Looking for a no-chicken noodle soup recipe? This plant-based version recreates the classic comfort food flavour using tender jackfruit instead of chicken. From the pages of my cookbook, this vegan chicken noodle soup is a family favourite. It's simple, savoury and, using a few ingredient hacks, authentic and traditional. Plus, it's ready in under 35-minutes.
This recipe was originally published in my cookbook Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family and on this blog August 20, 2019. It was republished on 22 May, 2024 with step-by-step images, ingredient substitutions and new images.
Why You'll Love This Jackfruit Noodle Soup
Reader Review. "I’ve made this soup many times for my family, we all just love it, teenagers and toddlers included. We make it with oyster mushrooms. They become so tender and buttery. Thanks for a simple and tasty recipe." (Sarah) ★★★★★
This vegan chicken noodle soup takes me back to my childhood. It is a proper trip down my culinary memory highway. It tastes like chicken soup, it looks like chicken soup but no chickens were harmed in the making of this slurp-worthy soup.
Noodle Soup Ingredients & Substitutions
Jackfruit. To make this soup I first needed to decide on a chicken substitute. Jackfruit was an obvious choice but I've also made this soup for a fundraiser at my daughter's kindy using shredded oyster mushrooms.
Both are perfect substitutes for chicken - check out the mushrooms in action in an awesome Mushroom & Chickpea Tikka Masala.
Mirepoix. It's a fancy word for onion, carrot and celery to begin building depth and flavour.
Stock. The stock is a no-brainer - vegan chicken or vegetable. However getting the rich, deep flavours of traditional chicken noodle soup required a little few additions (see Secret Weapon Ingredients)
Secret weapon ingredients: Tamari, nutritional yeast and white pepper create the full-bodied "traditional" chicken flavour of chicken noodle soup. Add herbs, a little lemon and soup is served.
Spaghetti. It's traditional, but you can also use a little elbow pasta or a smaller noodle.
Spinach: Because it's good for you! Eat your greens.
Protein add-ins: If you are working on your protein, adding a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas or white beans during cooking time adds fibre and protein.
Step-by-Step Guide
You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step 1.
Firstly, you'll need to drain and rinse the jackfruit before cutting each piece in to thin slices from the longest point of the triangle. Transfer it to a bowl with the tamari, white pepper and nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Leave it to do its thing.
Step 2.
Add olive oil to a large soup pot or large saucepan and heat over low to medium heat. Next, add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes. Now, add 2 tablespoons of water and cook, covered, for around 5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
Step 3.
Add the jackfruit and sauté for 3 minutes pulling it apart gently with a fork as you cook.
Step 4.
Now go ahead and add your stock + 2 cups of water and bring the whole thing up to a boil. Reduce the heat to low-ish and simmer for 15-minutes.
Step 5.
Add the lemon zest and broken spaghetti, cooking for another 7 minutes or until the pasta is just al dente.
Step 6.
Once you've done that, take out the bay leaves and thyme (no-one wants to bite down on those), stir in the baby spinach and season with a little salt to serve.
Variations for Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Simple and so delicious. This vegan chicken noodle soup is super authentic and comes together using ingredients most of us have in our kitchen.
Serving Suggestions
How to Store Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Refrigerator: To store your soup in the fridge for 2-3 days. The noodles may absorb the liquid during storing, so you may need to add a touch of stock or water during reheating.
Freezer: If you are making the soup to freeze, make the soup but don't add the noodles. Let the soup cool before transferring it to a freezer safe container without the pasta, and freeze. To thaw, move the container to the refrigerator overnight, then heat in a pot and add noodles to cook.
FAQs
As is, vegan chicken noodle soup is not gluten-free. But, you can use tamari sauce and gluten-free pasta to make it easily gluten-free.
Yes, you can use shredded Asian mushrooms, pre-cooked chicken substitute or shredded firm tofu in vegan chicken noodle soup.
You can add protein to vegan chicken noodle soup by adding chickpeas or white beans, frozen green peas or using a chicken substitute (you may have to grill it before adding it).
More Vegan Soups to Try
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Make This Recipe
Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup (with Jackfruit)
Equipment
- Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 400 grams young jackfruit 14-oz can
- 2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 2 celery ribs (stalks) diced, roughly ¾ cup
- 1 carrot (medium) peeled and diced
- 2 bay leaves (fresh) or 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoon water
- 1 litre (1 quart) vegetable stock
- zest of half a lemon
- handful (100 grams) dried spaghetti (around 3 oz) broken up
- 1 cup finely sliced baby spinach
- a good pinch of salt
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit and cut each piece in to thin slices from the longest point of the triangle. Put the sliced jackfruit in a bowl with the tamari, white pepper and nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Add the olive oil to a large soup pot or saucepan and heat over low heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cook, covered, for around 5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the jackfruit and sauté for 3 minutes pulling it apart gently with a fork as you cook.
- Add the 1L of stock + the 2 cups of water and bring the soup up to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the lemon zest and the broken spaghetti, cooking for another 7 minutes or until just al dente - the spaghetti will continue cooking in the hot soup after you take it off the hob.
- Remove the bay leaves and thyme, stir in the baby spinach and season with salt (a good pinch should do it) to serve.
Notes
Nutritional Disclaimer
The nutritional information is an estimate only and is automatically calculated using online tools. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Sarah says
I’ve made this soup many times for my family, we all just love it, teenagers and toddlers included. We make it with oyster mushrooms. They become so tender and buttery. Thanks for a simple and tasty recipe.
Amanda says
Amazing! I am so happy you and your family enjoy this soup. It is one of my favourite recipes. So simple and yum. Thanks for reaching out, Sarah 🙂
Chrissie says
Making this now and noticing the recipe calls for 1 liter of liquid but the instructions only calls for 2 cups. Looks delish, can't wait to cozy up with a bowl of it and some crusty bread 🙂
Amanda says
Hiya Chrissie! Thanks for the feedback - I did have the stock and the water in the instructions but it wasn't very clear. Sorry about that. I have fixed it up now. It reads "1L of stock + 2 cups of water" so I hope that's clearer. I hope you enjoyed the soup and thanks again. Take care 🙂 A.
Mia says
Seems Delicious, But what about the "Chicken Noodles"? Are you sure these chicken noodles are 100% Vegan? If yes please do let me know then I would go and give it a try.
Amanda says
Hi Mia,
Thanks for your note. If you have a look at the recipe there are no "chicken noodles'. The noodles are simply dried spaghetti (egg-free) and the "chicken" part is shredded jackfruit or oyster mushrooms if you prefer. This is a plant-based version of the classic chicken noodle soup. All vegan, I promise. 😉 I hope you enjoy it. A
Braden says
The photos in this post are stunning! Thanks for sharing Amanda!
Amanda says
Thanks so much Braden!