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This vegan kimchi noodle soup is infused with a wonderful blend of spiciness, sweetness, and richness. The broth is flavored with kimchi, ginger, and garlic, and paired with tender tofu, mushrooms, and greens. A delicious and warming soup that will leave you craving for a second round!
⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
- One pot and 10 minutes of prep time. The broth of this soup is made in one pot in just a few minutes. The rest consists of letting it simmer gently, leaving you enough time to cook the noodles and prepare the add-ins.
- Warming, filling, and so flavorful. If you are looking for a soup that will warm your soul from the inside, your quest ends here! It’s the perfect dish to enjoy for dinner during the colder days.
- Perfectly seasoned. With a harmonious blend of spiciness, tanginess, and saltiness, this soup packs bold flavors that rival even the best takeout options!
- The reviews speak for themselves. Andrea, a reader, said: “★★★★★ I have made this recipe about 10 times in the last month. It’s so delicious!! It’s got the perfect amount of spice but not too spicy. It’s my ideal cold-weather comfort food. Thank you!!”
📘 What is Kimchi?
Kimchi (김치) is a popular Korean fermented condiment made with Napa cabbage, green onions, chili powder, garlic, and ginger. It is spicy and quite salty with a tangy flavor due to the fermentation.
Kimchi is a staple in Korean cuisine. It is used in the preparation of many dishes such as stir-fries, savory pancakes, kimchi dumplings, and more.
🌶️ Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients you will need to prepare this kimchi soup:
- Kimchi – Use store-bought or homemade vegan kimchi. If using store-bought, ensure it is vegan kimchi. Unless it is stated as “vegan” on the package, it is usually not, as it contains fish sauce or shrimp.
- Shallots – You can use one shallot or half of an onion.
- Ginger – For optimal flavor, use fresh ginger. It brings a hint of fresh and citrusy flavor to the broth.
- Garlic
- Sugar – To balance the spiciness of the kimchi. I went with granulated sugar, but you can use coconut sugar or maple syrup if you want to keep it refined sugar-free.
- Soy sauce – For saltiness and a deeper flavor.
- Chili flakes – For extra spiciness. I used gochugaru, also called Korean chili flakes. Omit if you don’t want the soup too spicy.
🥣 How to Make Kimchi Soup
Sauté the vegetables
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallots, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the vegetables. Next, add the chopped kimchi, mushrooms, tofu (or your plant-based protein of choice), and sugar.
- Add the seasonings. Add the sugar, salt, and Gochugaru. Pour in the soy sauce and the water.
Let simmer
- Cover and simmer. Bring the broth to a simmer. Once simmering, cover the pot with the lid and let it simmer for 35-40 minutes.
- Add the greens. If you want to add pak choi or other greens, add them toward the end of cooking and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. This will prevent the vegetables from overcooking.
- Cook the noodles and serve. In another pot, cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain them and divide them between serving bowls. Pour the piping hot kimchi broth into each bowl and add mushrooms, tofu, and greens. You can then garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro for freshness!
🍄 Add-ins
This soup is incredibly versatile, so feel free to play with the add-ins! Here are a few ideas:
- Noodles – You can use homemade ramen noodles, spaghetti, soba, or even fettuccine.
- Plant-based protein – Add vegan sausages, vegan chicken, or fried tofu to the soup before or after cooking for a protein boost.
- Vegetables – Greens like pak choi, romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, or baby spinach are great additions. Add them toward the end of cooking.
📔 Tips
- Adjust the spiciness to taste. Depending on the brand of kimchi used, the spiciness of the broth can differ. Give it a taste after simmering, and add more Gochugaru if needed.
- Adjust the saltiness. Like the spiciness, the broth’s saltiness will differ depending on the kimchi. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add more if needed at the end of cooking. You can also add a pinch of glutamate or mushroom seasoning to round up the flavors.
- Garnish with more kimchi. For kimchi lovers, top your bowl of soup with more kimchi just before serving for extra texture and flavor!
- Double the recipe. This recipe serves two large bowls, so I highly recommend doubling it if you want leftovers. The broth tastes even better the next day!
💬 FAQ
I do not recommend it, as the kimchi must be simmered with the other ingredients in order to infuse the broth.
It is very easy to find vegan kimchi in Asian stores or buy kimchi online. It is often sold in jars or in small packets in the refrigerated section. You can also use homemade kimchi!
This vegan kimchi soup will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
This vegan kimchi noodle soup is SO comforting! It packs the perfect amount of spiciness with a hint of sweetness and tanginess. Plus, it’s super easy to prepare!
🍜 More Noodle Soup Recipes
⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Note: This recipe was first released in October 2020 and was updated in September 2023 with new photos and process shots.
Vegan Kimchi Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 shallot or 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 1/2 cup kimchi roughly chopped
- 1 cup mixed mushrooms diced
- 1 block tofu (about 250g), diced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Korean chili flakes
- 3 cups water
- 1 pak choy cut in half (or your favorite greens)
- 3.5 ounces dry noodles (can use gluten-free noodles)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, green onions for topping
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vegetables. Next, add the chopped kimchi, mushrooms, tofu (or your plant-based protein of choice), and sugar. Next, add the chopped kimchi, mushrooms, and tofu if using. Add the soy sauce, sugar, salt, chili flakes, and water.
- Cover and simmer. Bring the broth to a simmer. Once simmering, cover the pot with the lid and let it simmer for 35-40 minutes.
- Add the greens. If you want to add pak choi or other greens, add them toward the end of cooking and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. This will prevent the vegetables from overcooking.
- Assemble. Remove the broth from the heat and set aside. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and divide the noodles between two bowls. Pour in the kimchi soup with some tofu, mushrooms, and kimchi. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions, and serve hot!
- This soup will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently over medium heat.
Notes
- Adjust the spiciness to taste. Depending on the brand of kimchi used, the spiciness of the broth can differ. Give it a taste after simmering, and add more Gochugaru if needed.
- Adjust the saltiness. Like the spiciness, the broth’s saltiness will differ depending on the kimchi. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add more if needed at the end of cooking. You can also add a pinch of glutamate or mushroom seasoning to round up the flavors.
- Garnish with more kimchi. For kimchi lovers, top your bowl of soup with more kimchi just before serving for extra texture and flavor!
- Double the recipe. This recipe serves two large bowls, so I highly recommend doubling it if you want leftovers. The broth tastes even better the next day!
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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Doubled this recipe. It is sooo goood! I used zucchini noodles for my portion, trouble with wheat and rice, used regular rice noodles for husband. This is a keeper!
Thank you once again for lovely dinner.
You were fast Trina 🙂
Thanks for your feedback and rating!
Omg this is an excellent idea, I make Kimchi but never thought of using it for a soup. Thank you Thomas for sharing this with us.
You’re welcome Anna! 🙂
Wonder flavor. Very satisfying without being heavy. Also perfect soup for not feeling quite well.days.
Thanks Linda! 🙂
I’ve read that the probiotics are destroyed above 115 degrees fahrenheit. I suggest making the soup without the kimchi, letting it cool slightly when finished, then adding it right before serving. It works fine and is delicious.
If you want to keep the probiotics, feel free to do so!
I found out that simmering the kimchi brings more flavor to the soup, but of course, it destroys some nutrients.
Likewise, don’t add the garlic that soon. Garlic becomes bitter if sauteed this way. I generally wait to add the garlic until there is liquid in something. I’d do the same with the kimchi.
You can do both ways, personally I don’t think it adds any bitterness here.
Hi
This is my first time i will taste kimchi. I made a mistake by putting tofu marinated in liquid smoke and soya sauce into the soup. The smell of liquid smoke is very strong… i wish I didn’t ruin this meal for me. So I’m preparing the soup to have for lunch tomorrow.. i hope it tastes good tomorrow.
How did you get your soups to be red in color?
Mine doesn’t have a specific color.
I’ll leave a rating after I try the proper recipe
Hi Roo,
You have to be careful with liquid smoke, it’s very powerful. The red color of the soup comes from the kimchi and the Korean chili flakes 🙂
The taste was lovely, although I think I would have liked it a little hotter. The only thing I felt I would change in future is the cooking time – the simmering left the bok choi and kimchi a bit too soft for my liking – I would have preferred a bit more crunch in the texture.
Well, spiciness really depends on everyone’s taste, feel free to add more chili 🙂
Thanks for your feedback!
Just made this tonight. Vegan version for me and then put some in a seperate pot for DH without tofu and added shrimp. Found the kimchi I used not to be as strong as other brands but it did the job. Will make again.
Thanks for your review Tamara!
I barely leave comments on anything on the internet. But god damn, had to do it now as I’ve never had a meal so full of different tastes, my tummy is still smiling 🙂 Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
Thanks so much for your great feedback Alexandra! 🙂
I have made this recipe about 10 times in the last month. It’s so delicious!! It’s got the perfect amount of spice, but not too spicy. It’s my ideal cold weather comfort food. Thank you!!
Wow! Thank you so much for your feedback Andrea! You’ve made it more than I did 🙂
Will make again delicious
Thanks Michelle!
Made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS!
Great! Thanks for your rating Lisa!
This is amazing! I actually just made your Okara tempeh so I had a bunch of fresh soy milk on hand. I did 2 cups soy milk and 1 water for the broth and it was great!
Also, I only had purple kale and portobello mushrooms and, again, they were fab.
That’s awesome! Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂
Great recipe love kimchi tofu soup reminds me of my childhood!
Thanks Diana!
Excited to make this recipe tomorrow! Just wondering why the cuisine is Vietnamese when Kimchi is Korean?
Vietnamese cuisine also makes use of ingredients from other Asian countries 🙂
Loved this recipe. Super flavoursome. I added loads of veg and crispy tofu & mint and corriander at the end. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the feedback Jessica! 😉
Hi! What kind of mixed mushrooms do you suggest?
Hi Steph,
I usually use a mix of cremini, fresh shiitakes, and enoki.
I thought this was quite bland. I added garlic powder, even though I used a lot of fresh garlic. I added, onion powder, sriracha, more soy sauce and some rice wine vinegar. This made the broth more intense.
I also did not add the tofu to the pot. It would have just fallen apart if boiled, then simmered for 40 minutes. I put it in the bottom of my bowl, and it was fine.
I’d make this again, but it certainly needs help.
Sorry to hear that Karen, this soup should definitely not taste bland!
I would recommend trying another brand of kimchi, and/or increasing the salt, which can have a bit impact on the flavor.
Regarding the tofu, if using fried or extra-firm tofu, it will not fall apart when boiling.
Amazing broth 10 out of 10!! I did reduce the cooking time for the broth with the veggies by 20 minutes and I still found the greens were really overcooked. I recommend adding greens in the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking. If using enoki mushrooms then also add in the last 5 minutes as they will become to overcooked. Overall I highly recommend this recipe with a few minor adjustments
Thanks for your feedback Grace 🙂
Thomas,you must be Vietnamese.
I’m not 🙂
My husband loves this. We use a vegan kimchee and it is delicious. It has made it into our regular rotation.
So glad you like this soup Devorah!
Thanks for your feedback and rating 🙂
Hello from Nashville, TN!! This was AMAZING, having some leftovers now which reminded me that I needed to rate this recipe!! I followed everything except I used vegetable broth in lieu of water. Would not change a thing!! Using great Kimchi, like you said, is a MUST.
Hello Lisa! 🙂 Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it ^^
I’m glad you enjoyed this soup!
This is my first time eating Kimchi noodle soup so I have nothing to compare it to, but this was so delicious!
My bowl ended up coming out nothing like yours. Very milky and cloudy like a miso soup. I wonder if my tofu broke down too much during the simmer. It also wasn’t as flavorful as I was expecting (perhaps my kimchi was weak? I was using Nasoya Vegan Kimchi) but this wasn’t a bad thing. This is still a hearty and heart warming soup and I think this will be my go to for cold/sick days.
I’m definitely gonna try to punch it up next time. More spice, adding in extra kimchi at the end (to preserve probiotics as one user suggested) And adding in my tofu and greens a little more towards the end of the simmer.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Glad you liked the recipe Tirk!
Yes, could be the tofu that made your soup cloudy. I am not familiar with this brand, but yes, depending on how salty/spicy the kimchi is, you might have to adjust a little bit the seasonings.
Thanks for your feedback and rating 😉
My 8yr old son has fallen in love with this vegan food recipe blog. It’s his new, go to place, to find a fantastic variety of vegan recipes to try. Thanks for all the time and effort you’ve put into this. 🙂
I’m happy to hear your son loves the blog 😉 Thanks for your feedback!
Ginger and garlic are always good for your health.
True, both have many benefits!
HI – I have a question about the pak choy. Do you add one whole bunch, cut into two halves? It hardly fits into the soup pot that way!
Hi Anne,
Slice your pak choy in half lengthwise before adding it to the pot.
When a friend brought me some homemade kimchi, I knew what’d be using it for! And it was delicious- and especially satisfying for a sore throat!
Glad you liked this kimchi soup Tetyana!
I’m making this for dinner tonight. It smells wonderful simmering on the stovetop! This is my first time having kimchi and I thought this recipe would be a great introduction.
Awesome! I’m happy to hear you liked this kimchi soup!
Really great!!! As a celiac and vegan, this was my first ever ramen meal!!!! I just used GF soy sauce and rice ramen noodles. Thank you!! Will make again!! 🙂
Glad you liked it Kelly, thanks for your feedback!
My choices at Walmart for bok choy were between 2.25 pounds to 5.38 pounds heads. How big a head are you using?
I don’t know what I was thinking. For some reason I confused Napa cabbage for bok choy. Please forgive me.
No worries!