UNFUSSY Chickpea Noodle Soup on the Stove

Love vegan soup recipes? You need to try our Black Bean Soup as well as our Unfussy Kitchen-made Ramen and our Vegan Minestrone Soup.

Why you’ll love this simple chickpea soup recipe!

This soup is a simple way to put some healthy goodness on your dinner table. It is made with chickpeas, plenty of veggies and vegetable broth with savory spices and herbs. This wholesome, good recipe is ready in simply over 30 minutes with quite little hands-on time, and is naturally vegan, dairy free and gluten free (if using gluten-free pasta)!

Reasons the whole family will love it:

• Simple, fireside, and made with pantry staples
• Naturally vegetarian and straightforward to make vegan
• Kid-friendly thanks to small pasta and mild flavors
• A ONE POT MEAL that’s dependable for after-work dinners or unfussy lunches
• Comforting without feeling heavy!

Ingredients needed

As always, we’re keeping this vegetarian noodle soup recipe as close to the old-school chicken noodle soup as possible. To do this, we’re swapping out the chicken for chickpeas and the chicken broth for veggie broth. After those straightforward swaps, the recipe pretty much stays the same! Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Produce. This good-for-you soup is filled with carrots, celery, onion and fresh parsley for a boost of nutrients.
• Seasonings. A blend of salt, garlic powder, dried rosemary, ground turmeric and a bay leaf add welcome flavor. I often throw in a little Italian seasoning as well.
• Chickpeas. These make the soup nice and hearty, and provide a good amount of plant-based protein. I used garbanzo beans but truly any white beans will work well!
• Noodles. Traditionally, this is served with egg noddles. You can use those, however, if you’re wanting to keep it vegan, you can use any other pasta that you desire. I often use simple spiral noodles or whole-wheat pasta, since it gives the soup a familiar feel.
• Veggie broth. For the base of this soup, we suggest a high-quality, well-seasoned vegetable broth. Use low sodium for more control over the saltiness of the dish.
• Herbs. For a pop of color and freshness, we’re mixing in chopped parsley and, as a finishing touch, a squeeze of fresh lemon.

How to cook this method

Making this healthy chickpea noodle soup is simple and straightforward! Everything is cooked in one pot and other than some veggie chopping, it takes particularly little effort to cook. Here’s the simple process:

For full, printable instructions, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

1. Sauté the veggies. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add in the onion, celery, carrots, and salt. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

1. Add seasoning, chickpeas, and broth. Stir in the garlic powder, rosemary, and turmeric. Mix in the bay leaf, chickpeas, broth, pasta, and parsley.

1. Simmer. Raise the heat to bring the soup to a simmer and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the noodles are done to your likeness.

1. Serve. Remove the bay leaf and if using, stir in the lemon juice. Enjoy with fresh herbs and crackers or crusty bread.

Recipe Tips

• Time-saving tip. To save time, buy pre-cut onion, celery and carrots in either the produce or freezer department. No need to thaw before sautéing.
• Black pepper. My daughter does not like pepper, so I never add it to the full recipe. We simply sprinkle a little over individual bowls, as desired. So if you have kids, proceed with caution on the pepper.
• Check the seasoning. Before serving, give this a short taste test. If the soup lacks flavor, it may only need a pinch more of salt and/or pepper. To enhance the flavors, add some acidity. This earns a repeat to finish this soup with a squeeze of lemon.

Make ahead tip

Pasta can soften or become soggy in soups, if left too long. If preparing ahead of time, or you don’t think you’ll finish the soup within a day or so, cook the soup as directed without adding the pasta.

Cook pasta separately and add to individual servings, then reserve remaining noodles (tossed with oil) for leftovers, separately.

Frequently asked questions