Whether you’re sick with a fever or a broken heart, this soup is the answer. We replaced the chicken in this classic comfort food with chickpeas to give you the protein you need to help recover when you’re feeling sick, and the broth filled with fresh thyme and garlic will smell so good your sinuses will want to clear up all on their own! If you’re still heartbroken, a little ice cream probably wouldn’t hurt, either! This recipe is straight from my new cookbook, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook! (Which, by the way, is 45% OFF today for Cyber Monday! ????) It made a sneak appearance in my last cookbook too - it's THAT good, guys. This soup is single-handedly the most requested sick-day recipe in our home, and it's the one dish I always make for friends and family when they need a little pick-me-up, too. 

It whips up easily and tastes so much like the real thing - with no chicken at all! Still packed with protein from the chickpeas and tons of flavor from all the fresh herbs, this soup is a serious crowd-pleaser. Scroll down and let's eat!

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
6 - 8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 quarts (1892 ml) vegetable broth 
8 ounces (227 g) whole wheat rotini noodles
1 cup (240 g) cooked chickpeas
salt + pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley, garnish
crackers or bread, garnish 

DIRECTIONS
In a cast-iron dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat until melted.

Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, fresh thyme & bay leaf and sauté until veggies are softened, but not browned. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. 

Once the soup is boiling, add the noodles and chickpeas and cook about 8 minutes, until the noodles are almost completely cooked (don’t worry, they’ll continue cooking in the water). Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve with freshly chopped parsley and salty crackers or bread!

TIPS
Serves 6. 

Leftover soup can be refrigerated up to a week or frozen indefinitely and reheated as needed.

You can sub gluten-free noodles here, if you prefer!