A classic feel-good simple soup made vegetarian! This Chickpea Noodle Soup (veggie noodle soup) recipe comes together in one pot and is on the table in about 40 minutes. It features cooked chickpeas, ditalini pasta, celery, onion and carrots with herbs and spices in a tasty veggie broth that ties all the flavors together. This recipe is vegetarian and vegan.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “Such a great soup! Yummy, easy, and quick!” ~ Teresa
A Classic Vegetarian Noodle Soup
We all know and love it. A comforting feel-good soup many of us grew up on. I’d never considered homemade chickpea noodle soup pre-vegetarian. Up until that point, I’d only known canned chicken noodle soup, and so I started exploring ways to make a vegetarian chicken noodle soup that was reminiscent of the traditional recipe.
This Recipe Is
- simple ingredients
- easy to make
- ready in 40 minutes
If you love homemade Soup Recipes, you’ll enjoy this vegetarian chickpea noodle soup.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup Vegetarian
Omitting chicken and adding chickpeas is an easy swap. When testing this recipe for the flavor profile and appearance I was after, it was the broth that had me wanting. All the prepared vegetable broths/base/bouillon I’d tried before didn’t offer the flavor or color I wanted.
But then I tried prepared no-chicken broth. Have you tried it? I find it to be the key ingredient to this delicious soup, specifically for its sunny yellow color without chicken.
About the Key Ingredients
Like some of my other Vegetarian Dinner Recipes, this recipe is pantry friendly since the ingredients are pantry staples and include long storage veggies.
- Fresh Veggies – yellow onion, celery, carrots add bulk, freshness and so much flavor to the already flavorful broth.
- No-Chicken Veggie Broth – adds a rich golden color, much like traditional noodle soup, but without chicken. I use Imagine No-Chicken Veggie Broth brand because it’s organic. Find it at your well stocked grocery.
- Ditalini Pasta – a small and compact pasta noodle that doesn’t slip off the spoon. Its bite size shape makes eating this soup such a pleasure. One reader suggested subbing small elbow macaroni in a pinch – such a good idea!
- Cooked Chickpeas – also known as garbanzo beans, use canned or home-cooked chickpeas.
- Baby Spinach – tossing in a few handfuls of spinach at the end of cooking helps us eat more greens and adds a pop of color.
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How to Make Vegetable Noodle Soup
step by step
What to Serve with Chickpea Noodle Soup
I love sharing this veggie noodle soup with a big salad, grilled cheese or sourdough bread for dunking. Here are some of my favorite sides with this soup:
- Almond Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese
- Seeded Multigrain Sourdough Bread
- Multigrain Gluten Free Sourdough Bread
But, this soup is hearty enough on it’s own, shared simply!
As the soup sets, the pasta will soak up more broth. Feel free to add more broth, adjusting to taste.
Traci’s Tips
- Ditalini pasta is a small pasta shaped in little short tubes. They’re a perfect addition in soups and stews where a smaller shape is appropriate. I tested this recipe with various shapes of pasta, and ditalini won me over. It won’t slide off the spoon or pop you in the face!
- The Ditalini pasta soaks up a lot of broth in this chickpea noodle soup recipe, so if you feel the soup could use more broth, add up to an additional cup.
Chickpea Noodle Soup (Veggie Noodle Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup (145 grams) Celery sliced thin, about 4 ribs. Chop the leaves and toss them in the soup pot with the broth if desired.
- 1 cup (145 grams) Carrots sliced in coins, about 3 carrots
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) Yellow Onion diced small, about 1/2 an onion
- 3 teaspoons Minced Garlic about 3 medium cloves
- 7 cups (1 3/4 quarts / 1.6 kilograms) No-Chicken Veggie Broth plus another cup (233g) if needed, *see note
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup (70 grams) Dry Ditalini Pasta
- 1 (425 grams) Can Cooked Chickpeas drained and rinsed, or about 2 cups Home Cooked Chickpeas
- 1/2 Lemon
Optional Ingredients:
- 3-4 Handfuls of Baby Spinach optional
- Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley chopped fine
Instructions
- In a 4 Qt Dutch oven or heavy bottom soup pot, add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the celery, carrots and onion. Turn the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally for 6-7 minutes, or until the veggies just begin to soften.
- Add the garlic, stir and cook for about one minute. Pour in the veggie broth. Add the bay leaves and sprinkle in the oregano, thyme, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Once the soup is boiling, stir in the pasta and cook, uncovered until al dente, or about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the pasta is tender, turn the heat to medium low. Stir in the chickpeas and warm through, about 4-5 minutes. As the soup cooks, the pasta will soak up the broth. If desired, add another cup (233g) of broth for a soupier soup. [optional] If using, stir in the spinach, adding one handful at a time. It will wilt quickly. Remove from heat. Squeeze in a bit of lemon juice. Stir. Taste for more lemon and seasoning adjustment. Add more salt if needed.
- Ladle into soup bowls, add a few grinds of fresh black pepper and garnish with parsley if desired.
- Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Gently reheat on stovetop. To Freeze: Allow soup to cool completely, then freeze in a lidded container for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then gently reheat on stove top.
OOPs forgot to add rating
Thank you for your note, star rating and IP tips, Jeanne! Kale sounds wonderful!
Can this be cooked in instant pot?
Hi Jean! I’ve not made this recipe in an IP, so I’m not sure. If you experiment, please keep us posted!
Thanks Traci
Do you think mushrooms would work in this soup?
If you’d like to add mushrooms, I’d saute’ them with the veggies until they release and evaporate their juices. The golden broth most likely will turn a darker color however and mushrooms will change the flavor and character of this soup. Keep us posted, okay?
Thanks Tracy, I opted out of the mushrooms. I did cook it in the Instant Pot It was delicious. Pressure Cooked 5 minutes, let release for 5 then added Kale and GF pasta simmered for 8 min. So GOOD Traci the recipe is a keeper for me.
This was the perfect recipe for a rainy southern California day. My husband and I have both come down with the flu but luckily, we had all the ingredients on hand for this delicious and warming soup. And fortunately it was so easy to make! I substitued in small penne pasta and served it with warm crusty bread. It was a perfect dinner for us plus, we have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.
i forgot to give my 5 stars to my comments left earlier today. Apologies but again, this is one of my favorite soups! so delicious and so easy to make. Great to share with friends who also enjoy the soup.
Thank youuuu Joy!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Hello Traci, While SoCal is finally starting to dry out, my 1970 apartment remains really damp. With night time temps in the low 40’s I make a lot of soups and stews. With food prices so insulting, I try to stretch every penny. Twice a month I make..ButtEnd, small leftover pieces of fresh veggies, pasta sauce. As I cook for one I also have leftover beans in the freezer. This time I made your lovely soup. A few different veggie about 4 bites each and, chick peas and dark red kidney beans went in. All else was this recipe. This dish is so warming, feels like a hug in a mug. FYI..when the veggies came home I gave them a quick scrub and peeled. The peels then went into a pot with seasoning and just enough water to cover. Once cooked down, very wimpy, I cooled then added just enough oat beverage to make a nice thick mug of, “Cream of Veggie Peel” soup. Great memories of Granny Olli, she grew all things veggie! Take VERY GOOD CARE of YOU!!raf
Ooops! after the veggies cooled I creamed them, mini food processer with the oat beverage, usually makes 1 mug. If you have not made this try it, the flavor is amazing!raf
Hii BertaAnne! SO good to read your note! Thank you for sharing your take on this soup. I’m excited about the “Cream of Veggie Peel” soup! I love oat milk, so I know I’d love a creamy version of this soup! Stay warm (and dry) out there BertaAnne! Thank you for sharing!
Hands down this is one of my favorite soups! I made this soup consistently since i discovered the recipe on this site, several years ago. In fact, , i have made it already 3 times in the past 2 months and i double the recipe to ensure there’s enough to share and freeze. Those whom i share the soup with, agree that it’s so tasty and best of all, easy to make. Ingredients are pantry staples, except trying to find the small pasta can be challenging; but use small elbow’s in a pinch. Perfect soup for this cold wet weather. Thanks.
Hi Joy! Thank you for note of success, sharing your tip about doubling the recipe and small elbows! I love it! Super happy to hear you and everyone’s enjoying the soup!
a very nice alternative, thank you, I already like chickpeas anyway, so an welcome change for the chicken that I’m used to with these soup ingredients
Hi Sabrina! Hooray! SO happy to hear you enjoyed the soup. Thank you for your note!
My family loved this, and it was so easy! Thank you very much.
Hooray Jocelyn! Thank you for your note and giving the soup a go. SO happy to hear!
Such a great soup! Yummy, easy, and quick! Thank you!
Hooray, Teresa! Thank you for your note and giving the soup a go. SO happy to hear you’re enjoying it!
This was so good!! I got this in my email this morning and had everything on hand. It came together quickly and hit the spot on a rainy night…thanks for the delicious vegan recipe!
Hi Delin! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. Hooray to having everything on hand!
i made the soup this week and first, it was easy to make and delicious. Shared a portion with a friend who immediately asked for the recipe. I had tiny elbow macaroni pasta and used that in a pinch No worries as it was filling and perfect for the cold days in SF Bay Area. I’m always on the search for soup recipes, that are easy to make and this fits the bill with great flavor.
Hi JC Louie! Thank you for coming back, leaving a note and sharing the recipe with your friend. Sounds like the tiny elbow mac was a hit!
Perfect, simple, cozy soup! My whole family would love this one with a sourdough on the side :) Looks great!!
Yes to sourdough on the side…. how about a grilled cheese sourdough?! Thank you Katherine!
I’m making this tonight. Love ya, Traci!
Hiii Deb! SO happy to hear! xo
What a great idea to add the chickpeas Traci! Makes this soup even more of a meal. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Thank you Mare! Such an easy swap and they’re so hearty!