Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

– 2 tsp olive oil – 1 15oz pack of extra firm tofu (drained, pressed, chopped) – 2 tbsp chopped celery – 1/2 cup chopped onions – 1/2 cup chopped carrots – 1 tsp minced garlic – 1 bay leaf – 1/4 tsp ground sage – 1/4 tsp dried marjoram – 1/2 tsp dried thyme – 1/8 tsp dried rosemary – 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg – freshly ground black pepper – 4 cups vegetable broth – salt to taste – 1 tsp dried parsley – 1 cup cooked pasta (rotini/fusilli)

– Heat oil in a Dutch oven and toss in chopped tofu. Sauté until tofu is light golden in color and cooked through inside.

– Add celery and mix for 30 seconds. Add onions, carrots, garlic and bay leaf and gently fold them at medium-high flame.

– Add sage, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, black pepper and mix well but gently so that tofu does not crumble.

– Pour vegetable broth, parsley and salt. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until few boils. – Remove the lid and fold in pasta. Adjust salt and stir. Turn it off immediately. Cover and let it rest while hot. – Feel free to garnish with more fresh chopped parsley or cilantro and ladle it in the serving soup bowls.