Craving a warm, comforting bowl of chicken soup but looking for a plant-based alternative? This one-pot vegan chicken soup made with soy curls is the perfect solution. It’s hearty, flavorful, and packed with nutritious ingredients that will satisfy your soul and body. It’s easy to make and comes together in just one pot, making cleanup a breeze. Whether you’re under the weather or just in need of a cozy meal, this vegan chicken soup is sure to hit the spot. This delicious and hearty soup is gluten-free, low-fat, high-protein, oil-free, nut-free, and a meal prep favorite.
This hearty vegan chicken soup is healthy comfort food at its best! This recipe makes four generous portions.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Soy curls
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Garlic
- Low-sodium vegetable broth
- White or yellow miso paste
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Mustard powder
- Dried thyme
- Dried basil
- Celery seed
- Ground sage
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Frozen corn
- Frozen peas
- Fresh herbs (dill, parsley or thyme)
In addition to these food ingredients, you'll need an immersion blender (or blender with a vented lid) and a medium-large (3.5 quart) pot with a lid.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Chicken Soup
This vegan chicken soup has everything you love about the classic dish but with a whole food, plant-based twist. Here’s why it’s a must-try:
- Hearty and satisfying: The soy curls mimic the texture of chicken, making this soup filling and satisfying. The blended potatoes give this broth a thick, hearty consistency.
- Packed with veggies: Loaded with carrots, celery, potatoes, and more, this soup is as nutritious as it is delicious.
- Easy to make: Everything comes together in one pot, making this recipe perfect for busy weeknights.
- Meal prep favorite: Make a big batch on the weekend and refrigerate or freeze the leftovers for a quick and easy meal later.
How to Make this Hearty Soup
1. Rehydrate the Soy Curls
Start by rehydrating the soy curls. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 15 minutes or until they’re softened. Drain and set them aside.
2. Prepare the Potatoes
The potatoes are the key to thickening this hearty soup. Add chopped Yukon gold potatoes, garlic, and low-sodium vegetable broth to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover with a lid, and allow the potatoes to cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the miso paste. Use an immersion blender* to blend until smooth and creamy.
*Note: If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully add the contents to a blender with a vented lid. Remove the cap and cover the blender with a clean kitchen towel (to allow heat to escape but not splatter soup all over your kitchen). Blend until smooth and creamy, then return the contents to the soup pot.
3. Add the Seasonings, Onion, Carrots, Celery and Rehydrated Soy Curls
Next, turn the heat back on to medium heat and add the dried seasonings, chopped onions, chopped carrots, chopped celery, and rehydrated soy curls. Allow the soup to come to a gentle boil and cook partially covered for 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Add Frozen Corn and Frozen Peas
Add in the frozen corn and peas. Give it a stir and turn off the heat. Allow the soup to sit for 5 minutes. The heat from the soup will gently cook the peas and corn but still leave them bright and flavorful.
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5. OPTIONAL: Add Cooked Pasta or Noodles
If you're looking to make this into vegan chicken noodle soup, add 1.5 cups (about 300 grams) of your favorite pasta noodles or rice noodles to a pot of boiling water. Cook al dente or a little short of package instructions. You don't want a mushy noodle, so it's better to slightly under-cook the pasta. Then drain and add the cooked pasta noodles to the soup. Add an additional 1 to 2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth to the pot. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, turn off the heat, and let it sit for a few minutes. The pasta will absorb the additional liquid and will continue to cook the noodles to perfection.
6. Serve and Enjoy!
Top with fresh herbs, salt, and pepper to taste, and enjoy! If you like heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or your favorite hot sauce.
Tips for the Best Vegan Chicken Soup
- Use quality vegetable broth: The broth is the base of your soup, so choose a high-quality one for the best flavor. Homemade vegetable broth works great if you have some on hand.
- Don’t skip the soy curls: Soy curls are the key ingredient that gives this soup its “chicken” texture. They’re made from whole soybeans and are a great source of plant-based protein.
- Adjust the seasoning: Feel free to adjust the herbs and spices to suit your taste. If you like a bit of heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce.
- Make it a noodle soup: To make it a vegan version of Grandma's chicken noodle soup, simply add some al dente cooked pasta or rice noodles with more low-sodium vegetable broth.
The Health Benefits of this Vegan Chicken Soup
This vegan chicken soup isn’t just comforting; it’s also packed with health benefits:
- High in protein: Thanks to the soy curls, this soup is a great source of plant-based protein, which is essential for muscle repair, feeling satisfied, and overall health. Each serving has close to 13 grams of healthy plant-based protein. There are several health benefits of soy.
- Rich in vitamins and minerals: The variety of vegetables in this soup provides a wide range of nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, folate, and iron.
- Low in fat: This soup is naturally low in fat, making it a heart-healthy option for those looking to reduce their fat intake.
- Fiber-rich: The vegetables and soy curls add a good amount of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion and helps keep you feeling full.
- Immunity-boosting: Back in the day, chicken soup was the go-to when you're sick. However, recent studies have shown that eating a diet rich in whole plant foods helps boost immunity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soy curls are a minimally processed, whole soy food made from non-GMO soybeans. They’re a great plant-based protein that mimics the texture of chicken when rehydrated and cooked. You can find them at health food stores or online. Check out our BBQ soy curls buddha bowl.
Yes, this soup stores well and tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop. It's a meal-prep favorite! You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze it for later.
Absolutely! This soup is versatile, so feel free to add other vegetables like zucchini, green beans, or mushrooms. Just be mindful of cooking times, as some vegetables may cook faster than others.
Cook about 1.5 cups of pasta al dente. Drain and add it to the soup with some additional low sodium vegetable broth. That's it! Small shells, fusilli (spiral), orecchiette, or rice noodles work great in this soup.
Make it into a Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Here, we cooked 1.5 cups of gluten-free brown rice pasta shells. The instructions called for 11-12 minutes, but we cooked them for 10 minutes. Then, we drained and rinsed them in cold water. Finally, we added them to the soup and warmed them back up.
This one-pot vegan chicken soup with soy curls is the perfect meal for any occasion. It’s easy to make, packed with flavor, and full of nutritious ingredients that will leave you feeling satisfied and nourished. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, your family, or a crowd, this soup is sure to be a hit.
We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Please do us a favor and leave a review below. Your feedback helps us serve you better. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation! Let us know if you have any other questions or need further customization ideas.
Vegan Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups soy curls
- 1 ½ cups chopped Yukon gold potatoes with the skin on
- 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped or smashed
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 ½ tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chopped yellow or white onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- fresh herbs of choice dill, parsley, thyme
Instructions
Rehydrate the Soy Curls
- Start by rehydrating the soy curls. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 15 minutes or until they’re softened. Drain and set them aside.
Prepare the potatoes
- The potatoes are the key to thickening this hearty soup. Add potatoes, garlic, and low-sodium vegetable broth to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover with a lid, and allow the potatoes to cook for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the miso paste. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy (see Notes if you don't have an immersion blender).
Add the Seasonings, Onion, Carrots, Celery and Rehydrated Soy Curls
- Next, turn the heat back on to medium heat and add the dried seasonings, chopped onions, chopped carrots, chopped celery, and rehydrated soy curls.
- Allow the soup to come to a gentle boil and cook partially covered for 12 to 15 minutes.
Add Frozen Peas and Frozen Corn
- Add in the frozen corn and peas. Give it a stir and turn off the heat.
- Allow the soup to sit for 5 minutes. The heat from the soup will gently cook the peas and corn but still leave them bright and flavorful.
OPTIONAL: Add Cooked Pasta or Noodles
- If you're looking to make this into vegan chicken noodle soup, add 1.5 cups (about 300 grams) of your favorite pasta noodles or rice noodles to a pot of boiling water. Cook al dente or a little short of package instructions. You don't want a mushy noodle, so it's better to slightly under-cook the pasta.
- Then drain and add the cooked pasta noodles to the soup.
- Add an additional 1 to 2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth to the pot. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, turn off the heat, and let it sit for a few minutes. The pasta will absorb the additional liquid and will continue to cook the noodles to perfection.
Serve and Enjoy!
- Top with fresh herbs, salt, and pepper to taste, and enjoy! If you like heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or your favorite hot sauce.
Notes
- Equipment: If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully add the contents to a blender with a vented lid. Remove the cap and cover the blender with a clean kitchen towel (to allow heat to escape but not splatter soup all over your kitchen). Blend until smooth and creamy, then return the contents to the soup pot.
- Use quality vegetable broth: The broth is the base of your soup, so choose a high-quality one for the best flavor. Homemade vegetable broth works great if you have some on hand.
- Don’t skip the soy curls: Soy curls are the key ingredient that gives this soup its “chicken” texture. They’re made from whole soybeans and are a great source of plant-based protein.
- Adjust the seasoning: Feel free to adjust the herbs and spices to suit your taste. If you like a bit of heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce.
- Make it a noodle soup: To make it a vegan version of Grandma's chicken noodle soup, simply add some al dente cooked pasta or rice noodles with more low-sodium vegetable broth.
Gigi & Sersie
Incredibly tasty and satisfying. I love the addition of noodles or enjoying this a toasted slice of sourdough bread.