Vegan Chicken and Dumplings (2024)

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

1. 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.
2. Can I use storebought dumplings instead? If you want to save time, make the dumplings with a vegan-friendly dumpling mix, like Bisquick.
3. 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.
4. 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