Very Frugal Vegan Not Chicken Noodle Soup

Very Frugal Vegan Not Chicken Noodle Soup

Since switching to a plant based diet, I have joined some Facebook Groups related to plant based cooking. One group is called “Plant Based on a Budget Support Group”; the group is hosted by Toni Okamoto.  She is a cookbook author among other things and one of her cookbooks is called “Plant Based on a Budget”.  The other day, I was watching one of Toni’s YouTube Videos. She showed what she ate in a day and she showed that the ingredients in her meals were all from the Dollar Tree store.  I recall she made a smoothie with frozen fruit and almond milk, a brown rice stir fry with frozen vegetables, and a veggie burger with more rice and veggies on the side.  I’ve been known to purchase some frozen fruit and veggies at my local dollar store as well.

The other day when I was shopping at my local Kroger store, I found some bargains and I made up a quick and easy soup.  This meal really hit the spot since I’ve been suffering from a nasty head cold for a week now.  There’s nothing like a nice hot and steamy bowl of brothy soup when you have an icky cold.  This recipe makes a really big bowl of soup which can be easily be made into two smaller portions if desired.  My calculations reveal this recipe (one big bowl of soup) contains about 10 grams of protein.  

The vermicelli I purchased for this soup cost 29 cents.  The frozen veggies were $1.00.  The vegan “chicken” bouillon cost a few dollars but it’s actually quite economical because the eight bouillon cubes in the package make a total of 16 cups of broth.  

Very Frugal Vegan Not Chicken Noodle Soup

2 cups of water

1 bouillon cube (I used Not Chick-N brand)

1/2 cup (55 grams) vermicelli

I cup of frozen mixed vegetables (thawed)

Option: garnish with a dash of fresh or dried parsley.

In a small pot, bring the water to a boil. Add in the bouillon cube and stir until dissolved.  Add in the vermicelli, reduce heat, and simmer until noodles are desired tenderness (my package directions specified the noodles should be cooked for 5 to 7 minutes).  Add in the mixed vegetables and cook another minute so that the vegetables are warmed through.  If desired, garnish soup with a sprinkle of fresh or dried parsley.