While the cold and flu season is here, I won’t go down without a fight. This vegan chicken soup is actually something I came up with when Duncan felt on the cusp of getting a cold lately. I figured that while I can’t make him an actual chicken soup, I can make a soup packed with plant goodness that could claim just as much of a healing power.

This vegan chicken soup is not complicated but it’s really comforting and it quicky become our household staple. It starts off with onion, garlic and ginger sauteed in a liberal amount of olive oil alongside a couple of sprigs of rosemary, a few shavings of lemon rind and some roast chicken spice mix to trigger appropriate childhood food memories.

Then I add some more veggies and veg stock and simmer to extract as much flavour from all of these ingredients as possible. I season is generously and serve alongside a ladle of cooked orzo and some baked smoked tofu for extra flavour, texture and nutrition.

While every culture seems to have this idea that chicken soup is the best home remedy for colds, I don’t think it’s actually the chicken that does all of the heavy lifting. It’s the power of vegetables, the warmth of the flavoursome broth and the general nourishment of the dish that brings relief from cold symptoms. This vegan chicken soup has certainly made Duncan feel better and I hope you’ll give it a go too.

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

OLIVE OIL: Every good chicken soup, even vegan chicken soup, believe it or not relies on fat for its flavour. I used a liberal amount of extra virgin olive oil to boost the soup’s flavour in the absence of animal fat that traditional chicken soup relies on. You are welcome to use less olive oil, but I doubled what I normally use to make the soup rich and comforting.

ONION, GARLIC, GINGER: Aromatics are non negotiables when it comes to soup making. Here I used onion, garlic and less traditional ginger as I wanted my vegan chicken soup to have a bit of a kick and also because ginger is renowned for its healing properties so felt like it belongs here.

CARROT, CELERY: Carrots and celery need to explanation as they frequently form a base of many good soups. You could also add fennel or leek of you like.

NUTRITIONAL YEAST: I added a scoop of nutritional yeast to add depth of flavour and increase nutritional value of this healing bowl of soup. If you don’t have it to hand, you could add a tablespoon of miso and go easy on the salt instead.

ROAST CHICKEN SPICE MIX: Aside from turmeric, I also added some roast chicken spice mix to this vegan chicken soup to reinforce my memory of eating comforting chicken soup when I was poorly or about to be poorly.

TURMERIC: Turmeric is known for its anti inflammatory properties so I figured it will be a perfect addition to a comforting bowl of soup. I only added half a teaspoon but you are welcome to add more if you like it.

STOCK CUBE: I added a stock cube (I chose a mushroom stock cube for extra umami) diluted in hot water instead of fresh veggie stock for convenience. You can of course use fresh veggie stock instead.

LEMON RIND: I shaved a few strips of lemon rind with my speed peeler and added them to the aromatics alongside fresh rosemary to impart a subtle lemon flavour. I removed the rind before serving.

ROSEMARY: I added two whole sprigs of rosemary to the aromatics while sautéing them and removed the sprigs before serving. I wanted a subtle rosemary flavour, but you can chop the leaves (needles) up and leave them in. You can also use a few sprigs of thyme or sage (or all three) instead.

ORZO PASTA: I added orzo pasta to the soup to bulk it up and turn it into more of a satiating meal. If making this soup gluten-free, you could opt for rice, cubes of potatoes or small cooked beans instead.

CABBAGE: Finely sliced cabbage is a great addition to this soup. I used Savoy cabbage but plain white cabbage will also do the trick.

TOFU: Ahead of starting on the soup, I marinated cubes of pressed smoked tofu in some soy sauce and baked them in a hot oven while the soup was bubbling away. While you can use regular tofu, I feel like smoked tofu makes this soup even better.

HOW TO MAKE IT?

1) MARINATE & BAKE TOFU

Cut pressed smoked tofu into cubes, marinate in soy sauce briefly and bake until firm – about 30 minutes – while you get on with the soup.

2) VEGGIE PREP

Prep all of the veggies ahead of time. You don’t need to cut them up as small as I chose to but it’s important that the dice is consistent or else they won’t cook at the same speed.

3) SAUTE THE AROMATICS

Sauté aromatics, rosemary and lemon rind in a liberal amount of olive oil until translucent and aromatics. Season well and stir often.

4) SAUTE VEGGIES

Once aromatics are done, sauté chopped carrot and celery.

5) ADD STOCK, CABBAGE AND SEASON

Add stock and simmer for about 30 minutes before adding shredded cabbage in the last 5 minutes. While the soup is simmering, cook your pasta until al dente in a separate pot of sea salted water.