It may be cold outside but inside the family kitchen is warm with the aromas of this Vegan Chicken Stew and Dumplings bubbling away to tasty homely perfection. This stew is so easy to come together in one pot, and can be ready in just over an hour. Its packed with hearty veggies cooked in a creamy sauce and enriched with airy, soft, melt-in-the-mouth dumplings. This veggie stew will quickly become a staple on your family menu as its so versatile - use whatever veggies you love and have to use up.Want to prepare in the slow cooker? We have provided an easy slow cooker method below in the recipe notes.
230gramsparsnips[about 2, sliced into thick chunks]
230gramscarrots[2 medium, thick sliced into chunks]
65gramscelery[1 large stalk, sliced into small chunks]
400gramspotatoes[3 small, diced into chunks]
130gramspeas[frozen, fresh, or tinned]
200gramsonion[1 large, diced or thick sliced]
4clovesgarlic[sliced, use more if preferred, or replace with 1 tablespoon garlic granules]
2tablespoonsplain flour[or all purpose flour, gluten-free plain flour, plain wholemeal or wholewheat flour]
1cancoconut milk[400ml (14oz) can, use a lite coconut milk for less calories and fat, but full fat will result in a creamier stew]
1.2litrevegetable stock[hot, use a vegan chicken stock, cubes, bouillon etc, if available]
2teaspoonsdried sage[or dried thyme or dried mixed herbs]
Dumplings:
165gramsself raising flour[or plain or all purpose flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder, and a few pinches of salt]
125millilitresplant based milk[such as oat or soya, or your usual milk]
2tablespoonsvegan mayonnaise[heaped tablespoons]
1teaspoondried thyme[or dried mixed herbs]
To serve: [optional]
10gramsfresh parsley[fine chopped]
Instructions
Heat the oil or veggie stock in the pot.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add the onion, celery, carrot, parsnip, potato, garlic, and vegan pieces, and sauté for 8 minutes over a medium heat. Give it a stir every now and again.
After 20 minutes has past, check the stew seasoning and add extra salt and pepper if required. Pour in the coconut milk and bring back to the boil.
1 can coconut milk
Scoop 8 even size dumplings and drop into the stew a little away from each dumpling so that they don't stick together.
Pop a lid on the pan, turn down the heat so that the stew is at a steady low boil, and cook the dumplings for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow the pan to sit on the cooker ring for another 10 minutes.
Serve the stew and dumplings with chopped parsley scattered over each serving.
10 grams fresh parsley
Notes
Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
Leftover stew can be kept in the fridge, within a covered container, for up to 3 days.
Or frozen for up to 3-4 months.
Reheat leftover stew by adding to a pan along with some extra plant-based milk, veggie stock or water, if necessary, as the stew will likely become very thick as it sits. Bring to a gentle boil and reheat for 2-3 minutes until everything is piping hot. Stir frequently.
Leftover stew is delicious mashed up or blended and enjoyed as a vegan chicken soup for next days lunch. Stir through some vegan cream before serving for a delicious vegan cream of chicken soup.
Want to prepare vegetable suet dumplings instead? We have an easy recipe over on our traditional vegetable stew and dumplings post.
The vegan Quorn pieces can be replaced with any fresh or frozen vegan meat-free pieces or chunks, seitan, tempeh, tofu, or hydrated soya curls, or mushrooms, extra white beans, or extra veggies or potatoes.
Slow cooker method:
1. Reduce the vegetable stock to 900-1000 millilitres [4 - 4 ½ cups]. If the stew appears too thick, you can always add extra hot stock later and if its too thin you can thicken up with a cornstarch [cornflour] slurry. 2. Add all your vegetables and vegan chicken pieces to the slow cooker along with the flour, and seasonings. You can either sauté the vegetables beforehand for added flavour or just throw everything in -your choice. Pour in the hot vegetable stock. 3. Cook on the high setting for about 4 hours, or low for 7-8 hours, but exact times will vary depending on your slow cooker. 4. Once the vegetables are soft, stir through the coconut milk, check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste, and pop the lid back on the slow cooker as you make up the dumpling mixture. [if your cooker is set to low switch it up to the high setting] 5. Drop the dumplings into the slow cooker and cook on high for 30 minutes. 6. Flip the dumplings over and cook for a further 30 minutes or until cooked. 7. Once the dumplings are airy and no longer doughy in the middle, the stew is ready to enjoy. Garnish with chopped parsley, if liked.