Vegetarian Chicken Corn Soup Recipe

Last Updated on October 20, 2025 by becky

Tofu stands in for chicken in this vegetarian chicken corn soup recipe inspired by traditional PA Dutch chicken corn soup.

What Inspired This Vegetarian Chicken Corn Soup Recipe?

I grew up in central Pennsylvania, where corn is pretty much always on the menu. Corn relish, corn pudding, corn fritters, corn chowder, sweet corn pie…you get the idea. Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish home cooking is aaallll about the corn.

You can purchase pre-made chicken corn soup at markets in York and Lancaster counties, and you’ll frequently find tubs of it in the prepared foods case at local supermarkets, too. But the traditional chicken version isn’t an option for a vegetarian like me. Here, I’ve adapted the ingredients to create a veggie-friendly version that I can make whenever I’m craving this staple of PA Dutch and Amish cuisine.

What is Chicken Corn Soup?

Traditional Pennsylvania Dutch chicken corn soup contains cooked shredded chicken, egg noodles, celery and onions, hard-boiled eggs, and plenty of fresh corn, all simmered in a flavorful chicken broth.

In this vegetarian-friendly version, I’ve replaced the chicken with firm tofu, and used vegetable broth and vegetable bouillon instead of chicken stock. I developed this recipe in a style similar to my other veggie-friendly soup recipes: this Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie, and my vegetarian noodle soup recipe.

This easy corn soup comes together in about 30 minutes, and the leftovers will keep well in the fridge for a couple of days. It’s a great soup for freezing, too, so you can thaw, heat, and pair with salad, applesauce, puff pastry cheese twists, or homemade bread for an easy weeknight dinner.

Vegetarian Chicken Corn Soup Recipe Ingredients

To make this chicken corn soup recipe, start by gathering the following:

• Vegetable Broth and Vegetable Bouillon – Vegetable broths and bouillon cubes vary in taste and quality, so as you cook, continue to taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as required.
• Onion and Celery – Chopped into small pieces, fresh onion and celery create a flavorful soup base.
• Unsalted Butter – For cooking the celery and onions.
• Yellow Corn – Fresh tastes best, but frozen yellow corn (or even canned yellow corn) will work, too. No need to thaw if using frozen corn.

• Tofu – I often make my soups with ready-to-use-tofu (a.k.a. “quick and tasty” tofu or “ready to cook” tofu) because it has a chewy, chicken-like texture, but crumbled extra firm tofu works just as nicely in this recipe.
• Egg Noodles – Egg noodles are wide, spiraled noodles made from wheat flour and eggs. They’re deeper yellow in color than traditional pasta, with a softer, more flexible texture designed to absorb the flavor of the broth as the soup cooks.
• Hard-Boiled Eggs – Chopped hard boiled eggs set Pennsylvania Dutch chicken corn soup apart from other corn chowders. Don’t omit these, unless absolutely necessary for dietary reasons. (See my notes below.)
• Parsley – Finely chopped fresh parsley adds color and flavor to the finished soup. Do not substitute dried parsley.

Making Vegan Chicken Corn Soup

As written, this soup recipe is vegetarian but not vegan, because it contains butter and eggs.

To make a vegan version, cook the vegetables in olive oil rather than butter, and replace the egg noodles with homemade vegan egg noodles, or another pasta of your choice. You can omit the hard-boiled eggs altogther, replace them with a vegan protein source such as chickpeas or white beans, or add some extra tofu.

What to Serve with Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup

This chicken corn soup is one of my go-to recipes for a simple lunch or dinner. Ladle it into bowls and serve alongside homemade bread (like my olive cheese bread or potato bread with roasted garlic); a handful of oyster crackers or Saltines; sliced raw veggies or a tossed green salad; or other PA Dutch side dishes like applesauce, coleslaw, red beet eggs, or corn relish.

And in the spirit of Pennsylvania Dutch country, make sure you have plenty of apple dumplings, whoopie pies, shoofly pie, Dutch apple pie, or sand tarts on hand for dessert!

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, or in a pot on the stovetop.

The egg noodles will absorb some of the liquid as they sit in the broth, so before storing I like to add an extra cup of water to my soup so it isn’t too thick when reheated.

Other vegetarian Pennsylvania Dutch recipes you might enjoy:

Amish Macaroni Salad
Pennsylvania Dutch Amish Corn Relish
Vegetarian Pennsylvania Dutch Pot Pie

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

Print