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This Immunity Noodle Soup is good for the soul and body! Enjoy it hot off the stove on sick days or make it for meal prep when you need a nourishing weekday lunch. Vegan and Gluten-Free.
This Vegan Immunity Noodle Soup has everything you could ever need in a sick day soup. It’s packed with loads of good-for-you ingredients to keep you feeling great during cold and flu season or when the winter weather gets you down. As a bonus, you can make it for meal prep and enjoy the comforting goodness throughout the week!
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The Best Soup for Cold and Flu Season
Is there anything more comforting than a warm blanket and a bowl of soup when you’re sick? My One Pot Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup was always my go-to for sick days until this Immunity Boosting Noodle Soup walked into my life. Both soups help me tackle cold and flu season but I especially love this noodle soup’s immune-boosting benefits!
“But can this soup really boost my immune system?” Absolutely it can! It’s made with foods that are proven to boost your immune system, like ground turmeric, black pepper, fresh ginger, broccoli, and spinach. I also added bouncy rice noodles and firm tofu to make it extra filling and to round out every nourishing, cozy slurp.
Either make a fresh batch on the stove in less than 30 minutes or opt for the make-ahead option and pack it for your weekday lunches. No matter how you enjoy it, you’ll love its winter blues-curing capabilities.
Ingredients for Immunity Noodle Soup
You’ll find all kinds of feel-good ingredients in this delicious comfort food, including a mix of fresh ingredients and pantry staples:
- Green Onions and Garlic: two must-have savory aromatics in most vegan soup recipes.
- Ginger and Turmeric: this is where the immune-boosting really begins. Use fresh ginger rather than ground ginger; it’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and its potent flavors will add a little bit of *spice* to the soup. Ground turmeric adds color and warmth, as well as curcumin, a strong antioxidant, when combined with black pepper.
- Vegetables: shredded carrots, broccoli florets, and baby spinach leaves were my veggies of choice, but you could also add sweet potatoes, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, or zucchini.
- Tofu: just like in my Thai Red Curry Vegetable Soup and Gochujang Noodle Soup, cubed tofu makes this soup extra satisfying and filling. Both extra firm and super firm tofu will work well.
- Noodles: I recommend using vermicelli rice noodles for this recipe because they cook quickly and travel well. I usually buy mine from my local Asian grocery store, in the international section of major grocery stores, or online. If you’re making the stovetop version, opt for rice vermicelli noodles. For the make-ahead option, use mung bean vermicelli noodles to prevent them from soaking up any liquid and becoming soggy.
How to Make Vegan Immunity Soup
- Sauté the green onion, garlic, and ginger in a pot until fragrant. Stir in the turmeric and black pepper, cook for 1 minute, then add the carrots and broccoli.
- Add the tofu, vegetable bouillon, and water to the pot. Heat to a boil, then add the rice noodles. Reduce the heat and simmer until the noodles are cooked.
- Stir in the spinach, parsley, and remaining green onions. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the warm soup in bowls.
How to Prep Immunity Boosting Soup Ahead of Time
- Follow steps 1-2 as normal. Stir the vegetable bouillon into the veggie mix, then remove the pot from the heat.
- Divide the seasoned veggies between two large mason jars or containers. Top with the tofu, then the dry noodles, parsley, and green onions. Seal the jars and store for later.
- To serve, pour boiling water over the noodles in the jars, re-seal, and set aside until the noodles soften.
- Stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Press the tofu to make it extra firm: Pressing the brick of tofu before adding it to the soup is optional but will make the cubes more firm and meaty. Either press the tofu in a tofu press or wrap the brick in a clean kitchen towel and place a heavy cookbook or skillet on top before letting it drain for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Prep the veggies to save time: You can save a little time by chopping and shredding the vegetables up to 3 days ahead of making the soup. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge until it’s time to cook.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan immunity boosting soup is a warm and cozy comfort food you can serve for a satisfying lunch or light dinner. It’s pretty filling on its own but you can always serve it with crackers or crusty bread for dunking, as well as simple side dishes. It would be delicious paired with this Fall Roasted Vegetable Casserole or this Rainbow Veggie Sandwich.
If you’re looking for more comforting vegan soup recipes, you’ll also love this Rice Noodle Soup, this Hearty Cabbage Soup, and this Vegan Lasagna Soup!
How to Store Vegan Immunity Boosting Soup
The jars of noodle soup that you meal-prepped will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. Follow the make-ahead instructions in the recipe card for optimal storage and pour the boiling water over top right before you eat for a fresh and delicious lunch.
As for the stovetop version, make sure you cook the soup without the rice noodles if you plan on saving the leftovers. They absorb broth easily and will become soggy over time.
The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let them cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container. Thaw the frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat, add the leftovers to a pot and reheat over medium heat on the stove until warmed through. In a separate pot, cook a fresh batch of the noodles before combining the two.
Substitutions and Variations
- Noodle Substitutes: If you can’t find rice vermicelli noodles or mung bean noodles, sweet potato glass noodles, thicker rice noodles, or soba noodles work well as substitutes. Just follow the package instructions for cooking.
- Raw Tofu Substitute: If raw tofu isn’t your thing, you can make this with my Crispy Tofu or my Baked Tempeh for a source of probiotics.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, as written, this soup is gluten-free. Just make sure your vegetable bouillon is gluten-free, as some brands contain gluten.
Yes, you can easily double the recipe and save the extras for meal prep. Click the 2X button on the recipe card to double the ingredient quantities.
Rice vermicelli noodles cook very quickly (I’m talking 1 to 3 minutes usually) and will get soggy if they’re overcooked or sit in the broth for too long.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Immunity Noodle Soup (Make-Ahead Option)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2-3 green onions; sliced; white and green parts separated
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 1/2 cup broccoli florets finely chopped
- 14-16 ounces extra or super firm tofu cubed
- 2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 100 g rice vermicelli noodles or 2 50 g bundles mung bean vermicelli* see note
- Small handful baby spinach optional
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
STOVETOP OPTION:
- Aromatics: Warm the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the white portion of the green onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to brown. Add the turmeric and black pepper and sauté for an additional minute.
- Veggies: Add the carrot and broccoli and mix well.
- Simmer: Add the tofu to the pot along with the vegetable bouillon and water. Stir well. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then add the rice noodles. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the rice noodles until they are cooked according to package instructions (usually 5 or so minutes).
- Season: Turn the heat off and stir in the spinach (if using), parsley, and green portion of the green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt)
- Serve: Serve warm. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
MAKE-AHEAD OPTION:
- Proceed with steps 1-2 as written. Stir the vegetable bouillon into the veggie mix until evenly distributed and remove from the heat.
- Assemble: Divide the seasoned veggies 2 large jars (or your preferred serving size) that can each hold at least 4 cups of liquid. Top the veggies off with the tofu, followed by the dry noodles, parsley, and green onion. Seal the jars and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Enjoy: To prepare 1 serving – bring 1 1/4 cup (295 ml) to a boil on the stove or in an electric kettle. Pour the hot water into the jar, re-seal, and let sit for 10 minutes. Uncover and stir well. Season with additional salt or pepper to taste, if necessary.
Recipe Notes
- Gluten-Free: This recipe is gluten-free if you use gluten-free vegetable bouillon (most are, but it’s always good to check).
- If you would prefer, you can also omit the tofu and serve this recipe with my Crispy Tofu or Crispy Tempeh.
- Noodles: You can use a variety of noodles for this recipe.
- To serve immediately: I recommend using vermicelli rice noodles for this recipe as they have a faster cook time. You can also use thicker rice noodles for this recipe, but they will need to simmer longer. I usually purchase vermicelli noodles from my local Asian market but you can also buy online, or may be able to find in the International section of your grocery store.
- To make ahead: This recipe works best with mung bean vermicelli as they only require soaking. I also usually purchase these noodle “balls” at my Asian market, but you can also buy them online.
I’ve made this twice in the last week. The first time was for my husband when he came down with COVID. Now I have it so I made it again. I doubled the broth and veggies this time but kept the amounts of tofu and noodles the same and it was perfect. Super soothing and great leftover. Thank you!
Hope you’re both feeling better! I’m glad you enjoyed!