The ideal dish for when you’re feeling run down, without any of the meat

**total time** 35-40 mins
**serves** 4

Chicken noodle soup is one of the most loved soups all around the world. A perfect soup for when you are feeling ill, and one many of us enjoyed growing up made by our parents or relatives if we were under the weather. The simple flavours and saltiness gave us that pep back when we couldn’t tolerate much other food. For my vegan version I’ve used oyster mushrooms in replacement of the chicken. Shredding the mushrooms creates a similar texture, and frying them on their own allows their delicious deep flavour to shine.

All you’ll need is:

2 tbsp olive oil
200g king oyster mushrooms, shredded into bite-size pieces
1/4 of a small white cabbage, shredded
1 large onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stick of celery, diced
1500ml vegetable stock
150g angel hair pasta, broken into pieces (or fine noodles, broken)
Salt & fresh black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, grated
Handful of parsley

Starting with the star of the show, the oyster mushroom. You can buy these easily in the supermarket now, and I highly recommend them if you’re trying to get into cooking more with plants. Prep the mushrooms by shredding them lengthways to create that roasted chicken-like texture. No knives needed.

Add the mushrooms into a pan with nothing else, and stir very occasionally to cook them down. I’ve been increasingly cooking my mushrooms like this as without any oil, it enables the moisture to be drawn out of the mushroom making them even more tasty.

Now make a little space in the pan, drizzle in a little oil, and heat up. Then we can add the rest of our vegetables: a mirepoix of carrots, celery, onion and garlic. All diced and shredded into small pieces, these create the depth of flavour for your soup. Once softened after around 10 minutes, add in your shredded cabbage and herbs.

Pour over the vegetable stock and add in the bay leaves, season and bring to a boil. Reduce down to a simmer and add the noodles. I chose angel hair pasta, but any noodles will equally work. Break them up a little to make them easier to cook and eat. Cook for around 7-8 minutes until the noodles are ready and remove from the heat.

Top with some fresh parsley and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil
200g king oyster mushrooms, shredded
1 large onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 sticks of celery, diced
1/4 of a small white cabbage, shredded
1500ml vegetable stock
150g angel hair pasta, broken into pieces (or fine noodles, broken)
Salt & fresh black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
Handful of parsley

METHOD

To prep your mushrooms, shred lengthways with your fingers rather than chopping. This will create a texture similar to roasted chicken. Simply break them apart into different sized pieces.
In a large pan, add the mushrooms on their own, and cook form 10 mins, stirring very occasionally until reduced.
Make space in the pan, and drizzle in some olive oil to heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic and celery (mirepoix) and cook on medium heat until softened for around 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and dried herbs, and season to taste.
Pour the vegetable stock in and add bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce to a simmer.
Add the pasta or noodles (I used angel hair pasta), and simmer for about 7-8 mins until cooked. Taste and check seasoning and serve with warm crusty bread.

notes

You can add sweetcorn to the recipe if you like, at the same time as the pasta, to enjoy!
Add more stock if you prefer a more brothy soup! This is totally up to your preference.