Vegan Chicken and Dumplings

Name: Vegan Chicken and Dumplings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 cup vegan chicken broth; 1 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp celery salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 4 oz soy curls; 1/2 cup vegan butter; 2 cups onion, diced; 1 cup carrots, diced; 1 cup celery, diced; 1/4 tsp sage; 2 Tbs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme; 1/4 tsp tumeric; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 5 cups vegan chicken broth; 1 cup unsweetened plant milk; 1/2 cup frozen peas; 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 tsp dried thyme; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp salt; 3 Tbs vegan butter, melted; 1 cup + 1 Tbs unsweetened plant milk; 4 Tbs fresh parsley, minced

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This vegan chicken and dumpling recipe is the ultimate vegan comfort food. A creamy, rich and hearty pot of stew topped with soft flavorful dumplings.

Perfect for weeknight dinners whenever it's cold or rainy outside, but quick and easy enough to make on a busy weeknight as well.

vegan chicken and dumplings in dutch oven

The richness of this recipe calls out to be paired with a simple salad like this Arugula Salad with Apples .

Table of Contents

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Expert Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Storing
Related Recipes
Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's a warm and hearty comfort food meal
Made in just one pan - so easy cleanup!
It's vegan and dairy-free
Impress your guests and family

Ingredients

This is what you'll need to make vegan chicken and dumplings -

Some notes about a few of the key ingredients -

'Chicken' broth: use your favorite vegan chicken broth. We've used and liked the 'Better Than Bouillon' No Chicken Base and Edward & Sons Not-Chick'n Bouillon Cubes

Soy Curls: I am a total soy curl fan girl! They're shelf stable and make a most excellent vegan chicken substitute. If your local grocery store doesn't carry them you can order them on Amazon or directly from the company who makes them Butler Foods. You could also use another vegan chicken in this recipe, but would skip the first step and add it in later in the recipe.

Vegan butter: use your favorite vegan butter here, any of them should work.

Turmeric : this is mostly here to provide the dish with a nice buttery, chickeny yellow color. If you don't have any or dislike turmeric, no worries - just leave it out.

Unsweetened plant milk: we like almond milk for its neutral flavor, but any unsweetened plant milk will work.

Frozen peas: these are totally optional, but we like the color and flavor that they add.

Instructions

TIP - For exact measurements and more detailed instructions, please make sure to read the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

To prepare the soy curl 'chicken' add broth, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, and black pepper to a large Dutch oven set over low-medium heat and stir to combine. Then stir in the soy curls to coat and cover the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes and remove cover. The soy curls should be plump and softened and the broth should be fully absorbed.

soy curls before cooking — Before cooking

soy curls after cooking — Before cooking

Remove the soy curls from the pan and cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

In the same pan melt the vegan butter over medium heat and saute the onions, carrots and celery for about 4 minutes until they begin to soften. Then stir in the sage, thyme and turmeric.

Sprinkle the flour over the top of the cooked vegetables and stir to combine. Continue to cook for 2 minutes.

vegan chicken and dumplings cooked carrots onions and celery

vegan chicken and dumplings sprinkle flour over the cooked vegetables

Pour in vegan chicken broth and stir while cooking for 2-3 minutes until it starts to thicken.

vegan chicken and dumplings pouring the broth into the pan with the vegetables

Stream in the plant milk, salt and pepper and stir until smooth. Then add the soy curls back into the pot along with the peas, bring to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan.

vegan chicken soup before the dumplings have been added

While the soup is cooking make the dumpling dough by whisking together the flour, thyme, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Then stir in the melted butter until you get a crumbly texture. Add in the milk and mix until you have a thick batter. This will be lumpy, but don't overmix it!

dry dumpling ingredients in a glass bowl with whisk

vegan chicken and dumplings mixed in a clear glass bowl

Reduce the heat to low and drop the dumplings gently onto the simmering soup using a cookie scoop or large spoon. Sprinkle fresh parsley over the top and cover.

vegan chicken and dumplings before dumplings are cooked

Cook for 8-9 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through.

vegan chicken and dumplings in red pan with serving spoon

Now gather your people together and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Here are a few key things to keep in mind to make a delicious pot of vegan chicken and dumplings.

Make sure to use a really nice vegan 'chicken' broth for this recipe. If you substitute with a vegetable broth it will still be good, but won't have that distinctive 'chicken' flavor.
Don't overmix the dumpling dough. It will be thick and lumpy, but that's ok as long as the flour is fully incorporated.
Turn the heat to a low simmer when adding the dumplings to cook. You won't be able to stir the soup while they are cooking and if the heat is up too high you could burn your soup!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are soy curls?

They are dehydrated strips of soy protein and are minimally processed and gluten-free. Much like tofu, they have a mild unassuming taste on their own and need to be flavored as they are cooked or rehydrated. They are a great pantry item that doesn't require refrigeration and can be super versatile. We use them in soups, stews, sandwiches, fajitas, jerky, and more. You can find more nutritional information on the Butler Foods website and even order directly through them. We love them so much we get their 12 lb bulk package!!

Will any plant milk work for this recipe?

Yes, it should so go ahead and use your milk of choice, just make sure it's unsweetened. We prefer to use unsweetened almond milk in savory recipes because we find it to have the most neutral flavor.

vegan chicken and dumplings in a bowl with spoon

Storing

This vegan chicken and dumplings recipe is super easy to store.

To store - After it's cooled, transfer to an air-tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze - This dish doesn't freeze well and is best make fresh. That being said, I have frozen it and it's not terrible.

To reheat - Can be warmed on the stove or in the microwave.

If you liked this recipe and want more hearty comfort food recipes, I've got you.

Here are some of my other favorite hearty vegan dinner recipes -