This warming fall and winter chicken and dumplings dish puts a healthy, vegan spin on an old southern classic. It uses all the same flavors of traditional chicken and dumplings, using tofu instead of meat to lighten up the dish.
A cross between a soup and a stew, not only is this soup creamy and delicious, it is topped with deliciously savory dough that’s prepared with a kick to help keep warm this fall and winter unapologetically.
Make a big batch, double the recipe, grab a big steaming bowl of this Vegan Chicken And Dumplings because it is comfort food at its finest!
Ingredients Used
Tofu: The ‘chicken’ in this recipe is made from tofu, or bean curd, which is now readily available at most grocery stores.
Tofu has a bit of a reputation for being bland, but when cooked properly it is fantastic at absorbing almost any flavors and has a ‘meaty’ texture that even carnivores will love.
Not only does it contain fewer calories than the chicken traditionally used in this dish, but tofu also has more fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and folate.
The result is a hearty and comforting dish that’s also packed full of health benefits.
There are several different types of tofu available, and it’s important that you use one of the firm varieties (firm, extra-firm or super-firm) in this dish.
It will achieve a texture much closer to that of real chicken, while a softer tofu like the silken variety will simply fall apart.
Broth And Flavorings: As this is a vegan dumplings recipe, it naturally uses vegetable broth instead of chicken, or you may use water as we have included in this recipe.
If you want to up that meaty flavor, you can even add the vegetarian chicken bouillon which emulates the taste of the real thing.
Fresh ingredients such as carrots, celery, and herbs really do make a difference to this Vegan Chicken And Dumplings dish, as they have a more distinctive flavor than their dried counterparts. However, if you’re in a pinch you can still use dried and get a delicious result.
Finally, hot sauce helps give this recipe a slight kick. Even if you’re not keen on spicy food, I highly recommend you give this a try.
It doesn’t make the dish spicy as such, but merely adds a little heat that helps bring out the other flavors in the dish.
Dumplings: Is there anything more comforting than a soft and savory dumpling on top of a piping hot stew? Using just a few ingredients, including hot sauce, dumplings are incredibly easy to make from scratch, but the pre-made variety work just as well.
Make sure that when you add your dumplings the vegan chicken mixture is at a simmer rather than a boil – if the liquid is too hot then they will end up disintegrating.
The secret to getting your dumplings nice and fluffy is to keep the lid on throughout the cooking time. This will create steam inside the pot which helps them achieve that deliciously soft texture.
If you leave the lid off, the steam will evaporate away and you will end up with undercooked and soggy dumplings.
OTHER VEGAN RECIPES YOU’LL ENJOY
If you made this vegan chicken and dumplings, try one of these recipes next:
Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
We’d especially would love to know if you tried this recipe, tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can see your beautiful dish.
Also, we would appreciate if could give it a star rating below!
Vegetarian Soup Dumplings
Ingredients
For The Dumplings
- 1 ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp. Baking Powder
- Kosher Salt to taste
- 1 Cup Water
For The Vegan Soup
- 12 Oz. Extra Firm Tofu Organic
- 1 Tsp. Fresh Parsley
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp. Creole Seasoning
- 1 Medium Onion Chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic Or 2 garlic cloves
- 2 Celery Stalks Chopped
- 1 ½ Cup Diced Carrots
- 2 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 2 Cups Water
- Salt to taste
- ⅓ Cup All Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Wrap the tofu and paper towel multiple times and let it sit for 30 – minutes to 1 hour so that it may soak up the liquid. Next, cut the tofu into bite size pieces. Season with salt (lightly) and set aside. In a large bowl, add in the flour, salt, baking powder, tofu, and water. Mix well and set aside. In the meantime, add the heat the oil and cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan.
- Next, add the celery, garlic, onions, and carrots. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour, milk, and water. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add fresh parsley. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Once the broth starts to boil, add in the dumplings. Use an ice cream scoop to help main an even size.
- Cover and bring to a simmer on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
Jess says
I love the added kick of hot sauce in this! Kicks it up just the right amount!
Mirlene says
Thank you, Jess.
Angela says
Comfort food in a bowl. Yum!
Mirlene says
Yes, it is. Thank you.
Erika says
Chicken and dumplings are so good and I love your vegan version.
Mirlene says
Thank you, Erika.
Wanda says
We are always looking for new recipes to try for Meatless Monday’s! Adding this one to the list!
Mirlene says
Thank you, Wanda.
Beth says
Yummy! This looks so delicious and tasty! My family is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try!