Vegan Chickpea Noodle Soup [Stove + Crockpot]

Chickpea noodle soup is warm, cozy, and ultimate comfort – packed with plant-based protein, fiber, & nutrients, and can be made on the stove or in a crockpot!

Cozy Chickpea Vegetable Noodle Soup

There’s nothing like a simple, nourishing noodle soup to warm you up and keep you cozy all fall/winter and any time you’re feeling under the weather. Having previously shared recipes for vegan chicken noodle soup and jackfruit noodle soup, we’re ditching soy but remaining high protein with chickpea noodle soup this time.

With warm, cozy flavors made by simple and inexpensive pantry ingredients, this vegan chicken noodle soup has all the comfort of the original but none of the meat. Better yet, it’s super budget-friendly, quick and easy to prepare, can be made on the stove or in a crockpot, and is a make-ahead friendly, simple one-pot meal.

Best of all, this vegetable noodle soup is versatile, and a great way to clean out the fridge. We’ve used a typical soup base of carrots, onion, and celery, but you can play around with veg you have in your kitchen. Combined with protein-dense chickpeas and hearty noodles, it’s a soup that will keep you full for hours.

Looking for more hearty vegan noodle soup ideas? Minestrone or pasta, bean, and tomato soup are our faves. Looking for more hearty ways to enjoy chickpeas this winter? Try our chickpea carrot curry, tandoori chickpeas, or creamy chickpea stew.

The Ingredients and Substitutes

• Oil: We like using olive oil, but avocado or vegetable oil also works great. To make it oil-free, use additional broth instead.
• Mirepoix: Onion (yellow or white), carrot, and celery make a classic flavor-packed soup and stew base for this chickpea vegetable noodle soup. You may even save time and effort with a pre-chopped soup base.
• Garlic: We use fresh garlic cloves for superior flavor, but garlic powder will work in a pinch.
• Chickpeas: (garbanzo beans) We love canned chickpeas (regular or reduced sodium). Cook your own chickpeas if preferred. Other beans may work, like cannellini, butter beans, pinto.
• Noodles: Use regular, whole grain, and/or gluten-free noodles in long or short shapes. E.g., Spaghetti, rotini, fusilli, shells, cavatelli, ditalini. Orzo or giant couscous also work.
• Vegetable broth: Use store-bought or homemade vegetable stock, regular or reduced sodium, or a combination of stock pots/cubes + water to make up the same amount of broth. Vegan chicken broth works well, too.
• Seasonings: Add flavor depth with:
  • Italian seasoning
  • Paprika (sweet or smoked)
  • Seal salt & black pepper (OR soy sauce adds umami saltiness)
• Finishers: (Optional) Lemon juice (or lime/vinegar) will brighten and enhance the overall flavor. Meanwhile, parsley adds a delicious fresh element.

What Could I Add to Vegetable Noodle Soup?

• Spinach: Add fresh or frozen spinach (or kale) in the last few minutes.
• Other vegetables: Make a super nutrient-dense vegetable noodle soup with more veggies. E.g., zucchini, green beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, leek, etc. Potatoes, sweet potato, and squash work, too.
• Bay leaves: Add 1-2 bay leaves while the soup simmers for a boost in savory flavor.
• Herbs: Like thyme or rosemary sprigs to add depth. Remove before serving.
• Curry powder: For extra warmth and coziness in the vegan noodle soup.
• Red pepper flakes: For a hint of spice – used to garnish.
• Nutritional yeast: Or vegan parmesan cheese to garnish for cheesy flavor.

How to Make Chickpea Noodle Soup

• First, peel and finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery, mince the garlic, and drain the can of chickpeas.

• Then, heat the oil (or ¼ cup broth) in a large soup pot/Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped vegetables, garlic, and seasonings. Sauté for 5 minutes.

If they brown a little, that’s fine and will add even more flavor to the vegan chickpea noodle soup. Just be careful not to allow anything to burn, or it can turn the entire soup bitter.

• Add the chickpeas and vegetable broth, stir, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Then, immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

• Stir in the pasta, remove the pot from the heat, and leave it undisturbed for 15 minutes.

This method is great for avoiding overcooked noodles AND gives the soup flavors more time to meld. If the pasta is still undercooked, cover it again and leave for 10 minutes.

• Finally, add (if using) the lemon juice and chopped parsley and stir. Then, taste and adjust the seasonings of the soup, if needed. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Vegetable Noodle Soup

1. First, complete steps 1 and 2 in a skillet on the stovetop.
2. Then, throw everything (except the pasta, parsley, and lemon) into the crock pot, mix well, and cook for 6-7 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH, stirring occasionally, adding more broth/water if needed. Stir in the pasta in the last 20-30 minutes.
3. Finally, add the parsley and lemon, stir, taste (adjust seasonings if needed) and serve.      

Recipe Pro Tips

• Cut the veggies evenly: So they cook evenly.
• To save time: You may be able to find pre-prepared mirepoix/soup base (fresh or frozen).
• Use high-quality stock: It makes up the base of the soup, so it’s important to use a good-quality, rich stock for the best flavor.
• For thinner soup: Add more vegetable broth (or water). You may need to adjust the seasonings, too.  
• For creamy chickpea soup: Before you add the pasta/noodles to the vegetarian chickpea noodle soup, blend a portion of the chickpeas and broth in a blender or in the soup pot using an immersion blender.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy a bowl of this hearty vegetable chickpea noodle soup alone or with:

• Bread (fluffy dinner rolls, crusty bread, focaccia, garlic bread, etc.)
• Cornbread
• Sandwiches (or a warm vegan grilled cheese/ panini)
• Salad (leafy green side salad with vinaigrette works best)

Storage Instructions

Leave the soup to cool and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The flavor improves over time, though the pasta will continue to soak up broth, too. You may prefer to store the pasta and soup separately.

You can freeze this vegan noodle soup, with or without the pasta (which will become fairly mushy upon thawing), either in Ziplock bags or a silicone muffin tray for 3-4 months.

Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat the soup on the stove over medium-low heat or in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between. Add more broth if needed.

More Vegan Soup Recipes

• Mexican noodle soup
• Curried carrot noodle soup
• Mushroom pasta soup
• Vegetable barley soup
• Garlic ginger noodle soup

Photos by Alfonso Revilla