This Tempeh Zoodle Soup is a vegan, low-carb version of traditional chicken noodle soup thats still comforting and delicious!
Thanks to Lightlife for partnering with me to develop this recipe!
Tempeh Zoodle Soup
Looking for a plant-based version of comforting chicken noodle soup? You’ve come to the right place! My version is made with Lightlife Tempeh swapped in place of the chicken and zucchini noodles instead of traditional egg noodles.
I’ll admit I was a little skeptical even as I was creating this soup, but I can attest that its absolutely delicious. Even my carnivorous husband thoroughly enjoyed it (as in, slurped up to gigantic bowls of the stuff). By starting with the same mix of vegetables and herbs you would find in traditional chicken noodle, its amazing how comforting and familiar this soup ends up tasing.
What is Tempeh?
If you’re NOT familiar with Tempeh, don’t be intimidated. Its a soy-based plant protein, best known in Indonesia. Much like tofu, tempeh has a mild but slightly nutty flavor and it tends to absorb the flavors of the foods it cooked with, making it a bit of a chameleon to use. In this recipe, we brown it in the pan the same way you would with chicken, then add it into the broth to simmer and it takes on the richness of the herbs and aromatics as it cooks.
Chicken Soup for Any Diet
This soup is ideal for nearly any diet — vegan, Whole 30, Keto or paleo — and has all those comforting flavors we all crave in the winter. (If you’re looking for a great traditional chicken noodle, you can’t beat my super simple 5-ingredient Chicken Noodle Soup).
For more great tips and recipes for cooking plant-based, check out my post on the topic, here!
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Tempeh Zoodle Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
This Tempeh Zoodle Soup is a vegan, low-carb version of traditional chicken noodle soup thats still comforting and delicious!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 8 ounces tempeh, diced into 1-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound (2 large) zucchini, spiralized
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add tempeh to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes on each side; transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the stockpot. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in vegetable stock, bay leaf and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Stir in zucchini noodles and tempeh; reduce heat and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Discard bay leave and serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Keywords: Vega, Keto, Paleo, Soup, Zoodles, Tempeh
