Chickpea Noodle Soup
This noodle soup is made with chickpeas instead of chicken! It's the perfect meatless soup when you're feeling ill or craving familiar comfort food flavors.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 3, 2024
Here’s my meatless version of classic chicken noodle soup, made with chickpeas instead of chicken! This soup is exactly what I want to eat when I’m feeling under the weather or craving some familiar, comfort food flavors.
It seems like everyone has caught at least one cold this winter season, me included. As a longtime vegetarian, I haven’t eaten chicken noodle soup in years.
Every time I get sick, I wonder why I don’t have a restorative soup recipe, but don’t have the energy to figure it out. Eventually, I get well again and move on to more exciting meals. So it goes.
We finally broke the cycle and I’m excited to share this recipe with you today. It’s the perfect meal to bring to your friend who isn’t feeling well, and it’s simple enough to pull together if you’re not feeling well yourself.
Vegan Noodle Soup Notes
I caught a winter cold a couple months ago and was feeling quite sorry for myself as I sniffled on the couch. My fella insisted on making me a vegetable noodle soup. He winged it, like he does, and it turned out really well, like his meals generally do. He’s a great cook.
His version didn’t include chickpeas, just a generous amount of vegetables, egg noodles (classic), and one surprise ingredient—curry powder. It was subtle, but interesting, warming and comforting at the same time. I loved it and made sure to include some in my chickpea version.
I also added some turmeric, which you will find in some chicken noodle soup recipes because it offers some golden yellow coloring. Turmeric is one of the main ingredients in curry powder and chickpeas are a staple in Indian cuisine, so you can see how this soup concept might not be so crazy idea after all.
That said, you can leave out the curry powder if you’re suspicious or need ultra-basic noodle soup for someone who’s really unwell.
I added chickpeas for some added protein, fiber and texture. Plus, “chickpea noodle soup” has a fun plant-based ring to it. Whether you’re a meatless eater or not, I think you’ll really enjoy this alternative to traditional chicken noodle soup.
Watch How to Make Chickpea Noodle Soup
Please let me know how you like this noodle soup recipe in the comments! I hope you it’s exactly what you need.
Craving more soup to get you through the winter? Here are a few more favorites on Cookie and Kate:
- Classic Minestrone Soup
- The Best Lentil Soup
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Redeeming Green Soup with Lemon and Cayenne
Chickpea Noodle Soup
This noodle soup is made with chickpeas instead of chicken! It’s the perfect meatless soup when you’re feeling ill or craving familiar comfort food flavors. Recipe yields 6 big bowls of soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery (about 2 long stalks)
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds (2 medium or 4 small)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon curry powder (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 8 ounces spiral pasta*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
- 2 quarts (8 cups/64 ounces) vegetable broth
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion, celery, carrots and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are turning translucent and softening, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the turmeric and curry powder, if using, and stir constantly for about 30 seconds to wake up their flavors. Add the bay leaf, chickpeas, pasta, parsley and broth.
- Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the pasta is pleasantly tender, about 10 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and season generously with pepper. Add more salt, to taste, if necessary (I usually add another ¼ teaspoon). Serve while hot, with some extra parsley and pepper on top as garnish.
- Once cool, store the soup in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
Notes
*Pasta options: I’ve used whole grain noodles (DeLallo fusilli) and gluten free noodles (see below) with success. Egg noodles are a classic choice. Orzo would also be nice.
Make it gluten free: Substitute gluten-free noodles. I had good luck with Ancient Harvest rotini (a corn and quinoa blend).
Change it up: Omit the curry powder for more mild, traditional flavor—but it’s subtle as is. You could also substitute Great Northern beans for the chickpeas.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Oh my heaven! Made this soup and added soy curls hydrated in a stock made with “Not Chicken Flavor Base” made by Better Than Bullion. The recipe yielded deep flavors and an aromatic broth with a substantial homemade feel.
My non-vegetarian husband loved it so much I had to pry his fingers off the leftovers so I could freeze them for a busy night dinner! An absolute favorite in our house now.
Thank you and Happy New Year 2020!
I just want to say that we make one of your recipes almost every single day! I made this soup last night and my 6 year old ate two bowls and told me to put a “big star on this one!”. It is so hearty and delicious! Thanks for creating such delicious, healthy and easy to make recipes!
Thank you! That’s so fun to read how much you are enjoying my recipes. Thank you for sharing, Melly!
This soup sounds amazing! I can’t wait to make it tomorrow for a family party. What dutch oven do you recommend?
I love my Le Creuset! See my kitchen essentials here: https://capital-fly.pro/healthy-kitchen-essentials/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Made this, and it’s very good. Used 6 cups broth the first day. Re-heating the next day added a half cup broth. Might add some chili flakes next time. Thank you for posting.
You’re welcome, Mike!
I followed this recipe and added only a bit of onion powder and garlic powder after it was done. My carnivorous husband said its delicious. I LOVE IT! I even forwarded it to my Facebook page
Love this soup! I made it for myself when I was sick about a month ago, and again tonight for my sick boyfriend. I keep sautéed onion, celery, and carrot frozen in batches throughout the winter, which makes this soup extremely easy to make (especially when I’m the one under the weather!) All I have to do is thaw it and throw in the ingredients, very little prep.
Thank you for another good one, Kate!
I hope it helps! Thanks for sharing, Cathy.
Yum! I was a bit unsure if I felt like turmeric and curry powder tonight, but it’s not like my typical Indian cooking w those spices. Really reminded me more of a chicken noodle soup. My husband was sick and was in love with this soup and had three bowls. Oh, and make sure you double the recipe. I’m freezing a bunch.
I didn’t bring the noodles to a boil and then simmer 20-30 min – only brought to a bowl and then my noodles were al dente. I’ll be making again for sure!
I hope he feels better soon, Cherie!
Great soup! I gave it some bite by crushing up four cloves of garlic and adding it toward the end of the sauteeing. BTW, I read that allowing crushed/chopped garlic to sit for 10 minutes or so maximizes the health benefits; i.e., nothing is lost in the cooking. Happy 2020 to one and all!
Thanks for sharing, Anthony!
I made this tonight and it was amazing! I also added half a fresh lemon squeezed in a the end. Is there a “pin” option on this?
Hi Cindy! Yes, you should be able to hover over an image to pin. Or you can find the recipe on my Pinterest page too.
I made this last evening for my husband (not vegetarian) and me (vegan) He enjoyed it as much as I did, and said that if he were sick and had a hankering for chicken noodle soup, he’d happily eat this soup instead! I was definitely impressed by how much the flavor mimicked that of chicken noodle (from what I remember).
I used the curry and turmeric called for; for the bouillon I chose Better than Bouillon’s vegan, low sodium seasoned vegetable base.
I’m glad this did the trick, Jennifer!
I made this tonight and it is soooo good! I wasn’t sure about the turmeric and curry but they add just the right amount of savory flavor. This is definitely a keeper!!!!
Great to hear, Biz! Thank you for sharing.
I have been very excited to try this and made it for dinner tonight. I followed your instructions including using curry powder and used whole wheat pasta spirals. Totally floored by how fragrant, comforting and delicious this soup is. As a non-meat eater, I do crave chicken noodle soup and this more than satisfied. In fact, it’s better. Thank you, Kate!!!
Enjoying the recipe; especially the flavor the curry provides. thank you.
I’ve made this soup so many times because it’s so simple and soooo satisfying. Have you ever used bouillon in place of broth? I may try that next time.
Hi Alex, I don’t tend to use those. But if it works for you, that’s great!
This chickpea soup is the best! Hubby and I don’t eat meat every January snowed in on MLK DAY mmm good!
In the nutrition section, it says “regular vegetable broth (not low sodium)”. Is there a problem with low sodium version? I want to try this recipe but I’m concern about the sodium level (42% in 1 bowl)
Hi Patrick, you can use low sodium if you like. I prefer the other version.
You did it Again Kate! Thank you for another delicious recipe I will cook again and again. Huge bonus is that it can absolutely be made on a weeknight. If you are debating about this recipe, don’t! You will not be disappointed.
Thank you, Joanne!
Best chicken noodle soup ever!
Thank you, Kathryn!
Omg….this is DELICIOUS. I needed something to help this cold I’m fighting and this was so easy, I used chickpea pasta so we will see how the leftovers are. I added some lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper. I didn’t have celery or bay leaf so I didn’t use that. But this tastes SO comforting and similar to chicken noodle soup. I’ll never buy store-bought soup again
I hope you feel better soon! I’m glad this soup was able to help some, Emily. Thank you for your review!
Made this recipe for my daughter who is vegan and not only did she love this recipe but our whole household did!
That’s great, Elsa! Thanks for your review.
I have been making this soup weekly for over a month now. I even brought it up to a country chalet for a pot-luck winter country weekend and it was a smash! Another soup you knocked out of the park and that has become a healthy and delicious family favorite. Thank you, Kate.
Kate, this is a wonderful soup on a cold winter day… fragrant and delicious. I’m late to the comments so didn’t read all 228 to find the answer to my question. Can this soup be frozen successfully? Thank you!
Hi Claudia! I think it can. The noodles may absorb more water as they reheat. Typically dairy-free soups (like this one) tend to do well.
This soup is amazing!!!!! So glad I found this!!
I made this soup after searching for a good chickpea noodle soup. Boy were we NOT disappointed. My son said it tasted better than “real chicken noodle soup” and both my kids asked to add it to the regular rotation! I thought curry was an interesting choice (we love curry dishes) but I wanted to make the recipe as-is the first time and it was amazing! I didn’t change a thing and it was perfect! Thanks for such a good meal!
Hi Kate!
Delicious recipe! Absolutely loved it! I actually mixed in a bit of quinoa as well…and it really made the soup sing! Everyone in my house (all carnivores except for little old me!) loved this soup! Warmed our souls during winter in Japan :)
Thanks Kate!
This is delicious! Everyone in the family loved it. Next time, I’ll try adding garlic and another 2 cups of broth. I’d like it a little soupier.
Love this recipe! I am making it for the second time and even my husband who can be fussy about trying a new recipe really loved the soup!
Also made your Minestrone which was also great!!!
I enjoyed this soup so much!! The curry and turmeric powder were such a great add-on. I didn’t have any chickpeas so I made it into an alphabet soup.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I froze the majority of the soup to keep me stocked.
This recipe is delicious, my wife who doesn’t like many of my vegetarian recipes gave it 4.5 stars, bit I give it 5. This is my replacement for chicken noodle soup!
This was amazing!!! Chicken noodle soup was one of the things I missed the most since becoming vegetarian. Not anymore!!
This straight up tastes like chicken soup if I’m remembering the flavours right and I have no idea why? Love this hearty and healthy and EASY recipe! People who buy canned soups baffle me!
Loved this soup! I was looking for a vegetarian soup option that I could pair matzo balls with and this soup worked out perfectly. Unfortunately, I did not have any celery at home but threw in zucchini, delicious. Will definitely make again!
Delicious…..as a new vegetarian, brought up on thick steaks, lamb chops etc I am still battling to break my carnivourous.I have been checking loads of vegetarian blogs and am so glad that I finally found yours and this is where Im staying.I am totally enamoured with,not only your recipes but your whole attitude (I too love dogs) As for this particular recipe as you might know chicken soup is known as “Jewish penicillin” which I was brought up on.I loved your soup but in the traditional way I added dill which I found delicious.Thank you
Kate this recipe is fantastic. When we decided to follow a plant based diet we had no idea what to cook. We spent a lot of time on google finding meal ideas. We use this atleast once a month. My husband loves it, we make it gluten free for him. Im so glad i found this. Anyone thinking about trying this you really should.
Thank you
Absolutely delicious, I used all the ingredients except I only had 1 quart of vegetable broth and I added some garlic.
Made this today exactly as written, using vegetable Better than Bouillon. The added turmeric and curry were phenomenal and brought this soup to another level. Total comfort food!
Yes, great comfort food. Thank you for sharing, Lauri!
I’ve made this recipe about 5 times now, and I love it so much. One of my favourite soups and I always have the ingredients on hand! Thank you for sharing this!
Sorry….don’t think this makes the repeat list and I usually like C & K recipes – especially their Lentil soup.
AMAZING!! Another great recipe! My 6 year old woke up feeling under the weather and I didn’t feel like going to the store to get canned soup. My 11 year old loved the soup too!
I accidentally added 16oz of pasta instead of 8oz (oops!) So I’ll probably need to add more liquid when we reheat it. I used regular macaroni noodle pasta, since that’s what I had.
I didn’t have parsley, so I used rosemary instead.
I also used chicken broth instead of vegetable, since that’s all I had.
I had spirilized carrots, so I used them. They added a really nice touch to the soup!
This was WAY better than storebought and super easy to make. I will not be buying storebought again. Thank you!!
Thank you, Blair! I’m happy you still liked it with your adjustments.
Hello, do you think this could be made in a crockpot?? I would love to make it!
Hi Miracle! I haven’t tried it, sorry. I would still suggest making the vegetables as stated as that is where you will get the maximum flavor.
My non veg family loved this!! Added some crushed red pepper flakes on at the end and it was phenomenal! After 5 days of straight rain, this was much needed. Thanks for this recipe :)
Just prepared this for my family, it seemed like the ideal recipe for this crisp, overcast day. I doubled the recipe hoping to reheat it for lunch tomorrow and substituted the curry with a smoked paprika/thyme mixture as I dislike it, but I ended up with no leftovers: my slender family of three, me being the only vegan, just downed this recipe doubled! I topped the pot with a squeeze of lemon juice and a teaspoon of olive oil, as I’ve learned from your pasta e fagioli recipe.
Every single recipe of yours I’ve tried so far (the hummus, the falafel, the baba ganoush, the stuffed squash) has been a complete hit. Going into my regular rotation, thank you so much.
Wonderful recipe! Easy and quick. You don’t miss the chicken at all.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Gayle!
With the cold weather creeping in, I found this recipe was the perfect dish to warm me up! I was out of tumeric so I went rogue and added equal parts cumin, ginger, celery seeds, and fennel. The flavour combination was incredibly nostalgic; it reminded me of my childhood chicken noodle soup days (minus the chicken of course). Thank you for offering a vegetarian option that brings back such warming memories!
This recipe is simple and amazing. So much flavor, it taste exactly like chicken noodle. Thank you for sharing!
We love this soup so much! I added four cloves minced garlic just before adding the curry powder/turmeric and substituted the pasta for farro. Finished with a splash of lemon juice. It’s super flavorful! My husband and I are vegetarians and really enjoy all of the Cookie and Kate recipes. Thanks
I’m excited you love it, Jill! Thank you for sharing.
ok…. in all seriousness… this is far superior to any chicken noodle soup I had back In my meat-eating days. even my carnivore husband and 1 year old son loved this. (I’ve personally been eating this every day since I made it). I used turmeric but omitted the curry because I know my son doesn’t dig it. I also boiled the noodles separately and I add them (or boil more) as I want more soup. This way, the noodles don’t become too cooked or soak up additional yummy broth. I used celery flakes, as opposed to celery (I don’t like the texture) and I actually added additional broth ( I personally like Brad’s Veg Broth) to the recipe because I like a soupy soup. I cannot recommend this soup highly enough. It’s often difficult to find a recipe that all 3 of us love and this is one of those elusive unicorns. I served it with warm crostini of olive oil, salt , pepper made from fresh bread from the grocery. Do it. Make this recipe. You and your fam will love it.
Thank you for your review, Jenni! I’m so happy you loved it.
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Sandee!
Oh my gosh! I quit eating chicken 25 years ago and this soup made me feel like a child again! I read the comments that meat-eating husbands even like it and you know what, they were right. My husband really enjoyed your recipe. Thank you! This is a “keeper” in my house.
I’m glad it brought back great memories and you loved it, Amber! I appreciate your review.
This was DELICIOUS! I used low sodium veggie broth, but that was the only modification (?) from the original recipe. I topped mine with homemade vegan Parmesan, and my husband topped his with regular Parmesan. I will definitely add this to the rotation! Thank you for the great recipe!
This is the most comforting soup recipe in the world. So simple and delicious. I used vegan chicken bouillon for making this recipe.
Kate you’re a genius!! I’ve been making your paella for years & I love your lentil soup too, but with this one you really outdid yourself. I can’t get over how delicious & comforting it is. I’ve been a vegetarian for over 30 years now & I didn’t think I missed chicken soup at all, but something about this soup is sooo chickeny, but in a beautiful no-meat way. It’s really just fantastic. Thank you so much for this! You’re the BEST!! <3
You’re kind, Melissa! Thank you for sharing and I’m excited you enjoyed another recipe.
Made this recipe tonight, it was delicious. I added some garlic and chili flakes, and also some zucchini, mushrooms, peas, and baby spinach near the end. Adding this to my soup recipe repertoire