So I spent most of my winter break after Christmas in bed. I’m pretty sure from burning the candle at both ends and running in the rain, I wore myself down and ended up with a nasty case of bronchitis. My husband who somehow managed to avoid it insisted that I rest and took over as my personal chef and nurse. He made me this fantastic soup, and I figured it was well worth writing up a recipe! Sometimes the only thing (besides a Z-Pak) that makes you feel better is a lot of TLC and a good old-fashioned bowl of warm noodle soup.
The ultimate comfort food, this recipe uses tofu rubbed with poultry seasoning and baked until firm. It was so good and hit the spot. He drained and pressed the tofu and then pulled it apart by hand to give it that irregular shape like pulled chicken. He dredged it in a little bit of olive oil and tossed it in poultry seasoning. We use Trader Joe’s chicken-less seasoning, but alas, it’s discontinued. I liked TJ’s seasoning because it had turmeric, a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant! But never fear. Here is another excellent poultry seasoning with turmeric that will also work! If you can’t find a seasoning mix with turmeric, be sure to add a teaspoon to your soup!
He baked the tofu for 25 minutes, turned it once, and baked for another 15 minutes. He also used egg-free ribbon noodles. But if you’re feeling somewhat nostalgic, you can use spaghetti broken into quarters for a more Campbell’s soup kinda feel.
Print
Chicken-less Noodle Soup
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 50
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 (14-oz) block organic extra-firm tofu, drained, and pressed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
- 1 cup sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup carrot, peeled and sliced into 1/4” rounds
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh dill)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 cups vegetable broth or stock
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
- 8 oz. pasta of choice, broken into bite-sized pieces if applicable
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the tofu package, and press the tofu for about 20 minutes while the oven preheats. (We use a tofu press, but you can also wrap the tofu in a clean towel and stack something heavy like a cast iron pan on top of it).
- Break the tofu apart into irregular shapes, or roughly chop it, add to a bowl.
- Toss tofu in olive oil and sprinkle with poultry seasoning, coating generously.
- Place the tofu pieces on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flip the tofu and bake for another 15-25 minutes, or until firm and slightly crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Warm a large saucepan over medium heat, then add 1/4 cup of vegetable stock.
- Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. If the vegetables start to brown, turn the heat to medium-low and add additional stock one tablespoon at a time. Saute vegetables until the onions and celery are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, dill, red pepper flakes, thyme, black pepper, and stir. Cook until fragrant, 60 to 90 seconds.
- Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir in the soy sauce, pasta, and baked tofu chunks. Continue to cook for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
- Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- Garnish with fresh thyme, dill, and parsley, if desired.
Keywords: Vegan Soup, Vegan Noodle Soup