This vegan chickpea noodle soup is seriously comforting and takes only thirty minutes to make. It’s a plant-based spin on traditional chicken noodle soup, in which beans supply not only protein, but also fiber, folate, and iron. Lemony, savory, and satisfying, the soup is a perfect easy lunch or side dish.

On Sunday, I wrote about the comforts of cooking, especially through tough times.

How comforting does a warm, brothy bowl of chickpea noodle soup sound to you?

I have a lot of go-to vegan soups. They range from traditional to unusual, but I have to admit that I have a soft spot for the classics.

Tomato soup, split pea soup, and French onion soup are favorites at any time of year, but especially in the colder months. I turn to them for their familiarity, coziness, and ease.

In the non-vegan realm, it doesn’t get more classic than chicken noodle soup. Today’s recipe is my tribute to that classic dish.

Chickpea noodle soup (for the soul?)

Chicken noodle soup was a childhood favorite of mine, as is true for so many.

Soups weren’t my mom’s specialty. She was a working single mom who also cared for her own mom. As a result, she relied on quick-cooking meals most of the time, rather than recipes that required a lot of simmering.

Chicken noodle soup, however, was something that my mom always made from scratch. I loved her preparation of it, and I loved receiving it from her.

Years later, there’s no substitute for that sense of being cared for and kept safe. But there is the meaningful experience of self-caring and self-soothing in adulthood, calling upon nostalgic recipes for support.

I love this plant-based version of my childhood comfort food, and I hope that you’ll fall in love with it, too.

Chickpeas for plant protein

The obvious distinction between this recipe and chicken noodle soup is, of course, in the choice of protein.

I rely on chickpeas, which are one of my favorite plant proteins, to satisfy in place of poultry.

There are some nutritional perks that result from this. Chickpeas are full of fiber and folate, and they’re a good source of iron. They also supply Vitamin B6, which supports nervous system and immune function.

Even better? No extended simmering required! This is one of my quickest soups to make, because the chickpeas are fully cooked before you add them to the pot.

While the protein may be different, chickpea noodle soup is lemony, savory, and filling, just as my mom’s non-vegan version was, with less time and effort.

I think she’d approve.

Chickpea noodle soup ingredients

The main ingredients for this soup are simple. At any given moment, I’m likely to have all of them in my home, and the same may be true for you.

Chickpeas

The soup recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas. I use canned, but you can cook chickpeas from dry beforehand if that’s your routine.

Onion, carrots, and celery

These three vegetables form a classic base for soups and stews. I use yellow onion, but white onion or shallots will also work. I think the soup would be tasty with leeks as an allium, too.

Garlic

My chickpea noodle soup isn’t heavy on garlic (only a clove), but you can certainly add more if you’re a garlic lover!

Nutritional yeast

Nutritional yeast is often touted for being “cheesy” in flavor, which it is.

More simply, though, it tastes savoriness, and I often add it to soups for savory flavor. A good example is my beloved creamy vegan potato leek soup, which calls for a whole 1/3 cup of it.

This soup is more modest with the nooch—only a tablespoon—but that small amount really does create important umami in the recipe.

Chicken-style broth

I cook with plenty of vegetable broth, but in recent years I’ve really come to appreciate vegan chicken-style broth.

The one I use most often is from the Imagine Organics vegetarian no-chicken broth, but there are also bouillons and broth base options on the market.

Why a chicken broth substitute? I think it has more umami flavor than vegetable broth. It’s also less sweet and (not surprisingly) less vegetal. It’s a more authentic choice for a soup that’s aiming to be like chicken noodle.

If you don’t have this type of broth, no problem. Vegetable broth will still work well.

Pasta

I prefer a medium or short pasta shape for my chickpea noodle soup. Some examples:

• Fusilli or rotini
• Orechiette
• Elbows
• Ditalini
• Cavatappi
• Radiatori
• Shells
• Cavatelli

As for the pasta itself, you’ve got options.

Regular wheat pasta is my go-to, and I usually buy the De Cecco, Rummo, or Sfoglini brands. But whole wheat pasta or gluten-free pastas should work as well. If you’d like to double down on protein, you can try a bean-based pasta.

One thing to keep in mind is that your pasta will not only simmer away with the soup, but also sit in liquid once the soup is finished.

If you’ve noticed that an alternative pasta tends to lose its shape or fall apart, as is sometimes the case with bean pasta, then it may not be an ideal choice for this recipe.

Lemon

I come from a family of Greek home cooks who have a very heavy hand with lemon. Avgolemono (Greek Easter soup) is a dramatic example of this, but I’m generous with lemon in many of my homemade soups.

My chickpea noodle soup is no exception. I recommend starting with two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, but if you’re like me, you’ll probably end up adding some extra.

How to make vegan chickpea noodle soup

I love a one-pot recipe always, and especially through life’s more trying seasons. I first made this soup a few weeks ago, on a night when I was feeling more tender than usual, and the ease of preparation was just what I needed.

Here are the easy steps.

Step 1: Sauté your veggies

A standard beginning instruction for a pot of soup: sauté your onion, carrot, and celery in some olive oil.

As soon as the onion, carrot, and celery are tender, and the onion is becoming translucent, you’ll add minced garlic to the pot. Continue cooking everything for another minute, or until the garlic is nice and fragrant.

Step 2: Add chickpeas and liquid and bring to a boil

Next, you’ll add your chickpeas, broth, and some water to the pot and bring it all to a boil.

Step 3: Add the pasta and simmer till tender

Once the liquid is boiling, add the pasta to the pot.

Cover the pot and simmer everything for 13-15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, but not mushy.

I’m one of the rare people who doesn’t like my pasta cooked al dente, but in the case of this soup, al dente is the right time to remove the soup pot from heat.

The pasta will continue to soften and cook a bit in hot liquid after simmering is complete.

Step 4: Add lemon and season to taste

Once the pasta is ready, remove the soup pot from heat. Add the lemon juice and stir everything well. Then, taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon as needed.

All that remains is for you to ladle the chickpea noodle soup into bowls!

Meal prep & storage

As is the case with most soups, this one will taste a bit better after the leftovers sit for a day or two. You can store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to six days.

If you like, you can also freeze the soup for up to six weeks.

Be warned, the chickpeas may become slightly mushy with defrosting. But that effect won’t be so pronounced as to take away from the comforting goodness of this nourishing bowl.

I feel a particular kind of happiness in veganizing things I grew up with. I’ve been making this soup for a while now without having shared it.

Now I’m hoping that chickpea noodle soup will find its way onto your table and into your heart soon.

xo