Cozy Vegan Chicken Soup

Name: Cozy Vegan Chicken Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of olive oil; 1 onion (finely chopped); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 2 medium carrots (finely chopped); 250 grams of Pleurotus mushrooms (oyster, shredded); 2 tablespoons of soy sauce; 1/3 of a teaspoon of ground black pepper; 6 cups or 1.5 liters of hot water; 100 grams of Acini di Pepe pasta (pearl pasta*); 1 teaspoon of salt; A sprinkle of fresh parsley (chopped (optional))

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Chicken soup is quite the nostalgic recipe, as it was something my mother often made when the colder months arrived.

I’ve recreated that memory with a vegetarian version of the soup, made with pleurotus mushrooms, which have a surprisingly chicken-like texture.

Made with simple, everyday ingredients, this is the perfect cozy meal for the chilly days ahead. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

📝 Ingredients for this vegan chicken soup

To make this recipe, I’ve chosen very simple ingredients you’ll likely be able to find in any supermarket, namely:

Olive oil: I’ve used 3 tablespoons of olive oil to create the base of this soup; as a Mediterranean-inspired recipe, this one is a must.
Onion: I’ve used 1 medium-sized onion, which I finely chopped to make it less noticeable in the soup.
Garlic: right after the onion, I included 2 minced garlic cloves. You know, there’s never enough garlic.
Carrots: for a little bit of sweetness, I’ve included 2 medium-sized carrots, finely chopped. The mushrooms are the main star of this soup, but I also don’t think I could go without the carrots; they’re special.
Pleurotus mushrooms: for that chicken-like texture, I use 250 grams of Pleurotus mushrooms (oyster mushrooms), which I pulled apart (think shredded chicken) before sautéeing.
Soy sauce: as this is a vegetarian soup, I added 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to give the broth an umami flavor.
Ground black pepper: for a hint of warmth, I’ve included 1/3 of a teaspoon of ground black pepper. Very subtle, but you’ll notice it.
Water: 6 cups of water to create the broth for this soup.
Acini di Pepe pasta: I’m not sure if you’ve heard of this pasta before, but it’s made up of tiny pearls. It’s perfect for this recipe because its size helps keep the ‘chicken soup’ vibe, rather than turning it into a ‘pasta dish.’ Other small pasta varieties, like stars or alphabet letters, also work great. I used 100 grams.
Salt: to bring all the flavors together, I added 1 teaspoon of salt, but I would urge you to taste it so you can determine whether more salt is needed. We all have different palates after all.
Fresh parsley (optional): when serving, I like to add a bit of fresh parsley on top of the soup, but that’s optional.

👨🏻‍🍳 Here’s how easy it is to make this vegan chicken soup

Sometimes, we think recreating traditional dishes in vegetarian versions is complicated and requires expensive or hard-to-find ingredients. But that’s not always the case, and this soup is proof — easy to make with simple, everyday ingredients.

I started by sautéing the chopped onion in olive oil until it turned soft and golden, which took about 2 minutes. Next, I added the minced garlic, letting it soften and fill the kitchen with its strong aroma.

Then, I tossed in the chopped carrots, cooking them until they became tender and shiny—around 2-3 minutes. After that, I added the pleurotus mushrooms and sautéed them for another 3 minutes, allowing them to release their flavors and shrink in size.

Next, I stirred in the soy sauce and ground black pepper, blending the seasoning with the carrots and mushrooms. I then added water to the pot, which I had boiled in the kettle. Covering it with a lid, I let the broth simmer for 15 minutes to cook the carrots and mushrooms.

Afterward, I added the Acini di Pepe pasta (tiny pearls-shaped pasta), followed by a teaspoon of salt, and let it cook for another 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to deepen and the pasta to cook through. Once the time was up, I turned off the heat and let the soup cool for an additional 5 minutes.

This is the kind of soup you want to enjoy while it’s piping hot—it’s when it’s at its most delicious! Just imagine the slurping sound of the broth as you take a sip—that’s how warm it should be, haha.

If you’re a parsley lover like myself, feel free to add a tiny bit of it to your bowl.

💬 Questions people also ask

How can I add more protein to this soup and still keep it vegetarian?

Yes! Sometimes I make this recipe with silken tofu. At the end, after preparing the recipe as usual, I add small cubes of tofu. I prefer the Mori-nu brand, which leaves no aftertaste and works wonderfully in the soup — I love its melt-in-your-mouth texture Each 100g of silken tofu adds about 5 to 7g of protein.

I don’t have Acini di Pepe pasta, can I use another variety?

You can certainly use a different type of pasta! I recommend a small variety like stelline (stars), gratini, risoni, or alphabet pasta as these will work well in this soup, which is designed to pair nicely with smaller pasta shapes.

Can I use any other variety of mushrooms?

Yes! I chose pleurotus mushrooms because, besides adding great flavor to the soup, when shredded, they have a texture and appearance quite similar to chicken that is present in the traditional Portuguese chicken soup. However, other mushrooms, like shiitake, king oyster, or cremini, also add excellent flavor to the broth.

Is this soup gluten-free?

No, this soup contains gluten because it includes pasta and soy sauce. To make it gluten-free, you can use small gluten-free pasta or rice and replace the soy sauce with tamari.

How long will it last in the fridge?

You can store the soup in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.