Vegan Chicken and Rice Soup With Soy Curls
A creamy vegan chicken and rice soup with soy curls. This simple and comforting vegan soup makes for a nutritious and balanced meal for the colder months.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 227g/8oz pack soy curls
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 5 medium-large carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon summer savory (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1-1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 7 cups vegetable broth, no salt added
- 1 cup oat milk, plain and unsweetened
- Pepper to taste
- Squeeze of lemon juice, optional, to taste
Instructions
- Place the soy curls in a large bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 10 minutes to rehydrate. Once done, strain the soy curls. Press them to remove as much of the excess liquid as possible. I use the bottom of the large bowl to press them while in the strainer, over the sink.
- While the soy curls are soaking, chop your vegetables and prepare all of your ingredients.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the carrots and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the summer savory, poultry seasoning, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the rice.
- Add the vegetable broth and soy curls. Stir everything together, then bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, reduce heat to low-medium and let it simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables have softened and the rice is cooked.
- Add in the oat milk and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Taste and add more salt or pepper as needed. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste if desired, to make the flavors pop.
Notes
Leftovers: You can store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or up to 3 months in the freezer. This soup will thicken as it sits and the rice will become softer. For this reason, if you’re eating leftovers, you can thin the soup with a splash of broth. This soup is best eaten fresh, but it’s still delicious eaten as leftovers.
Summer Savory: If you can't find summer savory, feel free to swap it for oregano. The flavor is different, but still a good fit for this soup.
Rice: I love making this soup with white basmati rice. It's what I usually have on hand. If you use brown rice or another type of rice, you will need to cook the soup longer. Follow the package’s instructions and let the soup simmer until the rice is completely cooked. The vegetables will be softer this way.
Soy Curls: If you can't find soy curls, feel free to replace them with a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed). Add them in the last 5 minutes of cooking. You could also try this creamy chickpea and rice soup instead.
Broth: If using unsalted broth, you can use the recommended 1-1 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If using regular salted broth, you will need less. I recommend starting with 1/2 teaspoon and adding more to taste at the end.
Oat milk: You can use plain and unsweetened soy milk instead if preferred.