An easy vegan chickpea (garbanzo bean) soup made with noodles—and a nourishing leek, ginger, turmeric broth. This hearty vegan pasta soup is the perfect feel-good meal for cold season. (Gluten free option)
Saute onion: Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions and salt. Saute until golden-brown around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add seasonings: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, along with leeks, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and black pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Boil: Add chickpeas and vegetable broth. Stir to mix, and use the bottom of a stirring spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover with a lid slightly ajar, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, to let the flavors meld.
Add pasta: Add the ditalini and stir well to mix. Cover with a lid slightly ajar (so the broth doesn't over-reduce). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are al dente, about 10 minutes.
Serve: Taste and season with more salt if needed. Spoon the soup into bowls and top with garnishes (iceberg lettuce, jalapeno, radish, and cilantro). Squeeze a lime wedge or two over each bowl before digging in.
Notes
Vegetable broth: To channel vegetarian/vegan chicken noodle soup vibes, we highly recommend Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Chicken Base (or similar). Otherwise, make sure you're using a high quality, flavorful vegetable broth. The type of broth you use can have a big impact to the final flavor, so use a good one!
Pasta/noodles: We love using ditalini pasta in this soup, but you could substitute another small noodle such as small shells or elbows. Adjust cook time accordingly.
Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free small pasta (ditalini or similar). Since gluten-free noodles are more sensitive to overcooking, we'd recommend cooking the noodles in a separate pot of water according to package instructions. Since the noodles aren't cooking in the soup (and absorbing liquid), adjust by removing the lid in step 4 so that the soup cooks uncovered for the last 10 minutes to help it reduce slightly.
Storage tips: Refrigerate any extra soup for up to 2-3 days. Thin the soup with more vegetable stock before reheating, if needed.
Nutritional estimate includes soup and suggested toppings.