Jackfruit “Chicken” Noodle Soup

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This vegan jackfruit “chicken” noodle soup is a meatless take on the classic soup you know and love. A soothing, comforting, and cozy meal that is ready in just 30 minutes.

Vegan Jackfruit “Chicken” Noodle Soup

I don’t think I ever really ate chicken noodle soup regularly as a kid. But I stopped eating meat at such a young age, I don’t really remember, ya know? In fact, I’m not really much of a soup fan. The closest thing I usually make to a soup is typically a curry. But with the snow starting to fall here in Rochester, New York, I found myself craving some damn soup. And inspired by the vegetarian chicken broth I had in my fridge, I decided to make this vegan jackfruit chicken noodle soup! And it was so good!

This soup is very soothing and comforting, like a warm hug in a bowl. In place of chicken, this soup uses shredded jackfruit, which has a similar texture to chicken. I decided to use bow tie pasta in place of noodles because 1. I couldn’t find the noodles I wanted to use, but also because 2. I think it is easier to eat! This recipe is simply a veganized version of the classic chicken noodle soup, but you could definitely add additional veggies or spices to jazz it up a bit.

I hope this recipe can help you get through these snowy, cold months!

Ingredients for Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

• Young green jackfruit: I buy the Nature’s Charm jackfruit from my local grocery store, but you may have to go to an Asian supermarket or order online if you can’t find it. Make sure you use young green jackfruit in brine or water, not ripe yellow jackfruit in syrup.
• Vegetables: onions, celery, carrots, and garlic
• Spices: dried basil, thyme, sage, salt and pepper
• Oil: a small amount for cooking, sub with water if oil-free
• Vegan chicken broth: I used the Vegetarian No Chicken Base from Better Than Bouillon for a chicken flavor, but you can use vegetable broth instead. 
• Small pasta of choice: usually chicken noodle soup is made with egg noodles, but Walmart sells vegan egg-noodles. I don’t usually shop at Walmart, so I opted to use bow tie pasta instead. Rigatoni or any small noodle would also work, or you can cut up lasagna noodles into wide strips. Use gluten-free pasta, if necessary.

How to prepare the jackfruit for this soup

Start by draining and rinsing the jackfruit. If you have never cooked with jackfruit before, the jackfruit pieces are triangular shaped chunks made up of a stringy texture as well as a firm “core.” I like to cut off the core and chop it into small strips to use in the recipe. Then use your fingers to pull apart the stringy texture of the jackfruit, separating it into “shredded” pieces. Cutting off the core first makes it a lot easier to pull apart the stringy part of the jackfruit. You’ll also find some seeds in the jackfruit wedges – these are perfectly good to use in the soup, too!

How to make Jackfruit Chicken Noodle Soup

Add oil or a splash of water to a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the jackfruit, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and spices. Then add the broth and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer over medium high heat and cook until the veggies are tender. Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions in a separate pot. Stir the pasta into the soup once it’s cooked, and adjust the spices if needed. Serve on its own or with crackers!

Tips for success

• Double check that you are using young green jackfruit, not ripe yellow jackfruit! Young green jackfruit is savory, ripe yellow jackfruit is sweet. Do not be fooled, friends.
• Don’t over cook the veggies. This recipe will gives you tender veggies that have a bit of a bite to them. If you like softer veggies, then you can simmer the soup a bit more, but be careful to check on the tenderness of the vegetables frequently.
• Don’t over cook the pasta. Boil the pasta until it is just al dente. It will be sitting in liquid, so if you overcook it then it will become mushy quite fast.
• Store the pasta separately from the soup, or the noodles will become mushy overtime.
• Add more broth if you like a more liquidy soup. I like thick soups, so this recipe reflects that.

How to meal prep this recipe

If you are going to let this soup sit for longer than two days in the fridge, I highly recommend storing the pasta in a separate container than the soup. If stored together, the pasta will soak up the liquid of the soup and become very soggy and start to break apart.

Regular pasta is a bit more sturdy than noodles or gluten-free pasta, and can hold up a bit longer sitting in a liquid. But if you’re using thinner noodles or gluten-free pasta, then store them in a separate container even if you’re planning on eating the soup the next day. We don’t want soggy noodles!

More comforting vegan meals

• Meaty Vegan TVP Chili
• Easy 20 Minute Coconut Curry
• Vegan White Bean Mac and Cheese
• Vegan Broccoli Potato Casserole with Tempeh Sausage
• Vegan Moussaka with Creamy Bechamel
• Vegan Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

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