Vegan Chick'n and Dumplings

Memories of my childhood were calling the other day.  So I re-invented my grandmother's chicken and dumplings recipe.  She would make this on Sundays after church.  

Warning!  This makes a ton of food.  Plenty of leftovers for several days.

1 package of Soy Curls (or other vegan protein/seitan/chicken meat substitute)

1 cup chopped sweet onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1-2 chopped red, yellow, or orange bell peppers

1 cup sliced mushrooms, if desired (I used dried shiitake because that was what I had on hand, but any kind of mushroom would work just as well)

2 bay leaves

1-2 teaspoons poultry seasoning to taste

4-5 Juniper berries, crushed

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1/2-1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

Generous amounts of coarse ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Generous amounts of olive oil for cooking

8-10 cups vegetable stock, or chicken-style vegan broth

~ 1/4 to 1/2 cup soy milk

1 cup frozen peas, if preferred

Sauté onions with olive oil and a pinch of salt until translucent.  Add celery, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, juniper berries, garlic, ginger, and rosemary.  Cook until vegetables are tender. Add broth and bring to a boil.  Add soy curls and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Correct other seasonings as desired.  For added creaminess, add soy milk.  For added color and nutrition, add 1 cup frozen peas at the same time that you add the dumplings below.

Dumplings:

3/4 cup soy milk

2 teaspoons vinegar

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup non-hydrogenated soy margarine, like Earth Balance

Mix together the milk and vinegar.  Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Into the dry mixture, cut  the margarine until evenly distributed and crumbly.  In the center of the crumbly flour mixture, form a well. Add the milk mixture to the well.  Stir until combined.

Drop spoonfuls of dough into the chick'n broth stew.  Cover the pot and reduce to simmer.   Cook dumplings for 5-7 minutes, then turn dumplings over and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.  If you want light, fluffy dumplings, do not overcook them, as they will become very heavy and doughy.

Serves a crowd of 8 or more.