This Vegan Chicken Coriander recipe is easy to prepare in the slow cooker and has adapted from a vintage British recipe. If your a fan of vegan white chilli recipes then you will like this creamy meat-free stew as the flavours are quite similar. Meat-free pieces along with sweetcorn, chickpeas and a frozen vegetable mix, are flavoured with coriander, also known as cilantro, and cooked in a creamy sauce. We have included a stove-top method within our recipe notes for those days when extra quick meals are needed.
Chicken coriander is a classic British retro recipe that has been popular for decades but is less common nowadays. This recipe was inspired by an old Family Circle recipe from 1968, this updated plant-based & vegan version uses vegan Quorn pieces, chickpeas, and frozen vegetables, to create an easy dinner that is delicious and easy to make. Of course, you can easily substitute the Quorn pieces with tofu, canned jackfruit, or white beans such as cannellini or butter beans.
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Chicken coriander & Family Circle books
Family Circle was a popular monthly magazine that was first published in 1932 and ended in 2019. It was known for its wide variety of magazine articles, on topics such as home improvement, cooking, family relationships, health, and beauty. The magazine was aimed primarily at women and was designed to provide practical advice and inspiration to help them manage their households and live happy and fulfilling lives. Family Circle also published many books, including the 'Family Circle Great Chicken Recipes' book [1968] which featured the classic recipe for chicken coriander that we adapted for our vegan chicken coriander.
Over the years, the magazine became a trusted source of information and inspiration for millions of women, and was widely read in the United States and beyond. In 1964 the Family circle magazine began to be published in Great Britain, and was a great success. Despite its closure in 2019, Family Circle remains a nostalgic part of many people's lives.
If you mention Family Circle in the UK nowadays, a popular tub of McVities biscuits with the same name will often spring to mind! Unfortunately, most of the Family Circle biscuits are not vegan-friendly, with the possible exception of the chocolate Bourbon biscuits, which may be accidentally vegan-friendly. However, it's always best to check the ingredients as recipes can change over time.
Vegan chicken coriander
While our recipe for vegan creamy coriander was originally inspired by a Family Circle recipe, we've made a number of changes to make it our own. For example, the original recipe called for the chicken to be oven-baked with a buttery coriander marinade, resulting in a drier dish that was served with a separate pan gravy. In contrast, our vegan version uses a slow cooker and vegan Quorn pieces, chickpeas, and frozen mixed vegetables to create a creamy sauce.
Also, this recipe has a texture and flavour similar to that of a white chili stew or casserole. Although, this recipe does not include canned jalapeños, adding sliced green chilies as a garnish is very nice especially if a spicy meal is preferred.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need for this vegan chicken coriander are:
- vegan chicken pieces (we used vegan Quorn pieces but any meat-free pieces will do or you can replace them with tofu, seitan, cooked or canned butterbeans or extra chickpeas)
- cooked chickpeas
- frozen vegetable mix (we used a vegetable base mix that contained carrots, celery, & onion)
- frozen or fresh sweetcorn
- coriander powder
- cumin powder
- garlic powder
- chilli powder
- lime juice
- plain flour (all-purpose flour or replace with a plain gluten-free flour or spelt flour)
- vegan butter or margarine (can replace with coconut oil or coconut butter or a tablespoon of white miso paste)
- salt & pepper
- sugar (can use coconut sugar or your choice of sugar/syrup)
- vegetable stock or broth
- soya milk (or your choice of dairy-free milk, can replace with canned coconut milk)
- fresh coriander
How to prepare
We love preparing family meals using the slow cooker especially recipes that have a few simple steps. This recipe is extra quick and doesn't require vegetable preparation as it calls for vegan chicken pieces such as frozen Quorn pieces, frozen vegetable mix, frozen sweetcorn, and precooked chickpeas.
Step 1: Preheat your slow cooker by switching it to the high setting.
Step 2: Add the vegan Quorn pieces (or your chosen alternative), chickpeas, sweetcorn, and frozen vegetable mix.
Step 3: Next, add the coriander powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, chilli powder, plain flour, sugar, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add vegan butter or margarine (or replace with coconut oil or simply omit), plant-based milk, lime juice, and vegetable stock to the slow cooker. Give everything a good stir.
Step 5: Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours. Once done, adjust the seasoning to taste with extra salt, pepper, and lime juice.
Step 6: Sprinkle fresh coriander (cilantro) on top.
Serving suggestion: This dish pairs well with rice as an accompaniment, and it is also very nice with a dollop of vegan mayonnaise, plain yogurt, or creme fraiche.
Recipe notes
Storage
Store leftovers within a covered container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3-4 months.
FAQ'S
Yes. First melt the vegan butter in a non-stick pan. Next, add the vegan Quorn pieces (or your chosen alternative), chickpeas, sweetcorn, and a frozen vegetable base mix consisting of onions, carrots, and celery, or prepare your own vegetable mix. Cook over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add the coriander powder, cumin powder, garlic powder (or granules), chilli powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and flour. Stir to combine and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable stock, plant-based milk and lime juice. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender. You may need to add extra milk or stock as the stew cooks to prevent sticking and to get the consistency that you prefer. Adjust the seasoning to taste with extra salt, pepper, and lime juice. Sprinkle fresh coriander (cilantro) on top and serve with rice or your preferred accompaniment.
Please note: as this stove-top method is originally adapted from our slow cooker recipe, more vegetable broth or stock may need to be added if the sauce is too thick to cook the vegetables. Simply add a little extra stock at a time as necessary. If your sauce is too thin at the end of cooking, a cornflour [cornstarch] slurry, which is just one tablespoon of cornflour mixed with a tablespoon of water, can be used to thicken the sauce.
Yes, you can make vegan coriander chicken suitable for gluten-free diets. Here are some tips to make this recipe gluten-free:
1. Substitute the plain or all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
2. Use a gluten-free vegetable broth or stock. Many vegetable broths or stocks contain wheat or gluten-containing ingredients, so be sure to choose a gluten-free option.
3. Quorn vegan pieces may contain wheat gluten so be sure and check the label of any vegan Quorn products that you find, as you may need to choose another protein alternative that is certified as gluten-free.
Vegan Quorn pieces cook fine within the slow cooker especially if cooked on the high setting for up to 4 hours. Any longer may result in a breakdown of the Quorn structure. Incidentally, Quorn does not actually recommend slow cooking on a low temperature for a long time, for their product, as they state that the texture can change. However, we have not found the vegan Quorn pieces to be adversely affected if cooked on the higher setting for up to 4 hours.
More vegan recipes that use vegan Quorn pieces
We have many other family favourite vegan recipes that feature vegan Quorn pieces. Of course the Quorn can be easily substituted for your preferred vegan meat-free pieces, or beans such as butterbeans or chickpeas, or mushrooms, tofu, seitan, or even diced potatoes. Our family favourites are this Vegan Chicken Stew & Dumplings and this Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup. We also love this homely Vegan Lancashire Hotpot and this Vegan Mango Chicken Curry.
***please note: For US measurements: 'cups, tablespoons, and ounces' click the button within the recipe that states US customary and the measurements will change***
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chicken Coriander [slow cooker recipe]
Equipment
- slow cooker 3.5 litres / 3.5 quarts plus in size
- mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter [optional, or use a dairy-free margarine such as Flora/Vitalite, or coconut oil or coconut butter, omit if on an oil-free diet or use a tablespoon of white miso paste]
- 200 grams vegan Quorn pieces [or any vegan 'chicken' style pieces, tofu, or replace with cooked beans such as butterbeans, eg. one drained 400g/14oz can]
- 1 can chickpeas [about 240g cooked, which is the average amount when drained out of a 400g/14oz can]
- 125 grams frozen sweetcorn
- 180 grams frozen vegetable mix [a mixture of fine diced carrots, celery and onion or use fresh]
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder [cilantro]
- ¾ teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder [or garlic granules]
- 2 tablespoons plain flour [all-purpose flour or use a gluten-free plain flour blend, spelt flour is a nice alternative though this is not gluten-free]
- 1 teaspoon sugar [such as granulated or coconut sugar, or your choice]
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice [plus extra for seasoning if liked]
- 400 mililitres soya milk [unsweetened, or use any milk of your choice, can use canned coconut milk if preferred]
- 150 mililitres vegetable stock [use a vegan 'chicken' flavour stock if available]
garnish:
- 25 grams fresh coriander [cilantro]
Instructions
Switch the slow cooker to the high setting.
- Add the meat-free pieces, chickpeas, frozen vegetable mix, sweetcorn, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, garlic powder, flour, sugar, salt and some black pepper to the slow cooker.200 grams vegan Quorn pieces, 1 can chickpeas, 125 grams frozen sweetcorn, 180 grams frozen vegetable mix, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, ¾ teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons plain flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
- Give the ingredients a good mixture ensuring the flour is stirred through.
- Pour in the milk, vegetable stock, vegan butter, and lime juice. Stir well.1 tablespoon vegan butter, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 400 mililitres soya milk, 150 mililitres vegetable stock
- Pop the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours.
- Once cooked, stir well and mix through about half of the chopped fresh coriander. Taste the seasoning and add extra salt and pepper to taste.25 grams fresh coriander
- Serve with extra coriander scattered over the top. A squeeze of lime juice over each portion is also tasty. Sliced spring [green] onions are a nice addition, as are a few jalapenos from a can or jar, or a few pieces of a sliced fresh green chilli. Rice is an ideal accompaniment, as is a scoop of vegan mayonnaise, or vegan creme fraiche or plain yogurt, which adds extra creaminess.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for 3-4 months.
- Leftovers are delicious when served over a slice of toasted bread for next day's lunch or scooped into a baked potato and enjoyed with a salad for dinner.
- The frozen vegetable mix used for this recipe was sourced from Tesco [UK] and is named 'classic vegetable base mix'.
- Instead of the ready prepared vegetable mix, you can prepare your own by fine dicing an onion, a few small-medium carrots and 1-2 celery sticks. Use 2 cups of this mix, and do cut the veggies into a fine dice so that they cook through.
- Soya milk can be replaced with any milk of your choice, including canned coconut milk. If using coconut milk the flour can be omitted.
- Gluten-free plain flour can be used instead of plain/all-purpose flour. Or go for spelt flour which is a great plain flour alternative.
- Instead of vegan butter or margarine, use coconut oil or coconut butter or a tablespoon of white miso paste.
- Quorn pieces can be replaced with rehydrated soy curls or TVP, tofu, white beans, or canned jackfruit.
- If using dried meat-free chunks, if possible use a vegan 'chicken' flavoured hot stock or broth to hydrate the pieces as this adds extra flavour.
- If you can't source vegan Quorn pieces, at the time of writing Asda [UK] have this product.
- If your outwith the UK the vegan Quorn pieces, or a similar product, may be labelled differently such as in the US you may be able to find Quorn vegan Chik' n tenders for sale at Walmart.
- Stove-top method: First melt the vegan butter in a non-stick pan. Next, add the vegan Quorn pieces (or your chosen alternative), chickpeas, sweetcorn, and a frozen vegetable base mix consisting of onions, carrots, and celery, or prepare your own vegetable mix. Cook over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add the coriander powder, cumin powder, garlic powder (or granules), chilli powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and flour. Stir to combine and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable stock, plant-based milk and lime juice. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender. You may need to add extra milk or stock as the stew cooks to prevent sticking and to get the consistency that you prefer. Adjust the seasoning to taste with extra salt, pepper, and lime juice. Sprinkle fresh coriander (cilantro) on top and serve with rice or your preferred accompaniment. Please note: as this stove-top method is originally adapted from our slow cooker recipe, more vegetable broth or stock may need to be added if the sauce is too thick to cook the vegetables. Simply add a little extra stock at a time as necessary. If your sauce is too thin at the end of cooking, a cornflour [cornstarch] slurry, which is just one tablespoon of cornflour mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of water, can be used to thicken the sauce.
Nutrition
Comments
We would love to know how you got on with our recipe for vegan coriander chicken. Do drop us a comment below. All feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks so much. Jacq x
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