A vegetable-filled version of the simple Lebanese vermicelli soup that will have you happily slurping. This comforting soup is a perfect balance of spices, vegetables, and delicate vermicelli noodles.
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Traditionally, Lebanese vermicelli soup was made using minimal pantry ingredients with or without chicken and butter.
It was a good way to fill up, keep warm and get nourishment during times of hardship.
This version features vegetables, chickpeas and leafy greens, it is a vegan vermicelli soup, and can be made with or without oil.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Warming spices are used to flavor the soup, making it quite fragrant.
- The vermicelli noodles are tender, filling and comforting, making this dish a crowd-pleaser for all ages.
- Can be made in big batches, and is freezer friendly.
- It's super easy to make, taking just 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Dietary friendly; vegan, can be made gluten free, soy free, corn free and nut free
Ingredients You'll Need
Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Vermicelli noodles, typically angel hair pasta is used, which will need to be broken up into smaller pieces if they are not already (for a vegan diet, ensure the pasta is egg-free)
However if you are gluten free, use rice vermicelli noodles. I have shown the two different noodles in the picture below.
Brown onion and carrot will need to be diced.
Copious amounts of freshly crushed garlic cloves.
Warming spices - ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cracked black pepper.
Vegetable broth or stock or use vegetable bouillon, depending on the type you use, you may wish to add salt to suit.
Chickpeas, pre-cooked if using dry chickpeas otherwise, use canned organic chickpeas.
Baby spinach leaves are easy to work with, at the end they can be dropped straight into the soup, and they will wilt easily whilst retaining as much nutrients as possible.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, feel free to adjust the amount to suit your liking.
Optional: Olive oil to sweat the onion if you are not on an oil-free diet.
How to Make Vermicelli Soup
Sweat the onions. In a large non-stick pot, over medium heat, add a tablespoon of vegetable stock and diced onions and sweat until translucent by continuously stirring (if using olive oil, use this in place of the spoonful of vegetable stock)
Stir through the crushed garlic until they have softened, less than a minute.
Simmer the chickpeas in the spices. Add the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper and cooked chickpeas to the pot and stir to coat the onions and garlic. Add 8 cups of vegetable broth and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add the vermicelli noodles and baby spinach leaves. Crush the vermicelli noodles (if they are not in small pieces) into the soup and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve. Turn off the heat and stir through the baby spinach leaves and the lemon juice. Let the soup stand for five minutes and then serve the soup warm.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the vermicelli soup with some crusty bread or with a savory muffin like these Savory Zucchini Muffins for a filling meal.
Top the soup with some freshly chopped herbs like parsley or cilantro for an extra pop of flavor.
Related Recipes
Other delicious vegan soups to try including vegetable borscht made with beets, freekeh soup made with an ancient grain, lentils and pasta soup or pumpkin and carrot soup.
Or check out this Lebanese spinach stew recipe for more ways to use spinach, it's easy and tasty.
If you're a fan of noodles, you should try my easy glass noodle salad.
Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.
Lebanese Vermicelli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup Vermicelli noodles either wheat or rice or angel hair pasta
- 1 ⅓ cup Brown onion diced
- 6 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 8 cups Vegetable stock
- 1½ cups Chickpeas precooked (canned)
- 2 cups Baby spinach leaves
- 4 tablespoons Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon Cracked black pepper
- 1⅓ cup Carrot diced
Instructions
- In a large non-stick pot, over medium heat, add a tablespoon of vegetable stock and diced 1 ⅓ cup Brown onion and sweat until translucent by continuously stirring (if using olive oil, use this in place of the spoonful of vegetable stock) Add the crushed 6 cloves Garlic and it stir through the onions.1 ⅓ cup Brown onion, 6 cloves Garlic
- Add the 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Ground allspice, ½ teaspoon Ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon Cracked black pepper and cooked 1½ cups Chickpeas to the pot and stir to coat the onions and garlic. Add 8 cups of 8 cups Vegetable stock and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Ground allspice, ½ teaspoon Ground nutmeg, 8 cups Vegetable stock, ½ teaspoon Cracked black pepper, 1½ cups Chickpeas
- Over the pot, crush the 1 cup Vermicelli noodles into the soup and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and stir through the 2 cups Baby spinach leaves and 4 tablespoons Lemon juice. Let the soup stand for five minutes and then serve the soup warm1 cup Vermicelli noodles, 2 cups Baby spinach leaves, 4 tablespoons Lemon juice
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
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