Bisque
- Smoky Sweet Potato Black-eyed Pea Soup
Classic Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 4 large long carrots, sliced (you will need 1 1/2 cups sliced, 170 g)
- 4 large long celery stalks (you will need 1 1/2 cups sliced, 200g)
- 1 packed cup (160g) finely diced yellow onion
- 3 X-large garlic cloves, minced (about a tablespoon-15g)
- 3 small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (you will need 2 1/2 cups, 370g)
- 6-7 cups water (or broth, see update under NOTES)
- 2 vegan bouillon cubes (see update under NOTES for alternate version!)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (depending on your bouillon cube, this may need adjustment)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 cups (170g, 6 oz) gluten-free brown rice spiral noodles
- optional garnish: fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Prepare all of your veggies, spices and set aside.
- Add only 6 cups of the water (or broth if using the updated version below) to a large pot and bring to a boil, add the bouillon cubes (or all the additional spices listed under the updated version below in place using the bouillon cubes), thyme, salt, nutritional yeast and whisk to dissolve.
- Immediately add all of the veggies (carrots, celery, onion, garlic and potatoes). You are adding all of the ingredients except the pasta. Stir well and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, immediately turn to the lowest heat, cover and simmer around 10 minutes until the carrots and potatoes are becoming tender, but not fully.
- Add the pasta and bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, leave the lid off and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, but still firm. If using gluten-free pasta, it will cook much faster, so keep an eye.
- Taste and add any more salt, if needed, as this can greatly vary depending on the broth or quality of bouillon cubes used. I like a good grind of freshly ground black pepper to serve on top. If you want it more brothy, add more broth and adjust seasonings as needed to account for extra broth.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice right before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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This is soooo good. Only thing I changed was I added vegan chicken but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it’s insanely good and comforting. Looove it ❤️
So happy you loved it!!
Hi Brandi- mind sharing the brand of vegan bouillon you use? Thank you- excited to make this!
Hi Wendy! I actually haven’t used the bullion cube version in years, I always do the alternative version now, so I’d suggest that. But when I did use it, it was from whole foods
Just finished 2 bowls…this is amazing! I made my own veggie broth and added the additional spices in the notes. I was hesitant about potatoes with noodles but this is by Vegan 8, so I knew it had to be good. This was the tastiest soup I have ever had even before going Whole Food Plant Based! Vegan 8 has the best recipes! Thank you for making this way of eating easy!
MYKIND OF RECIPE! WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME ON MY SHOW AND PREPARE IT OR ANOTHER OF YOUR SPECTACULAR RECIPES? I GET UP TO 1,000 LIVE VIEWERS ON THE DAILY SHOW AND MANY MORE ON THE REPLAYS. THANK YOU.
Hi Chef AJ! Thanks for reaching out again! Unfortunately, this is something I cannot commit to for the time being, but I will let you know if/when I can in the future, thank you so much for understanding!
A good for the soul dish! This is a regular meal in our household. M
Yay Janine!
After reading all the positive reviews I had to try this recipe. Wow – delicious! First time I have used vegan bouillon cubes (“Not-Chick’N”, by Edward & Sons) and they really added flavor. I also added a can of chickpeas and some kale (at the very end). Very easy, healthy recipe, and I will definitely make again!
Woohoo, so lovely to hear it!
This is a perfect soup! Recipe is super simple.
Thank you so much Janet!
This is a family favorite! Real comfort food and tastes amazingly delicious. Thanks, Brandi.
That’s so wonderful, thank you so much Diane!
Amazing flavor and hits the spot for the subzero temps near the Chicagoland area! Definitely a keeper!
I made this tonight on a wintery evening. I, too, felt like chicken noodle soup but I’m on a plant based diet. This was absolutely the best! I did add the nutritional yeast for flavor. I also added a Chayote cubed. A vegetable used in Mexican soups. My husband who still eats meat loved this soup. I’m so happy there’s leftovers for another dinner during the week. Thank you Brandi! Every recipe you create is always delicious.
Brandi has once again knocked another recipe out of the park! When I find myself wanting a recipe for a new food, I always check to see if the Vegan8 has one because Brandi never lets me down! I was hoping for a flavorful vegan gluten free noodle soup. The seasonings in the recipe are phenomenal! (I did thr alternative version) Every bite was flavorful and the soup is so warm, hearty, and comforting with both the pasta and potatoes. I frozen several portions and will 10/10 make this again!
You are the sweetest Megan, thank you so much! So happy you loved the soup!
This soup is AMAZING! My husband says it’s the best soup I have ever made, and I agree! So delicious, I ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Super easy and comforting. I made the original recipe, with vegan bouillons and used gluten free pasta. This will for sure become a staple in our house.
Made this tonight and it received lots of love from this plant-based family!!! Added some chicpeas which were delicious in it!
As a two decade vegetarian, and children that have only been raised vegetarian, I missed the flavors and smells of chicken noodle soup, but knew they couldn’t relate to. There wasn’t a great substitute on the market that didn’t include tofu and my kids freak at the texture of “fake meat”. I found this recipe a few years ago and decided to give it a go. THIS IS STILL OUR FAVORITE!! We usually top it with a parmesan cheese (or vegan alternative =), and serve it with crusty bread. It’s light enough to have any time of year, but we definitely crave it a lot when the weather turns cooler! It’s going to be on the dinner table tonight – kids’ request!
I’ve made this soup exactly twice, barring today (I’m bringing the veggies to a boil right now). And in BOTH experiences, this recipe has earned legendary status!! Everyone who has tried it—including myself!—swears by it. I am a vegan who typically eats the spiciest possible food, but this soup is SO simple and SO flavorful: just honestly a delight!! An absolute delight. Thank you so much for this! 😭
This recipe was AMAZING! It’s exactly the classic soup you remember from growing up, just, dare I say, better! At first I wasn’t sure about the potatoes as a substitute for chicken but it was lovely. Just the right ingredient to make the soup feel as though there wasn’t anything “missing”. My family loved it. Thank you for another oil free vegan keeper. 🙂
Aww so glad to hear this, thank you Rachel for the review!
This is incredible! Super easy to make and very versatile. I used barley instead of noodles and added some spinach at the end and it was delicious.
Wonderful Mari!
This recipes is seriously amazing! Simple, whole food, so flavorful! Thank you so much!
This was delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
delicious! A new family favorite for us. Hard to fine recipes we all like with a 8, 6, and 4 year old!
This recipe is bomb! So yummy and flavorful. I used the bouillon cubes. The only thing I changed was I used 1/4 of the amount of pasta because I like my noodle soup more brothy and I have found that pasta sucks it all up!
So happy to hear you loved it!
Loved this recipe! I added some garbanzo beans that I had leftover from making hummus and a super finely chopped bunch of lacinato kale. Delicious!!! Thank you!
So happy to hear that Jen! Thank you for the review!
I loved it. I make a homemade bouillon I found on Pinterest so that I can control how much sodium goes into any dish I put it in. I was worried I wouldn’t get enough flavor. I make and freeze my own vege broth but I didn’t have 6 cups. The only modification I made was I went ahead an added Worcester sauce like you recommend if using broth and not bouillon cubes. I also added an extra tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Probably didn’t need to do all that but I wasn’t sure of my homemade bouillon. It came out great. Thank you for another low-fat winner
One of my favourite recipes ever! This is so so tasty and simply to make. I cannot believe I haven’t already written a review about it! Absolutely amazing. It’s gotten to the point where I’m cooking this once a week at least! Yay thank you so much
The only thing I do to change it is adding more water than stated, but that is just a personal preference.
SO happy to hear that Ellen!
Another 5 star hit from Brandy! This soup is outstanding, brings back memories of childhood chicken noodle soup. EVERYONE loved it and I have printed and given out at least 5 copies of this recipe, it’s delish! The first batch I made, I did not follow directions and I used regular white pasta – oh man, it doubled in size turning my soup into a pot of pasta with no broth, so be sure to use the gluten free brown rice pasta!!! Thanks again Brandy for your awesome culinary skills!