Is there anything more comforting than a steaming bowl of soup when you’re feeling under the weather? I think not, and this Chickpea Noodle Soup is just the ticket! On the west coast we’re smack in the middle of rainy season which also means it is cold and flu season. This Chickpea Noodle Soup is a sure-fire cure for the sniffles, or is great for when you’re feeling like you need a big comforting hug in the middle of all this grey winter weather!
The last time I had a cold, I whipped up a batch to have on hand for easy meals. It was so nice to have something warm and comforting to heat up that kept me full, had lots of liquids and was healthy so my body could heal. I genuinely believe that as much as we don’t want to eat healthy when we’re sick, its exactly what our body needs at that time. But, lets be honest, the last thing you want to do when you’re sick is cook. The nice thing about this soup its is super easy to make, minimal ingredients and the clean up is a chopping board and a pot. Even better if you have a loving partner or parent who is willing to do the work for you! Winner winner chickpea dinner!
It has all the aroma of a home cooked chicken noodle soup that your mom used to make , but with a healthy vegan spin. The key to making a vegan version of chicken noodle soup is all in the spices– to be specific poultry seasoning. Poultry seasoning is just a mix of sage, thyme, marjoram (or its close cousin oregano), pepper and sometimes a touch of nutmeg. No poultry needed! The seasoning blend combined with aromatic onion and garlic, sweet carrot and salty celery leaves you with the perfect base for a chicken-less soup that will have your body back up to its perky self in no time. In lieu of using Poultry seasoning in this recipe, I just used most of the ingredients from it to make this recipe simple for any cook — not everyone has fancy spices!
Chickpea Noodle Soup
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock or 1 1/2 tbsp oil (for sauteeing vegetables)
- 1 large onion, chopped (appx 1 cup)
- 3 small garlic cloves, minced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped ( appx 1.5 cups)
- 2 large carrots, chopped (appx 1.5 cups)
- 1 tsp ground sage (use 1/2 tsp if you’re sensitive to the flavor of Sage)
- 1 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried dill (optional, but reccomended)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 8 cups vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 cups short noodle pasta**, preferably whole wheat
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, to finish (or more to taste)
Method
- In a soup pot over medium heat add vegetable stock or oil for sauteeing. Add onions and garlic and sautee for 4-5 minutes, until onion becomes translucent. If using water, add more as needed so the onions don’t stick.
- Add carrots and celery, sautee for another 5 minutes until slightly softened
- Add spices (except for dill)*, chickpeas and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook 15-20 minutes until vegetables are soft and flavors combine.
- Bring back to a boil and add pasta of your choice. Cook according to package directions for al dente. Whole wheat short noodles take approximately 8 minutes. Don’t overcook your pasta as it will continue to absorb water from the broth after cooking. You may need to add 1/2- 1 cup more stock at this point if too much boiled off during simmering.
- Finish with lemon juice, dill and season with additional salt if needed.
- Serve immediately, or cool completely and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
*Adding the dill at the beginning will cause it to loose its flavor, if you forget, simply add a bit more at the end.
** If keeping this recipe gluten free, choose a gluten free noodle and adjust pasta cooking times accordingly.
Cashews & Kale 
Looks delicious.
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Thank you!
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