Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup will keep you warm and cozy on chilly days. Homemade soup is terrific for lunch or even light dinner. Made with vegetables, pasta, chickpeas and spices, this recipe is super easy to make. It's vegan with a gluten-free option.
Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup
I grew up eating that canned soup with the red and white label that Andy Warhol liked so much. As a kid, I thought it was delicious. These days, if I’m in a pinch, I’ll pick up a premade variety from Whole Foods, but I do prefer to make my own.
One of my favorites as kid was chicken noodle soup. I didn’t care about so much the chicken, but loved the saltiness of the broth combined with the fun-to-eat noodles. I remember slurping down bowls of it while watching cartoons on sick days. Sometimes, my mom would pack hot soup in a thermos in my Hardy Boys lunchbox for my lunch at school.
I’ve veganized my favorite childhood soup and made it healthier. Hearty chickpeas are the star of the dish, and I’ve used gluten-free fusilli in the place of noodles. Low sodium vegetable stock takes the place of the salty broth from my younger days.
I’ve used kale in this recipe to give it a little nutrient boost, as well as a little bit of color. Chicken noodle soup is usually made with celery, but I don’t like cooked celery, so I’ve left it out. Feel free to add a sliced stalk or two if you like it.
What You Need
- Vegetable oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrot
- Vegetable stock
- Whole grain pasta
- Chickpeas
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Kale
- Parsley
- Lemon juice
See the recipe card for exact measurements.
How to Make Chickpea Noodle Soup
This recipe is super easy to make!
- First, you sauté the onion, garlic, and carrot.
- Next, you add the vegetable stock, noodles, and dried herbs to the pot and let it cook until the noodles are tender.
- Now you add chopped kale to the pot and cook until it has wilted.
- Finally you add remove the soup from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
Serving Your Soup
Serve this vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup on its own for a light meal or pair it with a sandwich for a heartier repast. I love to serve it for lunch with roasted vegetable wraps.
Substitutions
- Any type of pasta noodles can be used in the place of fusilli. If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your pasta is gluten-free.
- You can use chard, baby kale, or baby spinach in the place of kale.
- Feel free to add celery, if you like.
Storing Your Soup
Store any uneaten soup in an air-tight container in your fridge for up to five days. You can also store your soup in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw your frozen soup in the refrigerator and then reheat it in a pot on stovetop at medium heat until it's hot.
Chickpea Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon neutral-flavored vegetable oil
- ¼ cup diced yellow onion (about ½ of a small onion)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large carrot sliced or diced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 ½ cups uncooked whole grain fusilli or similarly shaped pasta, gluten-free, if necessary
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chopped kale
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and become fragrant, about 10 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock, noodles, chickpeas, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a bowl and then lower the heat to simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the noodles are tender, about 10 minutes. (The time will vary, depending on the type of pasta you use.)
- Add the kale to the pot and stir until wilted.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Serve hot.
More soup recipes you might like include
- African-Inspired Chickpea Peanut Stew
- Lasagna Soup
- Roasted Kabocha Soup
- Curried Cauliflower Cream Soup
More chickpea recipes include
- Chickpea Rancheros
- Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
- Coconut Chickpea Curry with Spinach
- Curried Mango Chickpea Wrap
Becky Striepe
Ooh this looks perfect for fall! We were all 3 under the weather this weekend, and I wish I'd had a batch of this in the fridge!
Dianne
Thank you, Becky! I hope you're feeling better!
Jenn
I have everything I need to make this and it's definitely happening this week! Just what I need - my daughter and I both have coughs this week and with the temps dropping all I want is a big bowl of cozy soup! This is perfect!
Dianne
I hope you enjoy it, Jenn! And I hope you feel better!
Alisa Fleming
I was just thinking about making noodle soup for lunch! This recipe looks perfect and I have everything on hand.
Dianne
Thank you, Alisa! I hope you enjoy it!
Cadry
This looks so cozy, and I'm loving the added nutrient boost of kale. I also remember how fun it was on those days when I had warm soup from home in my Strawberry Shortcake thermos.
Dianne
Thank you, Cadry! Wouldn't it have been fun to have soup for lunch together in the school cafeteria?
Linda from Veganosity
You can send all of the soup to me! I actually just ate a bowl of "chicken" and wild rice soup for breakfast. LOL! This looks delicious, Dianne. I love that you added kale to it.
Dianne
Thank you, Linda!
Kathy Hester
I am always looking for more soup ideas that remind me of old fashioned recipes. I will make this for my partner for sure.
Dianne
Thank you, Kathy! I hope you both enjoy it!
Marianne
Wow, this was fantastic. I used chickpea fusili. My Husband I
Who is not Vegan said this is a keeper.
Thank you
Dianne
I'm so glad you liked it!
Marianne
Loved this soup.
Thank you. It’s an easy go to Winter soup
Dianne
I'm so glad you liked it!
P
What other fresh and:or frozen greens would work in this recipe if I don’t have kale?
Dianne
You can use spinach, arugula, or chard.
Lynne
Excellent soup. As always I made changes. I used my own home cooked chickpeas. When I cook them I use part veg broth and water. I used some of that to sauté the onions, garlic and carrots. I increased the spices and in place of black pepper I used Penzeys "Justice", which is a blend of shallots, garlic, onion, green peppercorns, chives and green onion. I also used a whole bunch of kale, not just the 2 cups called for. You can't have too many greens in my opinion! I also doubled the parsley. I know I will be making this again. A very comforting soup!
Dianne
I'm glad you enjoyed it!