Vegan “Chicken” Noodle Soup with Grated Tofu
Weeknight friendly and SO nourishing, this classic vegan chicken noodle soup is made with grated tofu that bakes while the soup cooks (they’ll be done at the same time!) for the perfect tender, chewy texture. The just-like-chicken flavour comes from Better than Bouillion; it’s got enough veggies and protein to be a complete, family friendly vegan dinner and you can give it a boost with a high protein pasta.
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Growing up, chicken noodle soup was always out of the red and white can. Don’t get me wrong, we ate plenty of from scratch meals, but chicken noodle soup wasn’t one of them. And I won’t sit for any canned soup slander…I freaking loved it!
It’s still such a comforting, nostalgic food memory for me so I really wanted to figure out a vegan version that hit all the boxes: that classic chicken-y flavour and texture, plenty of veggies so it’s a complete meal – always a dietitian ha – and easy enough for a weeknight.
And one night a few weeks ago, as I was trying to cobble together a dinner without going to the grocery story, AGAIN (recipe developer job hazard) I thought I would make a chicken-ish noodle soup but didn’t have my usual soy curls so I grated some tofu and baked it until it was super chewy.
It was, as they say, the unlock. I got up from the table, furiously scribbled some notes on how I made it and it became the recipe you’re now reading.
I usually serve it straight up with some bread on the side, but if you’re a soup and sandwich kind of house, this would be delicious with my sweet + spicy roasted squash sandwich.
So let me show you how to make the easiest – and most delicious – vegan chicken noodle soup
I’m gonna be straight with you: the secret to a really chicken-y vegan chicken noodle soup recipe is ditching the veggie broth for Better than Bouillon Vegetarian Chicken. It’s so good. You can make this soup without it – I’ll give you a few tips in the recipe card – but it’s the easiest path to a crave-worthy soup.
The secret to a really good soup is about building layers of flavour, adding plenty of umami and having a nice balance of textures. Here’s how I do it:
Nutrition Note: this soup, as written will have about 17g protein and 4-5g fiber but you can boost this by using a higher protein pasta!
I know I obsess over my beloved BTB, but it’s got a very savoury umami that is honestly 10x better than typical vegetable broth. Plus, it’s a lot more affordable per serve, and low waste. And no, I have literally never been sponsored by BTB…but I’m just all about that low effort, high reward cooking.
More delicious, brothy plant-based soups:
- Brothy Red Lentil Soup with Carrots
- Hearty Mushroom and Barley Soup
- Garlicky Black Bean Soup with Swiss Chard
- Easy Vegan Caldo Verde Recipe
Vegan “Chicken” Noodle Soup with Grated Tofu
Ingredients
Grated Tofu "Chicken"
- 12 ounce package extra firm tofu, or super firm
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Chicken Concentrate, see swaps below!
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- freshly cracked pepper
Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 1 smal onion, diced
- ½ bunch Tuscan kale, stems diced and leaves shredded, optional for more greens!
- 8 cups water
- 5 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Chicken Concentrate, it's 1 tbsp + 2 tsp! See swaps below
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup broken spaghetti, or your fave small shape pasta (regular, high protein or gluten free)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- salt, as needed for seasoning
Instructions
Make the tofu chicken
- Before you do anything else, preheat the oven to 400℉ (205℃) and prep a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Grate the tofu directly onto the baking sheet. Drizzle over the oil, sprinkle over the garlic powder and dried thyme and add the bouillon concentrate to your hands. Sounds weird, but it works!
- Massage the tofu so it's evenly coated in seasonings, then pop into the oven and bake until chewy and dehydrated in spots, 18-20 minutes.
Make the vegan chicken noodle soup
- Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and kale stems if using and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies starting to soften, about 8-10 minutes. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Add the better than bouillon, thyme and garlic powder and stir through. Then add the water and bring to a boil on high heat.
- Add pasta, turn down to medium high, and cook until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Add kale leaves in last two minutes of cooking. Stir in nutritional yeast at the end.
- To serve, divide the cooked tofu between four bowls, and ladle the soup on top.
Notes
