This thick and creamy vegan chicken and dumplings are packed with chewy king oyster mushrooms, nutritious veggies, and natural flavors that will make you crave for seconds before you finish the first bowl! It is also easy to make and ready in 40 minutes, perfect for a filling and satisfying weeknight dinner.
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A warm, hearty stew is the perfect answer to an empty belly and an even better solution for a cold, rainy day. For a flavorful and filling comfort food that will satisfy your appetite any time of year, try our other vegan stew recipes, like our jackfruit stew, vegan stew with dumplings, or vegan pot pie.
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What to expect?
Like traditional chicken and dumplings, this vegan version will also give you the perfect thick, white, and creamy stew without the meat. We add tender king oyster mushrooms in place of chicken, flavorful dumplings, and colorful veggies for a nutritious and filling meal that will leave you satisfied and looking forward to the leftovers (if there are any)!
The shredded king oyster mushrooms create a chewy, gummy texture that closely mimics the texture of chicken, especially when shredded thinly with a fork. You will not even notice the taste of the mushroom! Meanwhile, the potatoes give the dumplings a much better flavor than those made from flour and water. We also add thyme and salt to the dumplings to match the delicious taste of the stew.
Why you will love this recipe:
- It is flavorful, filling, and easy to make.
- No fancy equipment or ingredients are required.
- It is a one-pot recipe, saving the time and energy of multiple dishes
- It is easily customizable with other vegetables, herbs, and protein.
- It is easy to store and freeze, making batch cooking a breeze!
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Ingredients
This recipe uses cooked potatoes to make the dumplings, king oyster mushrooms as a vegan substitute for chicken, and colorful vegetables and herbs to pack the stew with flavor and nutrients. However, there are plenty of other ways to customize the ingredients to your liking! We provide more ingredient and recipe ideas in the Variations section.
- Dairy-free butter
- Onion (small)
- Garlic cloves
- Carrots (medium)
- Celery stalk
- Oyster mushrooms – We recommend king oyster mushrooms for the best results; however, you can try other oyster mushroom types. Here is where to buy them. See the Variations section for oyster mushroom alternatives.
- Green peas (frozen)
- Veggie broth – You can also use vegan chicken broth.
- Fresh parsley (chopped)
- Fresh thyme (chopped)
- Mustard powder
- Bay leaves
- Dairy-free milk – You can use coconut, almond, or oat milk.
Vegan dumplings
- Potatoes
- All-purpose flour – You can also use a gluten-free flour blend to make it gluten-free.
- Corn starch
- Baking powder
- Dried or fresh thyme
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
These hearty vegan chicken and dumplings are super easy to prepare, with just 15 minutes of prep time and 25 minutes of cook time. Below we will walk you through all the steps from cooking the oyster mushrooms, making the dumplings, and then adding everything together to have a delicious stew at the end.
Preparing ingredients
- Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic clove.
- Peel and slice the carrots and celery.
- Use a fork to tear apart the stem of the king oyster mushrooms. Cut the top part to a similar size. Be sure to check out our guide on preparing oyster mushrooms for the best tips!
- Peel, cut, and boil the potatoes in water.
Making vegan dumplings
- In a bowl, break up the cooked potatoes using a fork. You can also put the potatoes through a potato ricer once they have cooled down.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, dried thyme (optional), and salt.
- Use your hands to mix and knead the dumpling dough for approximately five minutes until it turns into a ball. As you knead, it will become less sticky and firmer like dough.
- Roll approximately two tablespoons of the dough into a small ball using your hands.
- Repeat until you run out of dough. I could make 9 dumplings.
Making vegan chicken and dumplings
- Preheat your Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the dairy-free butter and chopped onion and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes until tender.
- Add the finely chopped garlic. Stir and cook for one minute.
- Add the chopped celery and carrot. Stir and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- Add the shredded mushrooms, chopped parsley, fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaves, mustard powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir well, then cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring the stew to a boil.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dairy-free milk with the cornstarch. Add this so-called slurry to the boiling stew and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the stew thickens.
- Gently drop the dumplings into the boiling stew. Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes, increasing the heat to maintain a bubbling simmer.
- Add the frozen green peas and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Cooking tips
- Cook the dumplings separately – There are three occasions when this is ideal: 1. You need a larger stockpot to cook them all at once. 2. You are making dumplings for the first time and are concerned about timing and consistency 3. You are using gluten-free flour, whose starch content can seep into the stew and cause it to be thicker than intended.
- Cut the vegetables evenly – This ensures that they soften at the same time.
- Add the flour or starch as a slurry – To avoid lumps, do not add the four or starch directly to the hot stew. Add them as a slurry, as we recommend in the Instructions.
- Do not make dumplings with hot potatoes – To make kneading easier (and safer to touch), wait for the cooked potatoes to cool down before kneading.
Variations
Vegan chicken and dumplings are a super versatile dish, and our recipe is just one of the many ways you can make it! Pack it with the vegetables and seasonings of your choice for a more customized and filling dish. Here are a few more delicious variations you can try:
- Other vegetables: Use other vegetables such as squash, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach, or collard greens. You can also try other root vegetables such as turnip, kohlrabi, or rutabaga.
- Other seasonings: Enhance the flavor of your dumplings with other dry herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, or a combination of all of the above!
- Other dumplings: Swap out the dumplings for other delicious alternatives like vegan sweet potato gnocchi. For an Asian touch, try it with vegan wontons or pot stickers.
- Other chicken or protein substitutes: Instead of king oyster mushrooms, you can try soy curls as your chicken substitute. However, the shreds will be much larger, and the texture will be harder. You can also try chickpeas, white beans, tempeh, TVP (textured vegetable protein), or cubed firm/extra-firm tofu as another protein alternative.
Serving ideas
This hearty vegan chicken and dumplings stew is already an incredibly filling meal on its own. However, to make your belly smile even more, try one of these alternative serving ideas:
- With sides: Serving your soup with a fresh, crisp salad or slice of sourdough bread. Or, serve it in a bread bowl!
- With toppings: For an additional flavor kick, top your soup with scallion or cilantro, or spice it up with chilies.
Equipment
- Cast-iron Dutch oven – We used a 3-quart / 2.8-liter enameled oven.
- Stockpot – Or any other heavy-bottomed, large soup pot if you do not have a large dutch oven.
- Potato ricer – This is another option to break up the cooked potatoes for the dumplings once they have cooled.
Storing tips
One of the best parts about this vegan chicken and dumplings recipe is that it is easy to store leftovers or to make in batches and freeze for another day. It is important to note that when storing stew leftovers, you must first let it cool down to room temperature.
In the refrigerator: Once the stew has cooled to room temperature, move it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
In the freezer: Once the stew has cooled to room temperature, move it to a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to six months.
Reheating: If refrigerated, reheat on the stovetop in a small saucepan over medium heat or the microwave. If frozen, thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it on the stove or microwave. We do not recommend reheating frozen soup as it will cause the dumplings to fall apart.
For more storage tips, read our guide on storing oyster mushrooms.
FAQs
You can consider your dumplings done when the outside is fork-tender, and the interior is dry. It is not always easy to tell. Therefore, the best way is to remove a dumpling and cut it in the center to check.
You can do a few things to stop your dumplings from falling apart: 1. Knead the dough well enough to activate the gluten to glue it together. 2. Do not overcrowd the pot, as the dumplings need enough space to expand. 3. Do not cook them longer than necessary. 4. Use a slotted spoon to add the dumplings to the simmering soup gently.
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Vegan Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
Vegan Dumplings
- 7 oz Potatoes cooked
- 3.5 oz All-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp Corn starch
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Thyme (dried)
- ½ tsp Salt
Vegan Chicken Stew
- 2 Tbsp Dairy-free butter
- 1 Onion (small)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 Carrots (medium)
- 2 Celery stalk
- 7 oz King oyster mushrooms
- 3.5 oz Green peas (frozen)
- 3 cup Veggie broth
- 2 Tbsp Parsley (fresh) chopped
- 6 sprigs Fresh thyme
- ½ tsp Mustard powder
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 cup Dairy-free milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Preparing the ingredients
- Peel and chop the onion and garlic (finely).
- Peel and slice carrot, and celery.
- With the help of a fork tear apart the stem of the king oyster mushrooms. Cut the top part as well to similar size.
- Peel, cut and cook potatoes.
- Preparing the dumplings
- In a bowl, mash cooked potatoes with a fork.
- Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, thyme, and salt. Mix with your hands. Knead it until you get a dough.
- With your hands, form a small ball from the dough (2 Tbsp size). Continue this until you have no more dough left. It should be enouhg for 9 dumplings.
Making vegan chicken and dumplings
- Preheat your Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add dairy-free butter and chopped onion. Cook them for approx. 2-3 minutes until they are tender.
- Add finely chopped garlic. Stir and cook for a minute.
- Add chopped celery and carrot. Stir and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- Add shredded mushrooms, chopped parsley, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, mustard powder, salt and black pepper. Stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth. Bring the stew to a boil.
- Gently add the dumplings to the boiling stew. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Increase the heat to ensure it’s constantly boiling.
- In a separate bowl, mix dairy-free milk with cornstarch. Add it to boiling stew and simmer for 2-3 minutes until it gets thickened.
- Add frozen green peas and cook for 3-4 minutes.
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