This hearty vegan chicken and dumplings stew is the ultimate comfort food. With chewy soy curl "chicken," plump potato dumplings and nutritious veggies, it's a lighter, healthier alternative to an old-time favorite.
Add the soy curls to a medium sized bowl, and cover in 2 cups of room temperature broth. Let rest for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside. RESERVE THE EXCESS BROTH to use in the stew, if desired.
Make the dumpling mixture
Add the flour, grated potato and milk to a medium mixing bowl, and stir well to combine. Add a little more flour if it's too thin, or a little more plant milk if it's too thick. Set aside. (Note: the mixture should look like a thick paste after it rests.)
Make the stew
Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic to a large, deep skillet or a wide pot (with a cover). Sauté the vegetables in a little water over medium heat until soft and the onion is translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, make a slurry. Add 2 tablespoons of oat flour (or 1 tablespoon of cornstarch) to a small plastic food storage container or glass jar with a lid. Pour the 1 cup of broth into the container, put the lid on tight, and shake well until the flour completely dissolves into the broth. See notes.
When the vegetables are soft, add the poultry seasoning, thyme, turmeric (if using), and stir to combine.
Add the broth and the slurry, the apple cider vinegar and the bay leaf to the pot, and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Once the stew is simmering on low heat, add the dumplings. Use a large (serving size) spoon to form the dumplings. (You'll make about 8 dumplings, dropping them into the stew one at a time, directly off the spoon.) For each dumpling, scoop up about ⅛th of the mixture in a large spoon, and use a second spoon to help form it into a loose ball. Then, gently drop the dumpling into the pot by sliding it off the spoon with the help of the second spoon. Repeat until you've used up all of the mixture, placing the dumplings evenly around the pot without overcrowding, allowing them room to cook in the broth. Note: the dumplings will be a little loose and irregular in shape, but they'll firm up while they cook. (See pics in the article above for guidance.)
Allow the dumplings to simmer in the stew on low heat, uncovered, for 20 minutes. From time to time, gently move the dumplings around and turn them over, to make sure they don't stick to the bottom the pan and cook evenly. Spoon a little of the broth over the top of the dumplings as they cook to keep the tops moist, if needed.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the soy curls and the peas. (See notes about soy curl firmness.)
Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves, and serve.
Notes
For the slurry. I shake my container over the sink, just in case. Heat the broth and/or use a small whisk to get the flour to dissolve, if needed. Set aside.Soy curl firmness. I like my soy curls on the firmer side, so I add at the last 10 minutes of cooking. I think this works well in this recipe, because the soy curls are a little chewy, while the dumplings are soft. But if you like your soy curls very soft, you can add them when you add the broth. Baby your dumplings. After gently dropping them in the stew, simmer--don't boil--and keep them covered in liquid. The liquid level in the stew will reduce and thicken as it cooks, so I like to flip the dumplings over once they start to become solid, and spoon broth over the top to keep them moist. This also helps make sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan.Mind the broth thickness. This is a stew rather than a soup, so the broth should be fairly thick. The instructions call for cooking this dish uncovered to reduce and help thicken it, and the dumplings and soy curls will also absorb liquid as they cook (and while stored in the fridge.) But, if you notice you don't seem to have enough liquid toward the end of cooking, add some more broth and slurry to the pot and cook a bit longer, if necessary. I also like to add extra broth/slurry when storing leftovers, as I know this stew will continue to thicken in the fridge.Vegan chicken and dumpling variation. If you prefer a creamier, thinner soup rather than a thick stew, add one more cup of broth + one cup of plant milk (at the end of cooking.)