This vegan chicken noodle soup tastes like the real deal! I’ve made it for countless people who are not vegan and they loved it too.  It’s the perfect soup for when you’re sick or when you just want delicious vegan comfort food! Filled with healthy veggies, turmeric, protein, and a delicious broth, this soup is sure to warm your heart.

Two bowls full of vegan chicken noodle soup with crackeres scattered around them.

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Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It tastes like real chicken noodle soup!
  • It hits the spot on those winter days when fighting a cold or the flu!
  • Chicken noodle soup just like your mom would have made for you when you were sick, but with no animal ingredients!
  • A savory broth with herbs and turmeric and hearty bites of “chicken” and noodles.
  • You can make it gluten-free and/or soy-free too to fit your dietary needs.
  • It’s simply delicious vegan comfort food at its best!

How to substitute chicken in soup?

You have a few choices when making vegan chicken noodle soup. Seitan, Butler Soy Curls, store-bought chicken strips, or chickpeas.

Seitan – You can buy chicken-style seitan in most major grocery stores, or you can easily make it yourself with my vegan chicken shreds, vegan chicken breasts recipe, or my quick and easy seitan recipe. This is also known as wheat meat. It’s made from gluten and obviously not gluten-free.

*If you are using my homemade vegan chicken recipe, you can toss in the raw seitan dough and cook it with the soup. Just be sure that it simmers for 25 minutes before adding the noodles. (Raw seitan needs to simmer for at least 30 minutes to fully cook.)

Butler Soy Curls – My favorite vegan chicken replacement to use in this soup is Butler Soy Curls! (They are dehydrated soy protein that has a taste and texture that is unbelievably close to chicken when they are re-hydrated in the broth).

Soy Curls are super easy and gluten-free. Soy curls have a great flavor and texture, but they’re also great because they’re shelf-stable.  I love to have them in my pantry to add protein to soups or stir-fries as needed. If using soy curls, note that they are dehydrated and when added to the soup, they will absorb about 1 cup of broth.

Beyond Meat Chicken Strips – If you are looking for a gluten-free and soy-free vegan chicken alternative, Beyond Meat Chicken Strips is a great option.

Chickpeas – if you want a whole food more natural alternative to chicken, you can simply use a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas instead of chicken.

Soy curl noodle soup in a white bowl with crackers and a tea towel next to it.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Olive Oil – to saute the veggies in.
  • Onion – optional, but recommended.
  • Salt – for flavor. Feel free to adjust the amount to suit your taste.
  • Carrots – optional, but recommended.
  • Celery – optional, but recommended.
  • Garlic – cloves give the best flavor, but you can use garlic powder instead.
  • Poultry Seasoning – for an authentic flavor.
  • Parsley – for flavor
  • Turmeric – for color and flavor.
  • Black Pepper – optional for flavor.
  • Broth – I highly recommend that you use a vegan chicken-style broth like Not Chick’n Broth or Better than Bouillon No Chicken.
  • Vegan Chicken – use any of the vegan chicken substitutes mentioned above. See all of my ideas for vegan chicken substitutes.
  • Noodles – any shape or type of pasta that you wish.
  • Fresh Parsley – optional for a great fresh flavor.

How to make vegan chicken noodle soup

Step 1 – Start by sauteing a diced onion in olive oil on very low heat and sprinkle with some salt.  (Sautéing the onion very slowly to give a slight sweetness to the broth.)

Step 2 – While the onion is slowly cooking, chop up the celery and carrots. Then toss them in after the onion has become slightly translucent.

Step 3 – Give it a stir and add the herbs and spices.

Onions, celery, and carrots cooking in a large soup pot to make vegan chicken noodl soup.

Step 4 – Add the water and Not Chick’n broth cubes and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. You can use any vegan chicken-flavored broth, but this one is my favorite. (Soy curls soak up the broth so reduce the water by 1 cup if you are not using soy curls).

Step 5 – Once the veggies are soft, add the butler soy curls or other vegan chicken products, stir, and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Step 6 – Finally, dump in 2 cups of dry noodles of your choice. Allow the soup to simmer for about 8-10 more minutes until the noodles are just barely cooked, then turn off the heat. (Gluten-free noodles will start to fall apart if they are cooked too long).

Adding noodles to vegan chicken noodle soup.

Step 7 – If you like the taste of fresh parsley, chop up a handful and toss it in at the end to give it an added boost of nutrients and fresh flavor!

Pro Tips

  • Saute the onions slowly to bring out their sweetness and help flavor the broth.
  • Make sure to simmer the veggies for about 20 minutes before adding the noodles to ensure the vegetables are cooked and you won’t overcook the noodles.
  • Turn off the heat as soon as the noodles are al dente to make sure that they don’t get soggy and fall apart.

What gluten-free noodles to use for soup?

I have tried nearly every brand of gluten-free noodles that they make. Different brands are good for different things. In soups, the Schär brand is my favorite. It holds together better than any other gluten-free brand that I have tried.

You can also use any brand with corn or quinoa in it, they also stay firmer in soups. I would not recommend using brown rice pasta. They get very mushy and fall apart.

Where can I find Butler Soy Curls?

I used to get mine at a local natural foods store or order them on Amazon. Now, I order them directly from Butler Foods. My family loves soy curls and we go through a lot, so I just buy a huge 12-pound box. This way we have plenty on hand to make vegan soy jerky, vegan Buffalo chicken sandwiches, vegan pulled pork sandwiches, or vegan green chile stew.

A large pot filled with vegan chicken noodle soup with carrots, celery, and soy curls in it.

What to serve with vegan chicken noodle soup?

We love to make vegan cornbread, Socca, vegan Red Lobster biscuits, or vegan focaccia bread to eat with this soup to make it a full meal. It’s also delicious with a vegan Caesar salad or this vegan kale salad.

Can you freeze vegan chicken noodle soup?

Yes, this chicken noodle soup freezes well. The recipe makes a lot, but I do this on purpose to have leftovers for lunches or so I can freeze half of it for dinner another night when I don’t have time to cook.

Simply put it in an airtight bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze individual servings of the soup in souper cubes. (Let the soup thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.)

This vegan chicken noodle soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

A top view of two bowl of vegan chicken noodle soup with oyster crackers on the side.

More vegan soups

Vegan chicken noodle soup recipe

Two bowls of vegan chicken noodle soup made with soy curls with soup crackers around them.
Diet
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4.93 from 13 rating

Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

Yield: 12
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
This vegan chicken noodle soup tastes like the real deal, except that it’s vegan and can be made gluten-free!
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion , chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 medium carrots , peeled and chopped into pieces
  • 3 stalks celery , washed and chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic , peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 11 cups of water, (use 10 cups if not using soy curls)
  • 2 Not Chick’n bullion cubes , or equivalent that makes 4 cups of vegan chicken-flavored broth
  • 1 ½ cup dry Butler soy curls , or 3 cups of your favorite vegan chicken substitute
  • 2 cups pasta noodles of choice
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley, optional
  • more salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Peel and chop one medium onion and sauté it in 1 tbsp olive oil on low heat. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt.
  • While the onion is cooking slowly, peel and chop 3 carrots, 3 stalks of celery, and 2 cloves of garlic.
  • Add the chopped carrots, celery, and minced garlic to the pot and give a stir.
  • Add all of the spices to the veggies (1 tbsp poultry seasoning, 1 tbsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp ground pepper) Sauté on low for another 3 minutes.
  • Put in 11 cups of water (10 if not using soy curls) and 2 bullion cubes, increase heat to medium.
  • Simmer for about 15- 20 minutes until veggies are just barely cooked.
  • Add 1 1/2 cups soy curls or vegan “chicken” substitute of choice (reduce water by 1 cup if not using soy curls).
  • Continue to simmer for 5 more minutes, then add 2 cups of dry pasta.
  • Cook for about 8-10 more minutes until the pasta is al dente and then turn off heat. (Pasta will continue to cook slightly while sitting in the hot soup).
  • Toss in some fresh chopped parsley and add more salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

  • If using soy curls, note that they are dehydrated and when added to the soup, they will absorb about 1 cup of broth.
  • Saute the onions slowly to bring out their sweetness and help flavor the broth.
  • Make sure to simmer the veggies for about 20 minutes before adding the noodles to ensure the vegetables are cooked and you won’t overcook the noodles.
  • Turn off the heat as soon as the noodles are al dente to make sure that they don’t get soggy and fall apart.
Using homemade chicken seitan
  • If you are using my homemade vegan chicken recipe, you can toss in the raw seitan dough and cook it with the soup. Just be sure that it simmers for 25 minutes before adding the noodles. (Raw seitan needs to simmer for at least 30 minutes to fully cook.)
 
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 99kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 1g, Sodium: 345mg, Potassium: 98mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2710IU, Vitamin C: 3.9mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 1.7mg
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This recipe was originally published on January 19, 2018. It was updated on 9-10-2022 to include new images and more detailed instructions.