Vegan Chicken Soup
This vegan chicken soup is a plant-based take on ciorba radauteana, a beloved sour-cream chicken soup from Radauti in northern Romania. Instead of chicken, it uses shredded oyster mushrooms, and instead of the traditional egg-and-sour-cream liaison, it gets its creamy, tangy body from soy milk and soy yogurt. The result is a warm, comforting, tangy soup that tastes remarkably close to the original, perfect for cold, rainy days.
It’s so cold and rainy outside that all I want to do is stay indoors, drink teas and eat comfort vegan soups, and this was exactly my plan for today! I made this soup inspired by a popular, traditional Romanian recipe that brings back so many childhood memories. To replace the boiled chicken, I used oyster mushrooms, which are absolutely amazing for replacing meat in vegan recipes. I’ve used them in countless recipes on my blog, so make sure you do a quick search through my oyster mushroom recipes to try them all. You’ll love them, I promise! For replacing the sour cream, I used soy milk and soy yogurt, natural-flavored, by Joya.
The ingredients that make it work
The soul of this soup is a clear vegetable broth built from carrots, parsnips, celeriac, onion, and a red bell pepper, boiled whole with a teaspoon of whole peppercorns. Boiling the veggies whole and then straining the liquid gives you a clean, clear base, which is exactly what a good ciorba needs before you build the creamy element back on top.
The oyster mushrooms are the star. Cut into thin strips, they hold their shape and take on a satisfying, slightly chewy texture once they simmer in the broth, which is why they stand in so well for shredded chicken. Look for firm, dry mushrooms with clean, unbruised edges. The creamy, tangy finish comes from two natural soy yogurts and soy milk, whisked with a little flour to thicken, then brightened with plenty of minced garlic and apple cider vinegar to taste. That garlic-and-vinegar hit is what makes a radauteana taste like a radauteana.
How to build the soup step by step
Start by boiling all the peeled vegetables and the peppercorns in a large pot of water for about 30 minutes, partially covered. Then remove everything, strain the liquid so only a clear broth remains, and pour it back into the pot. You don’t have to use all the boiled veggies. I usually add back just a couple of carrots and the red bell pepper, chopped into small cubes, and turn the rest into a salad with a creamy dressing so nothing goes to waste. Add the mushroom strips to the pot with the veggies you’re keeping and simmer everything on medium heat for another 15 minutes, then season with salt.
Why the tempering step matters
The one step you don’t want to rush is adding the creamy liquid. Blend the soy yogurt, soy milk, flour, and garlic together first, then slowly ladle hot soup into that room-temperature mixture, stirring gently with a spoon rather than blending. This is called tempering: you’re gradually raising the temperature of the soy base so it doesn’t shock and split when it meets the hot broth. Once you’ve stirred in about 500 ml of hot soup, pour the whole thing back into the pot and mix. Adding the flour to the soy mixture before it hits the pot also lets it disperse evenly, so you get a smooth, velvety soup instead of lumps.
Finish with apple cider vinegar to taste. Go slowly here and taste as you add, because the sourness is a signature of this soup but it’s easy to overshoot. Serve with fresh, chopped parsley on top.
Make it your own
- Want it richer? Add all the boiled veggies back into the pot instead of just a few.
- Prefer a thicker soup? Whisk in an extra tablespoon of flour with the soy mixture.
- No parsnips on hand? Extra carrots and a bit more celeriac will still give you a rounded, sweet broth.
- Like more of a garlic punch? This soup can take it. Ciorba radauteana is meant to be generously garlicky.
Storing and making it ahead
This soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered container, and the flavor actually deepens overnight as the garlic and vinegar settle in. Reheat gently over low heat rather than a hard boil, since the soy base can separate if it gets too hot too fast. If you want to make it ahead, you can prepare the clear broth and mushrooms a day early and stir in the creamy soy mixture just before serving for the freshest texture. It’s a great one to batch when you know a cold week is coming, right alongside my vegan hangover soup, which also leans on oyster mushrooms.
What to serve with it
Like most Romanian ciorbe, this one wants a slice of crusty bread and, if you like heat, a fresh or pickled hot pepper on the side. It’s hearty enough to be a light meal on its own, but if you’re feeding a hungry table, pair it with something creamy and comforting like my roasted garlic pasta. And if you fall in love with these mushrooms, my cream of mushroom soup with thyme is another cozy bowl worth bookmarking.
If you make this vegan take on ciorba radauteana, I’d love to know how the garlic-and-vinegar balance turned out for you, so please rate the recipe and leave a comment below with any tweaks you tried!
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Vegan Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 500 g oyster mushrooms cut into thin strips
- 4 carrots peeled
- 2 parsnips peeled
- 1 celeriac peeled
- 1 onion peeled
- 1 red bell pepper cut in half and deseeded
- 1 tsp peppercorns whole
- sea salt to taste
For making the soup sour:
- 2 natural soy yogurts unsweetened; I used Joya
- 500 ml soy milk natural, unsweetened; I used Joya
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- apple cider vinegar to taste
Instructions
- Put all the peeled veggies and the peppercorns in a large pot, fill the pot with water and bring to a boil. Partially cover the pot with a lid and let them boil for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Take out all the veggies and place them in a bowl. Strain the soup so that only a clear liquid remains, then pour that clear soup back into the pot.
- Cut the oyster mushrooms into strips.
- You can use all the boiled veggies for a richer soup, or just some. I used only 2 carrots and the red bell pepper, and made a salad with the rest using a mayo dressing.
- Chop the veggies into small cubes and return them to the pot. Add the oyster mushrooms and let everything boil over medium heat for 15 more minutes.
- Season with salt, to taste.
- In a blender, add the remaining ingredients (soy yogurts, soy milk, flour, garlic and apple cider vinegar). Process them for 1-2 minutes.
- Using a ladle, slowly pour the hot soup into the blender bowl. Don’t blend — just stir the liquids together with a spoon. Continue until you’ve added about 500ml of hot soup to the milky, room-temperature liquid.
- Pour the liquid back into the pot and stir with a spoon.
- Serve this vegan chicken soup with fresh, chopped parsley on top.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. There is no chicken and no animal product in it. Shredded oyster mushrooms stand in for the chicken, and natural soy milk plus soy yogurt replace the sour cream and eggs used in the traditional Romanian version. Every ingredient is plant-based.
It’s a vegan version of ciorba radauteana, a creamy, garlicky, sour chicken soup that comes from Radauti in northern Romania. The original is made with boiled chicken, egg yolks, and sour cream, and this recipe recreates that same tangy, comforting character without any animal products.
This is a tempering step. Pouring hot broth gradually into the room-temperature soy yogurt and soy milk mixture raises its temperature slowly so it doesn’t curdle or split when it meets the heat. Stirring rather than blending at this stage keeps the soup smooth and velvety instead of lumpy.
Yes, and it often tastes better the next day as the garlic and vinegar mellow into the broth. For the freshest texture, prepare the clear broth and mushrooms a day ahead and stir in the creamy soy mixture just before serving. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Boiling the vegetables whole and then straining gives you a clean, clear base, which is what a proper ciorba needs before you build the creamy element back on top. You then chop and add back only some of the boiled veggies, so the soup stays balanced rather than heavy.
A slice of crusty bread is the classic pairing, along with a fresh or pickled hot pepper on the side if you like heat. It works as a light meal on its own, or you can serve it alongside something more filling like roasted garlic pasta for a bigger table.
This was great! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you! You’re welcome!
Such a great vegan option!
Thank you, Bethany! 😀