This Chickpea Noodle Soup is the perfect stand-in for standard chicken noodle. It’s fast and easy to make, and so comforting!

With a savory broth full of chickpeas, pasta, and carrots, this chickpea noodle soup has the cozy feel of chicken noodle soup, but without a lick of chicken!

Two bowls of chickpea noodle soup on a wooden board.

Sometimes when a cold (or the dreaded flu) hits, the only thing that sounds remotely palatable is a nice, hearty, nostalgic bowl of chicken noodle soup. That brothy goodness, the comforting steam … it’s kind of a healing experience. 

But when you’re a vegetarian or vegan – stating the obvious here – chicken is a no-go. So what’s a sicky to do? 

Have no fear! Chickpea Noodle Soup is here!

In This Article

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’ve danced around the brothy chickpea-carb situation a couple of times, with this Lemony Dill Chickpea Orzo Soup and this Chickpea & Rice Soup. I love those both!

But I decided it was time to turn to a classic – chickpea and straight-up noodles. I wanted something as classically chicken-noodle as it gets without, you know, the chicken or chicken broth.

And I wanted uncomplicated – if I’m making this for myself and I’m under the weather, it needs to come together with a minimum amount of time and fuss. 

A ladleful of chickpea noodle soup.

But most of all, I wanted the cold-fighting comfort of chicken noodle soup, but in vegetarian form. I wanted to sit down, wrap my hands around the bowl, inhale the steam, and FEEL BETTER. 

I tested this recipe for chickpea noodle soup until I got it just right. I love this vegetarian chicken noodle soup recipe so much!

Vegetarian Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients

  • Olive oil – to sauté the aromatic veggies.
  • Onion, carrots, and celery – the standard mirepoix that adds the BEST flavor to comforting soups like this chickpea noodle soup.
  • Garlic – adds savory flavor and is a magic cold-fighting ingredient, too!
  • Thyme – Adds earthy, familiar flavor. My recipe calls for dried thyme but fresh thyme is amazing too!
  • Turmeric – More cold-fighting action in the house! Though mostly I add just a smidge of turmeric to this vegetarian chicken noodle soup because I like the familiar yellow hue it lends to the situation.
  • Salt & pepper – Because always!
  • Vegetable broth – Use homemade or store-bought, but either way I recommend a low-sodium version. This allows you to better control the salt content.
  • Chickpeas – I use one can, drained, which is easy peasy. If you prefer to use cooked-from-scratch chickpeas, add about two cups.
  • Egg noodles – for that classic chicken noodle soup experience, but you can use any pasta you like. For a vegan chickpea noodle soup, avoid egg noodles and instead choose a vegan pasta. For a gluten-free version, go with gluten-free pasta. Brown rice spirals would be amazing!
  • Parsley – Love the added nutrition, flavor, and green.
  • Lemon – Lemon juice added at the end brightens this soup and just takes it to another level.

How to Make It

This chicken noodle soup without chicken is super easy to make – arguably easier than traditional chicken noodle soup, because there’s no need to worry about handling/cooking chicken.

  1. Set the flavor base by sauteing the mirepoix, garlic, and herbs. Saute your onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil, then add the garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper. Continue sautéing until aromatic.
  2. Add the broth, chickpeas, and pasta. Simmer for a few minutes until the pasta is tender.
  3. Finish with more flavor. Once the pasta is done, remove the soup from the heat and add your squeeze of lemon juice and parsley. Taste, and add a bit more salt and pepper if you like.

That’s it! Super easy chickpea noodle soup, am I right?!

Can I Freeze Chickpea Noodle Soup?

Because of the pasta, freezing the soup doesn’t work out very well. The pasta becomes mushy. However, if you’re thinking ahead, you could always make this soup up to the point of adding the pasta. Let it cool, and add it to an airtight container or freezer bag and label it. Then thaw it overnight in the fridge, add it to your pot, bring it to a boil, add the pasta, and go from there.

Other Vegetarian Soup Recipes

two bowls of chickpea noodle soup on a board with parsley and lemon slices on the side to use as garnish.

I made quite a few versions of this chickpea noodle soup until I hit upon this one, the keeper of all keepers. In my opinion, it’s the perfect balance of simple and easy but also comforting and delicious. 

I hope you like this one as much as we do. And if you’re making this because you’re fighting a cold too, I hope you feel better soon!

5 from 1 vote

Chickpea Noodle Soup

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 4
The perfect combo of simple + comfort + flavor, this chickpea and noodle soup is a wholesome cold-and-flu-fighting champ. Though we love it enough to make it when we're feeling just fine, too!
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 celery stalk, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt ( + more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ( + more to taste)
  • 32 ounces low-sodium vegetable broth (4 cups)
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 15-ounce can, drained)
  • 1 1/2 cups egg noodles (or substitute a vegan pasta if you prefer)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (plus lemon wedges for serving if desired [optional but highly recommended])

Instructions

  • Set a medium soup pot over medium-low heat. Add olive oil. When hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened – about 8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, thyme, turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute.
  • Add the broth and chickpeas. Stir. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Add egg noodles or other pasta. Stir and reduce heat to low for a simmer. Cook until pasta is al dente – my bag of egg noodles calls for 10 minutes, but your pasta may take a different amount of time, so check your pasta package.
  • When pasta is cooked, remove from heat. Stir in parsley and lemon juice if using. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve.

Notes

Vegan Option

Sub in a vegan pasta. 

Gluten Free Option

Use gluten-free pasta like brown rice rotini.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftovers keep for about 3 days. To reheat, simmer over the stovetop until warmed through. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 258kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 331mg, Potassium: 451mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 5493IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 3mg

Originally published Feb. 26, 2020

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