As a child I grew up with US friends who were in Malta at the time. I learnt so much from them and their families. The wonderful rituals of sharing each meal ‘banquet style’ – the main dish, with the accompanying veggies in separate serving bowls, really fascinated me. I loved this daily ritual, and I loved the food at the time. As cooking was pretty much ingrained in me, I took a huge interest in helping the wonderful ‘moms’ prepare their traditional American food in their kitchens, whilst my friends were in disbelief at my new founded obsession, their food, as I suppose they took their moms’ great cooking for granted. I loved all cuisines as I attended a multicultural school that embraced every creed and colour, and I loved that as I learnt so much from these amazing cultures. I have started off by veganizing a favourite, it brought me to tears as the fond memories came rushing back – the sharing, and saying grace, and enjoying wholesome food with my best friends and their families – the warmth and love shared at table, and now with the cruelty spared too. So, ladies and gents, I am so proud of my own personal take on this traditional North American staple. Oh Yum !!!
Serves 4 to 6 portions
INGREDIENTS FOR CASHEW CREAM
100g (3½ oz) cashew nuts
2½ cups water
INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vegan butter
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bayleaves
450 g (1 lb) ‘chicken’ pieces (there are various brands available – I used Redwoods, or else Gardein is an option in the US & Canada – but check what brands you have in your own territory)
¼ cup all-purpose flour (for gluten-free see these links – US or UK)
2 tsp vegetable stock (available from here in the US or UK)
2-3 cups water
1 cup sweetcorn
6 button mushrooms
3 Tbsp sherry
Himalyan salt (available here in the US or UK)
¾ tsp dried thyme – fresh is better
black pepper
1 tsp agave nectar (available here in the US or UK)
INGREDIENTS FOR DUMPLINGS
2 Tbsp fresh parsley (with stalks)
2 tsp fresh rosemary (you could also use chives)
2 cups all-purpose flour (you can try this with gluten-free – see these links US or UK)
1 heaped tsp nutritional yeast (available from these links – US or UK)
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegan butter
1 cup vegan milk (I use Alpro – UK link)
METHOD
- First, make the cashew cream. Blend 2 cups of water with the cashew nuts in your blender (this is the ultimate blender).
- Finely chop your onions and garlic (or stick them in the food processor), then fry them in a large saucepan in olive oil and butter over a medium heat.
- Add in the bayleaves and thyme. As soon as your onion is transparent, add in the flour to make a roux. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste.
- Now add in your ‘chicken’ pieces and mushrooms, and mix (if using frozen, they will thaw) for about 3 minutes.
- Then mix 2 teaspoons vegetable stock to the water, and add it in with the sherry, add the salt, pepper and agave too.
- Let sauce simmer until it has thickened sufficiently to coat the back of a spoon – around 15 minutes, now stir in the cashew cream and the sweetcorn and leave it on a low heat for around 5 minutes . (Leave the bayleaves in).
METHOD FOR DUMPLINGS
- In your food processor, add the fresh parsley and rosemary, and process until chopped finely.
- Add your flour, and process.
- Now add the nutritional yeast and baking powder.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process until you have a good thick batter consistency.
- Gently drop a tablespoon at a time into the simmering sauce mixture, making sure to keep enough distance between each dumpling, so that they don’t join together.
- Poach the dumplings on the top of the sauce, turning them after a few minutes, taking care not to let them break. Continue cooking for a further 10 minutes or so on a low heat, checking that the dumplings are ready before serving. Then tuck in and Enjoy !
All recipes and content © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
This sounds so good! Where in the recipe do I add the cashew cream?! I could not find it!
I make vegan chicken and dumplings stew all the time in a quite a similar fashion, but I find the dumplings work better if I ‘steam’ them over boiling water in a bamboo steamer with a little parchment paper on the bottom.. guaranteed not to get soggy. I’ll be trying your recipe soon!
what is vegan chicken? how to make it? don’t u think chicken is non-veg?
Hi Miriam,
Thank you for another great recipe for me to make for my vegan guests. Your wonderful book arrived but it took me a long while before I could force myself to wrap it up to give to my son in law for his birthday!! I know he will love it.
Back to the recipe, forgive me if you’ve mentioned this and I’ve not spotted it, but are the ‘chicken pieces’ actually seitan? I make this from scratch and can produce some pretty good fake ‘meat’. However, I read somewhere that it was not good to eat seitan because it’s pure gluten. I think the writer meant for all people and not just people with an intolerance to gluten. Please can you advise?
Many thanks
Jill
Thank you for giving out such beautiful recipes.
I have one question what kind of “chicken pieces” do you use? I’m new to vegan and loving it very much, but I still haven’t tried the fake meat products out there so I’m a bit skeptical about them. Will be trying this recipe asap!
Thank you again
Anji
I can’t find where to put the cashew cream either. Please let us know as we are cooking it now…thanks!
Hi Miriam! First of all,I’d just like to
say that you are a GENIUS! I love your
page, and I love your recipes. But just
a quick question-when do you add the
sweetcorn? I can’t find anywhere in
the recipe that tells you when to add
it. And do you remove the bay leaves?
Thanks,Miriam for sharing your amazing
talent with us!
Keep up the amazing work!
Mimi Hi there and thanks for dropping by here, and for your kind words too. I have added the sweetcorn and bayleaves info you wanted, so it’s there now (thanks for pointing it out, I was in such a rush to put it up as I had promised to do so). 🙂
I entered it yesterday (Europe time Rachel) – hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Anji Hi there, I don’t know which part of the world you live in, but Gardein if you are in the States do them, if you are in the UK Redwood brand do them too (which is what I used) – google for more ‘faux chicken pieces’ so that you see what you will find where you live. Let me know how it goes as and when and enjoy ! 🙂
Jill hi there and thanks for dropping by here. Thanks also for purchasing my book, and if I may I would like you to pencil a note in your book – double the amount of agar powder for the cheddar cheeses in it – the revised recipes did not make it to my publishers in time. Meantime if you are in the States or Canada I believe that Gardein make fake chicken – in the UK we have Redwoods, of course if you google faux chicken you will find more brands I suspect. I don’t personally like the few wheat gluten products I tried in the past, some people swear by them. From a health point of view I believe that wheat gluten is unhealthy. Gluten in it’s most concentrated form is a ‘sticky substance’ in my opinion and there is a reason why so many people are actually gluten intolerant, and many more people who feel low in energy, or get headaches and other symptoms could also be gluten intolerant and not know it. Therefore, in my book, given that gluten per se is not the healthiest of things to put in one’s body, I stick to using it when having bread or pasta, and for that matter not overloading the system, but wheat gluten is an even more concentrated version of these. Like pure white sugar, another sticky substance in the body, no good comes from these substances once ingested, particularly if they form a staple in one’s diet. I hope this helps a little, and if you stumble across the article you read about gluten, pass it my way. Meantime very best wishes your way and Enjoy my recipes ! 🙂 P.S. I have a FB page called ‘Vegan Rejuvenation Jill, feel free to browse and like it. 🙂 P.S. If you do find a brand of fake chicken that you like that is not to say don’t try this recipe, everything is based on quantity and overlaoding the system, so by all means give this a try as and when, and if you do let me now how it goes).
Dharani Hi there. There are many fake chicken pieces, made with soya and or gluten etc, if you google fake chicken you will see a few brands that make this, some are better than others, but all avoid the consumption of real chicken – in that way vegans and vegetarians who miss real chicken can ‘have their cake and eat it’. I hope this helps. (Gardein and Redwood are brands that make fake chicken).
Yes DrSchoen I agree with you and dumplings of this ilk are made both ways, yielding a good texture, the reason to poach them in their juices is because they absorb more of the flavours of the sauce before they take their form, thus taking in all the flavours from it. I hope you enjoy my recipe either way ! 🙂
Danielle Hi there and thanks for dropping by here. I have added when to add the cream, so it’s there. I hope you make it and enjoy it, either way let me know as and when. Best wishes your way in the meantime ! 🙂
Made this today, it was wonderful!
Thanks for letting me know dear Angel, so glad you enjoyed it ! 🙂
Oh my, I cannot wait to make this dish!! It looks amazing
Let me know how it goes as and when then Diane ! Enjoy ! 🙂
Hi, Miriam. This recipe sounds delicious! Any way to make it without mushrooms?
Hi there Ivy, sure thing – omit the mushrooms and add sweetcorn or chopped pre-steamed carrots ! Enjoy & let me know how it goes ! 🙂
Miriam, this looks like a great recipe. I did, however, notice a few things. You don’t say when to add the salt, pepper, or agave to the sauce, and the recipe lists 3 cups of water, but then says to add 2 1/2 cups. I hope that helps. ^_^
Small slip up sorted Nuu, hope you enjoy it ! 🙂
I enjoyed it immensely; I’ve added the recipe to my regular rotation. Thank-you. ^_^
That’s great news Nuu, so glad you enjoyed it enough to add it to your regular rotation. 🙂
I finally got around to making this and it was excellent ! It’s definitely going to become a regular meal. Thank you !
Lisa Hi there, so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe – it’s a great autumn and winter dish, so enjoy it throughout these seasons ! Best your way ! 🙂
Morning Star, Redwoods, Gardein, are amongst some of the veg chicken brands. Here we are talking about fake/faux ‘chicken’ Dharani.
Thank you for sharing the delicious non-chicken Dumplings recipe! How do I purchase your book? Thanks—Blessings!
Hi! I have a severe tree nut allergy. Any suggestions on a substitute for the cashew cream? Thanks!
Quick question: I didn’t think Gardein was gluten free? I did see that Kathy Freston recently posted they were working on a GF option – but be careful when choosing a meat replacement. Most (nearly all) rely on vital wheat gluten for their texture. If anyone knows of a good chicken replacement that is both healthy/gf AND tasty, let me know. I’m always looking for new options because chicken soup with dumplings was one of my fave dishes from my childhood. Can’t replicate it presently and would love to try this. Thanks for any help!
Lisa Hi there. I am not sure which brands are gluten free. Most are processed of course. I use faux chicken/meat recipes that I create no more than once a fortnight, with an exception of the odd occasion when the demands arisis at home. Do google and see what you find, and also call a few health food stores and see if they could suggest an alternative for you. This really is a treat dish Lisa and you would love it. Best your way ! 🙂
Hi there Sue and thanks for dropping by here. May I suggest that you purchase a vegan cream, either rice cream, or soya cream – phone your local health food store and see what they suggest or stock. Soya cream is usually the best. Good luck and let me know how it goes as and when ! 🙂
Sharon Hi there and thanks for dropping by here. I do hope you make this and enjoy it – if so let me know how it goes. Thanks for your interest in my book, here is the link for it :-
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0449015653/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=mouthwvegan-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0449015653&adid=04YRV67AZS1JP7RHYH78&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mouthwateringvegan.com%2Fn02-20
or Amazon UK :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0449015653?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=0449015653&linkCode=xm2&tag=mouthwvegan-21
Hope this helps Sharon, and if you do order my book please let me know when it reaches you (as have a brief note for it) ! Best your way in the meantime ! 🙂
So, here on Saturday morning having leftovers for breakfast…. love the flavor :)follow your recipes to the letter, always turn out perfectly. The family are beginning to believe I can cook 🙂
Am going to get your book
Again thank you for sharing, all the best
Sheila
Sheila Hi there and thanks for the wonderful feedback ! You really are rocking in the kitchen it seems. So glad your cooking is being both enjoyed and validated by your family. Bravo ! 🙂
Beyond Meat is a great meat substitute. It’s made from pea protein. Gluten free, soy free, dairy free. Love this stuff.
Miriam, your recipes are great. Thank you!
You’re welcome Jeanie 🙂