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.
I love this noodle soup! It’s one of my favorite recipes you offer. Thank you all of the great, healthy choices!
Yummy. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Chase!
Thank you, Kate, for this so good recipe! Again, our family enjoys your meals:) Merci beaucoup et longue vie à tes idées culinaires!
Love this soup!!!
I added zucchini and used ditalini pasta.
It was so good!!!
Love this soup! Such wonderful comfort food! I used Buckwheat Ramen (GF) for the noodles and it was fabulous. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Marni!
This is my go to recipe when someone isn’t feeling good. I make it all the time. I use rice instead of pasta and it is delicious! I also add a little cayenne powder that feels good for a sore throat. Thanks for a great recipe!
Wonderful, Jodi! Thank you for your review.
This is terrific! Super comforting and tasty. Thanks so much for sharing!
I have made this a few times but added a lot of fresh ginger and garlic and lemon rind in addition to make it super wholesome.
Made this for lunch today and it was delicious! So much flavor. I added slightly more carrot and celery than called for to make it a bit heartier and used egg noodles. Perfection! Came together quickly too. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Dale! I appreciate your review.
This is so so good! I’ve been craving “chicken” noodle soup and this is a nice twist with the curry. Makes it really tasty. I think I may throw in some greens next time just for the health benefit but it is perfect as is.
I rarely comment but for some reason I’ve always had a hard time getting chicken noodle soup just right. My husband and I are on a plant forward journey and this soup was really good! Not sure if it was the curry powder or the tumeric or the extra bit of salt I allowed since we are eating so healthy…but this one will be made again. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made this with orzo and added some lemon juice at the end to brighten it up a little bit. So delicious, thanks for the recipe!
Really tasty! It came out good although I didn’t have parsley on hand. I tried it with hot curry powder and it came out well. I’m saving this recipe for winter days. This was very easy to prepare, which is good since I was feeling under the weather and wanted a comforting soup for dinner. Try it with a hunk of bread to soak up the broth
Great to hear, Nataly! I appreciate your review.
Hi Kate I haven’t made this yet but I’m looking forward to it. I make the lentil recipe ALL the time it’s our vege head family fav and I make it for sick people all the time as well. Here’s my question; what is your go to vege stock that you use? I usually use the concentrated one in the small jar. Thanks in advance, your awesome.
This was delicious! The curry powder was subtle but gave it a nice extra little something. I also squeezed a bit of lemon juice just before serving. The one thing I’d change is to cook the noodles separately and add them to the soup just before serving (and also keep them separate when storing leftovers). Otherwise, the noodles continue absorbing broth even after you take the soup off the heat, and become too soft for my liking.
I’m a bit of a Cookie and Kate soup binge at the moment. I last made the pinto posole recipe, which was also delicious, and next plan to try the chickpea and tomato one. Thank you for so many delicious and healthy vegetarian recipes, Kate!
Hiya! Do you think this would freeze well? I’m making soup for an unwell friend and this seems perfect, but I’m unsure about freezing the cooked pasta…
Bella – Barley freezes better than pasta. I would try that. I just made the soup and used a heaping 1/2 cup of pearl barley instead of the noodles and it tasted wonderful.
I am a long-time lurker and fan (I’ve made the vegetable soup, minestrone soup, lentil soup, and Italian dressing more times than I can count) but this soup blew me away with the depth and proximity in taste to chicken noodle soup! Only modifications were adding zucchini and way more parsley.
This is one of those comments that sounds like I’ve totally changed the recipe, but no, I’ve just have to use whatever I had on hand.
Didn’t have chickpeas at my neighborhood store (I live in a small town that doesn’t have much), so I used garbanzo beans. Didn’t have veg stock, so used chicken stock (from Costco).
I think everything else is that required.
At the end, I actually thought it was a little bland, so I added a bit more turmeric and a lot more curry (that I got from a grad student who was going home to Malaysia).
Absolutely YUM!
Going to freeze leftovers in my Super Cube.
If I ever get some chickpeas, I’m going to do this again, for sure.
Hi Gail, chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same, just different names! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and it sounded like you had a special curry to use.