This Vegan “Chicken” Noodle Soup is made with crispy tofu baked in poultry seasoning for a flavorful, meatless take on a classic. It’s comforting, perfect for sick days and tastes just like the childhood favorite you know and love!
Since going vegan, chicken noodle soup is one of those dishes I’ve actually really missed. There’s nothing quite like it – so comforting, especially on a particularly dreary winter day.
My mom used to makes it all the time, so I was so excited when she came up with a way to make a vegan version that actually tastes like the real deal!
The secret? Crispy tofu baked in poultry seasoning.
How to make tofu taste like chicken
The tofu alone is absolutely delicious and we’ll definitely be using it in future recipes to replace chicken!
It gets crispy on the exterior, a bit chewy on the interior and has plenty of salty, herby flavor. Even when you add it to the soup, it still has great texture – MUCH better than plain, unbaked tofu.
To prepare the tofu for this vegan chicken noodle soup, you’ll first need to press it to remove as much moisture as possible. To do so, slice the block in half lengthwise, wrap in a clean towel and set something heavy on top, like a few cookbooks or a cast iron pan.
Let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then, stir together a seasoning blend of poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder and arrowroot starch, which helps the tofu get extra crispy.
Cube the tofu into small bites, toss in a bit of oil, then toss in the seasoning blend until well coated. After 25 minutes in a 375˚ oven, they’ll be perfectly crispy and delicious! It’s honestly hard not to eat them all straight from the pan.
Vegan chicken noodle soup ingredients
- Vegetable base: carrots, celery, onion and garlic. You can’t ever go wrong with a few extra cloves of garlic, in my opinion!
- Vegetable broth + vegetable bouillon cube. Plain veg broth isn’t quite enough to make up for chicken. A vegan bouillon cube helps bring back a lot more salty, umami flavor. I’ve also tried vegan no-chicken broth in this soup (found it at Whole Foods!) and it worked well.
- Poultry seasoning. Most blends contain thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, nutmeg and celery seed. You can make your own blend, but it’s much easier to buy store-bought!
- Fresh parsley is a necessity! It adds so much fresh flavor. Always add at the end, just before serving, along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Noodles – egg noodles are traditional for chicken noodle soup, but they’re obviously not vegan. We just used a brown rice fusilli pasta instead.
- Extra firm tofu baked in poultry seasoning. You’ll need to press the tofu ahead of time to remove as much moisture as possible.
Tips for meal prep/leftovers
- If you’re meal prepping this for later in the week, we suggest cooking the noodles separately and adding in right before you eat. Otherwise, the noodles will get very soggy and soak up a ton of liquid.
- The same goes for the tofu – we suggest storing it in a separate container in the fridge and then adding right before serving.
- If you want to enjoy this soup as leftovers, you may need to add another cup or two of broth when reheating. The noodles soak up a ton of liquid. If you do add more broth, you may also need to add an extra pinch of salt. Give it a taste and adjust as you like.
How to freeze vegan chicken noodle soup
After making the soup, let it cool completely on the stove. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, leaving a little room at the top. Seal and freeze – it will last for 4 to 6 months.
When ready to reheat, we suggest defrosting in the refrigerator overnight. Then, transfer to a pot and finish defrosting over low heat, stirring often. Enjoy!
Our favorite vegan soup recipes
- Lemon Rice Soup
- Lentil Sweet Potato Curry Soup
- Super Green Vegetable Soup
- White Bean & Kale Soup
- Red Lentil Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower & Potato Soup
If you make this vegan chicken (tofu) noodle soup recipe, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.
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This Vegan “Chicken” Noodle Soup is made with crispy tofu baked in poultry seasoning for a flavorful, meatless take on a classic. It’s comforting, perfect for sick days and tastes just like the childhood favorite you know and love!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp finely minced fresh garlic (2–3 cloves)
- 1 ½ cup diced carrots (3–4 large carrots)
- 1 cup diced celery (2–3 stalks)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- ¾–1 tsp kosher salt*
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 12 oz fusilli pasta (or other pasta of choice)
Crispy Tofu:
- 14 oz extra firm tofu
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable, avocado, etc.)
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Slice tofu in half lengthwise, then wrap in a clean towel (or paper towel) and set something heavy on top (like a few cookbooks or a cast iron pan) for 25-30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Meanwhile, whisk together arrowroot, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. When tofu is finished pressing, cut into cubes. Toss in 1 tbsp of oil, then toss in seasoning blend until well coated. Transfer to baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway through, until crispy.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add butter and onion. Sauté, stirring a few times, for 5-6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook for 5-6 minutes, until they start to soften.
- Add vegetable broth, bouillon cube, lemon juice, poultry seasoning, ¾ tsp kosher salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring to a boil. Add pasta**, stir, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add parsley and cook for additional 5 minutes, or until noodles are fully cooked. Serve topped with tofu.
Notes
*If you use low-sodium vegetable broth, you may need to add an extra 1/2-1 tsp of salt.
**If you’re making this for meal prep (and not eating right away), we suggest cooking the pasta separately and then adding right before serving.
Keywords: vegan chicken noodle soup
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