Comfort food doesn’t get much better than this Vegan Chicken and Dumplings recipe! Homemade dumplings simmered in a hearty vegan “chicken” soup are fluffy, tender, and savory. It’s so easy to make in one pot on the stove!
If you’re looking for the ultimate vegan comfort food for dinner tonight, turn to this Vegan Chicken and Dumplings recipe. It’s a one-pot dish made entirely on the stove with a hearty vegan “chicken” soup and homemade drop dumplings. You won’t believe how easy it is to put together!
The creamy soup is made with simple ingredients and my favorite homemade vegan “chicken”. Made from seitan, it has the most delicious meaty texture and savory flavor. You can easily make the “chicken” months ahead of time and keep it in your freezer so you can make chicken and dumplings whenever you want. You can also use your favorite store bought vegan chicken.
Creamy vegetable soup, vegan seitan chik’n, and fluffy soup dumplings are so great together. You’re going to want to keep this recipe in your back pocket for sick days, during winter, and when you’re craving a big bowl of comfort!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Vegan chik’n – If you don’t want to make your own vegan “chicken”, you can replace it with a can of chickpeas or use something like Tofurky chik’n pieces.
- Yellow onion
- Carrots – Traditional chicken and dumplings recipes are made with a few simple vegetables, but you can always add more, like celery, potatoes, or green beans.
- Garlic
- All purpose flour – You’ll need flour to make the dumplings and to coat the sautéed onion, carrots, and garlic. Cake flour also works when making dumplings and will help them turn out lighter.
- Vegan chicken broth – Or use regular vegetable broth.
- Vegan creamer – Make sure to use unsweetened creamer! Coconut milk or cashew cream can also be used (although coconut milk is best).
- Dried thyme and parsley – Fresh herbs are good too.
- Frozen green peas – Feel free to add more frozen veggies if you’d like.
- Baking powder – To help the biscuits rise and fluff up in the soup.
- Plant milk – Any unsweetened dairy free milk can be used to make the vegan dumplings.
- Vegan butter
How to make vegan chicken and dumplings
You can whip up the vegan chicken soup and homemade dumplings in a pinch. The entire recipe comes together easily in one pot on the stove:
To make the chicken soup:
Heat some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and carrots until softened, then add the garlic.
Pour the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat.
Add the broth and creamer to the pot. Stir until the mixture thickens a bit.
Now you can add the herbs and seasonings, green peas, and vegan “chicken”. Stir it all together and bring it up to a boil. Afterward, lower the heat and let it simmer while you prepare the dumplings.
To make the drop dumplings:
Stir the flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper together in a large bowl.
Make a well in the middle and add the milk and melted vegan butter.
Stir until a firm ball of dough forms. If it’s too firm or dry, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk.
Scoop 2 tablespoons worth of dough out of the bowl and gently drop them right into the simmering chicken soup. The dough will expand a lot, so make sure they aren’t too big!
Place the lid on top of the pot and let the soup simmer until the dumplings are cooked through. Portion into bowls and enjoy!
Make ahead tips
This hands-on recipe is really fun to put together! If you want to save time and not make every element at once, follow these tips to make them ahead of time:
- Vegan “chicken”: My seitan chicken recipes can be cooked, then stored in the fridge for about 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Chicken soup: Make the soup without the dumplings, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Dumplings: Wrap the finished dough ball in plastic and keep it in the fridge for about 1 week.
Frequently asked questions
- What do you serve with chicken and dumplings? This meal is hearty and filling all on its own. If you need a few dishes to serve on the side, I recommend making asparagus, broccoli, potato wedges, caesar salad, or other light vegetable-forward sides.
- Can I use storebought dumplings instead? If you want to save time, make the dumplings with a vegan-friendly dumpling mix, like Bisquick.
- How can you tell the dumplings are cooked? If you’re unsure, you can cut one dumpling in half to make sure the dough is cooked through and fluffy.
- How do you store vegan chicken and dumplings? This is a dish that’s best served fresh because the dumplings tend to soak up the liquid. If you want to store the batch for later, keep the dumplings and soup in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
Want more comforting vegan meals?
- The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan White Chili
- Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
- Biscuit Topped Chickpea Pot Pie
Vegan Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups no chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup unsweetened, unflavored vegan creamer*
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 8 ounces vegan chicken*
- salt + black pepper, to taste
Dumplings
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
Instructions
Make the soup
- In a large pot, add the olive oil and warm over medium heat.
- Add the onion and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the flour and stir into the vegetables. Slowly pour in the broth, then the creamer, stirring constantly until it thickens a bit.
- Add the thyme, parsley, green peas and vegan chicken. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Taste; add salt and pepper as desired.
Prepare the dumplings
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and black pepper. Pour in the milk and melted vegan butter.
- Stir until a ball of dough forms. If it seems dry, add a tablespoon or two more of plant milk.
Cook dumplings in the soup
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough (I used a large cookie scoop) and gently drop them directly into the simmering soup. They will sink in a bit, and expand a ton while they cook!
- Once they have all been added, cover the pot and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through.
- Portion into bowls and serve. Enjoy! Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered container for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen.
Notes
- Gluten free – Substitute a gluten free flour mix for the all purpose flour and make sure to use chickpeas or another gluten free “chicken” substitute.
- For the cream, I used an unsweetened and unflavored coconut/almond blend creamer. You may also use canned full fat coconut milk or cashew cream.
- Vegan chicken – I prefer my homemade seitain chicken, but you can also use Tofurky brand chik’n pieces, seitan, chickpeas or any other vegan chicken you like.
Hello,
I’ve made several of your recipes and they are always delicious. When it calls for creamer, what kind are you talking about? Just basic unsweetened coffee creamer? It also says, can sub out creamer for coconut milk, would that be can coconut milk?
Thanks Melodie, I’m glad you are enjoying my recipes. 🙂 Yes, there are generally several options for vegan creamer (like for coffee) that are unsweetened and unflavored. A can of coconut milk also works, or you can make your own cashew cream. For a less rich dish, you can even use unsweetened almond milk. I hope that helps!
I think with a little bit of creativity, you can make this dish taste Okay.
The ingredients were very Okay.
It’s the amounts for me.
The thyme for me was over kill. I would add more liquids too!
As this became very difficult to manage its thickness.
I’ve made this a couple of times now. Used tofurky chicken which I browned a little in the pot first before adding the veggies. My husband is from the south (Louisiana), and he LOVES vegan versions of good down home dishes like this one. He gets so excited when I make this, says it tastes just like he remembers. Thank you!
You are welcome, Lolo! I’m thrilled you both love the recipe! Thanks for your wonderful review and feedback!
This was so delicious! We made it with your chicken seitan recipe (prepared a couple days in advance for ease) and it was the perfect flavor and texture. My grocery store didn’t carry the Better Than Bouillon No Chicken base, so I got Edward and Sons Not-Chicken bouillon cubes. 2 of those was the perfect amount of flavor, and I didn’t really need to add any salt other than a light sprinkle when I was cooking the carrots and onions. Will be returning to this recipe often!
Hi Kristen. I’m thrilled you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fabulous review and feedback!
This recipe is so good! I used cashew cream and it turned out great. It tastes just like the inside of a pot pie.
Hi Kelsey. I love your description! Thanks for your wonderful review and delicious feedback!
I cannot get over how amazing this soup is. I’ve missed my mom’s soup since going vegetarian and can’t believe I’ve went through most of my life (& colds) without it. Thank you so much for this!
This was comfort food at its finest! It was so delicious, and came together easily and quickly. I don’t care for vegan chicken substitutes, so I used chickpeas instead. Great recipe!
I’m thrilled you loved the recipe! Thanks for sharing your awesome review and encouraging words!
Thank you so much have been searching for a recipe that would be like my grandma’s dumplings and it’s a success. Quick question how long would it delicious after freezing? Thanks again xx
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Up to 3 months is a safe bet in the freezer.
This was amazing! Wish I could post a photo.
Another amazing recipe! We are having our coldest temps of the season here in CT, and I couldn’t have picked a better night to try this dish for dinner. I used soy curls (soaked in chicken broth before adding), and added baby kale that needed to be eaten. We all loved this. The way the dumplings cook is magic! This is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Thank you so much!!
Absolutely delicious….I have made this about 20 or more times, everyone loves it. Thank you
I absolutely love this recipe. Is it possible to create a pot pie using this same recipe?
Hi Edricka. I’m glad you love the recipe! You may want to check out my Chickpea Pot Pie and Vegan Pot Pie recipes. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback, and happy cooking!
Can you modify this for a slow cooker? I have made before and it is amazing, loved by all of my picky children. Thank you!
Haha, picky eater approved! That’s fantastic! I’m sure it would work in a slow cooker, although it’s never been tested. Stir the soup ingredients together in the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, then add the dumplings and cook for 1 more hour. Hope this helps!
Wow! This was amazing! I used soy curls that I had pre cooked and almond milk for the milk since that is what I had. This has made it to one of our regular meals.
Thank you for the recipe!
You are welcome, Becky! I’m thrilled this cozy dish is on your meal rotation! Thank you for your great review and feedback!
Wow! Nora this recipe is amazing! It’s so satisfying and comforting. Thank you!
You are welcome, Dianne! Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback!
Im not a fan of most chicken substitutes so I used a block of pressed firm tofu for the chicken – cubed and slightly smashed, then baked at 350 for 30 – 40 minutes until it gets a little chew, then add to the soup. Also Country Crock Plant Cream is by far the best heavy cream substitute that I’ve tried and it works wonderfully in this recipe.
Hi Rick. Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and your helpful ideas! Wishing you happy cooking!
The weather just cooled off and this was a perfect Sunday dinner. So delicious and easy to make! Thank you for another great recipe! I will definitely keep this one in the rotation.
You are welcome, Nicole! I’m so thrilled you loved the recipe! I love delicious and easy! Thanks for your fabulous feedback and review!