This Vegan take on your Mom’s classic chicken noodle soup. It’s cold and flu season, and well, unfortunately still Corona season. What could be better at this time of year than this Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup?
My version of this universal favorite uses Soy Curls as the chicken substitute and also adds sweet potatoes. You’re going to love this warming comforting soup when you’re feeling under the weather and throughout the cold months.
Why are there sweet potatoes in this soup?
You may be thinking, why would you put sweet potatoes in Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup? Seems weird right. Try it once, and I think you’ll understand why. The sweetness of the potatoes adds a beautiful depth of flavor to the broth, without having to overdose with sodium from too much added broth, bouillon, or salt.
What are Soy Curls?
Soy Curls are a product offered from Butler Foods, that are made from whole soybeans and come in a dried form. They can then be rehydrated and cooked with various methods as a perfect addition to many vegan and vegetarian dishes. They most closely resemble chicken, so they are often used as a chicken substitute, but I have seen them used in many creative ways, such as stir fries and vegan gyro meat.
Soy Curls are:
-Gluten Free
-Non-GMO
-Sodium Free
-High in Protein
-Cholesterol Free
Also made in the USA, you can see why these would be a great addition to any vegan kitchen. I buy mine on Amazon in a pack of six bags and that lasts for quite some time.
Can I use vegetable broth instead of Chicken flavored bouillon?
Yes, absolutely you can. If you were going to use veggie broth from a carton, or homemade broth, I would use half water, half broth (4.5 cups of water & 4.5 cups of broth). The addition of the sweet potatoes creates a lot of flavor in the soup, so you wouldn’t need as much broth.
If you were going to use vegetable bouillon, I would use about 1 tbsp, or 1 cube.
The vegan “Chicken” flavored bouillon is a nice addition though, and it gives it more of a classic flavor.
How should I prep my vegetables for this Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup?
Since the soup will cook for about 40 minutes total, I like to have larger pieces of veggies in my soup, so they don’t get too mushy. Sticking to about 1/4″ to 1/2″ pieces for celery and carrots is good, with 1″ pieces for the sweet potatoes is a good start. The sweet potatoes will cook the fastest of all of the veggies, so if you prefer your onions, celery and carrots diced smaller, feel free to do so. Just leave the sweet potatoes a bit larger so they don’t break down completely.
Is this Gluten Free?
Yes! Just use your favorite gluten free pasta. We prefer short pastas such as elbows or shells, but get creative and use whatever you love!
Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1.5 onions chopped roughly
- 2 cups celery sliced into 1/4" pieces about 5-6 stalks
- 2 cups carrots sliced or diced into 1/2' pieces about 6 carrots
- 4 cups sweet potatoes chopped into 1" pieces
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled (leave in large pieces if you want to fish out after cooking, or dice finely if you want to leave in)
- 6 garlic cloves diced or sliced, whichever you prefer
- 1 handful freshed parsley chopped about 1-1.5 cups packed loosely before chopping
- 3 sprigs thyme (optional)
- 9 cups water
- 1 tbsp vegan chicken flavored bouillon (you can add more if you're not watching your salt intake)
- 3/4 cup Soy Curls
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 8 oz pasta of your preference Use gluten free pasta for GF. We like shells or elbows
Instructions
- Add onions, celery, carrots, sweet potatoes and water to a large pot and bring to a boil
- Prep the ginger, garlic, parsley and thyme as you are waiting for the soup to boil and add them to the pot as they are finished prepping. (This saves a bit of time since it takes the soup to a boil.)
- Add the chicken flavored bouillon and pepper. Once the soup comes to a hard boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer. Place cover on pot, leaving it cracked slightly to vent.
- Cook for 30 minuntes
- In the meantime, bring a seperate pot a water to a boil and cook your pasta as instructed on the package. Drain and set aside.
- After 30 minutes, add the Soy Curls to the soup pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes. This is a good time to adjust the salt and pepper to your preference.
- Add pasta to the soup and serve! (I prefer to add the pasta to individual bowls while serving, and keep it seperate even after serving if you plan to have leftovers. This insures you won't have mushy pasta in your soup the next day)
