Chickpea Noodle Soup is a vegetarian version of chicken noodle soup, featuring protein-rich chickpeas instead of chicken. It has all of the flavor and comfort of the original!
This soup is special because you don’t need any vegetable broth to make it. The veggies and spices create plenty of flavor as they simmer, and the noodles add starchiness to the broth as they cook, helping to thicken it up a bit, too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in chickpea noodle soup?
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Noodles
- Chickpeas
- and loads of flavor!
If you use a chickpea-based pasta for this recipe, like I tend to do, the broth will get extra starchy, because gluten-free pastas tend to release more starch than regular white or whole wheat noodles do.
You can always add extra liquid to this soup, if you prefer a runnier texture, but in that case be sure to season with extra salt to compensate for the flavor getting diluted with extra liquid.
The flavor of this soup is entirely dependent on you seasoning it enough, so don’t be light-handed with the salt.
Don’t skip the tamari (you can use soy sauce, if you don’t need a gluten-free recipe) because it adds an umami flavor that makes this recipe extra delicious.
How to Make Chickpea Noodle Soup
- Sauté the veggies. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, and saute the onion, carrots and celery until tender, about 8 minutes.
Add in the garlic, tamari (shh… this is our secret ingredient!), and thyme, and stir briefly for 1 more minute.
- Simmer. Add the noodles, chickpeas, and water, then season with salt and pepper.
Bring the broth to a simmer, and let the soup cook until the noodles are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Enjoy! Adjust any seasoning to taste, then serve warm right away. This soup tastes just as delicious as the version made with chicken, if not better!
This recipe is actually adapted from my popular Chicken & Vegetable Soup , which I’ve been making for years with water, instead of broth, too.
I hope you’ll give it a try, because it’s such a time saver, and makes this soup more budget-friendly.
Need to make it gluten-free? This soup is naturally gluten-free when you use gluten-free pasta, like chickpea or brown rice noodles, and tamari, which is a gluten-free soy sauce.
Is it vegan? Yes! This recipe is vegan as-written.
Can I make it soy-free? Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce, so you can leave it out if you need a soy-free recipe. In that case, you can swap it for coconut aminos for a boost of flavor, or simply just season it with extra salt. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice, to brighten up the flavor.
Need to swap the beans? If you don’t have chickpeas on hand, you can use any other white bean with similar results, or leave the beans out all together for a veggie noodle soup.
Want to use the Instant Pot? You can make this recipe in an electric pressure cooker using the directions in the notes below this recipe. Just like cooking Instant Pot pasta , you’ll need to allow plenty of time after pressure cooking for the foam to settle, so don’t try to quick release this recipe!
I hope you’ll try this vegetarian chicken noodle soup soon, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
More Soup Recipes
If you want more healthy comfort food, try these other ideas!
- Ultimate Detox Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
- Red Lentil Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
- Miso Soup
IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 3 carrots , chopped
- 3 celery stalks , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas
- 8 ounces short pasta
- 8 cups water
- fine sea salt (I use Real Salt brand)
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until they start to soften, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic, tamari, and thyme and stir for 1 more minute.
- Add in the chickpeas, pasta, water, 2 teaspoons of salt, and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- When the pasta is tender, adjust any seasoning to taste. I usually add another teaspoon of salt (start with just a 1/2 teaspoon at a time), and then serve warm. Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Chickpea Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 3 carrots , chopped
- 3 celery stalks , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas
- 8 ounces short pasta
- 8 cups water
- fine sea salt (I use Real Salt brand)
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until they start to soften, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic, tamari, and thyme and stir for 1 more minute.
- Add in the chickpeas, pasta, water, 2 teaspoons of salt, and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- When the pasta is tender, adjust any seasoning to taste. I usually add another teaspoon of salt (start with just a 1/2 teaspoon at a time), and then serve warm. Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
