Full credit goes to Isa Chandra Moskowitz for discovering that dill plus poultry seasoning plus fake chicken broth makes a truly amazing soup base. Her stew, on p. 112 of "Fake Meat", quickly gained a place in my regular rotation. It's incredible that such a complex flavor can be made from just a few simple ingredients!
However, that recipe has four minor issues which keep it from being the platonic ideal of dill chicken stew:
- There are no potatoes, and I think it's hard to call something a stew without potatoes
- The onions tend to get overcooked and a bit mushy with how long the stew has to simmer.
- Parboiled rice is the clear winner for a stew like this because not only is it more nutritious, but it also cooks faster, keeping the veggies from overcooking and allowing you to eat sooner!
- The recipe vs the ingredient list disagree about how much salt to use. 1 tsp feels like a bit much!
Below is my slightly modified version of the recipe which tries to address three issues and create one of the tastiest, heartiest vegan stews ever.
Yield: 4-5 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moons
- 3 small-med or 2 large ribs of celery, thinly sliced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into approx ~1/2 inch (12 mm) cubic chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 0.5-1 lb fake chicken of choice.
- I prefer Tofurkey Plant-Based Chick'n, but there are lots of options available, and just about any (non breaded) kind should work.
- Olive oil (for frying, at least 1 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 0.5 tsp salt
- A few grinds of black pepper
- 3/4 cup parboiled (converted) rice.
- Parboiled (AKA converted) rice is commonly used in Cajun and Indian cuisines, and you may be able to find it at a health food market or Indian market. Here in California, WinCo Foods is the place to go!
- It can also be ordered online.
- You can also use white rice, but you will need to simmer the stew for longer!
- 0.75-1 lb potatoes, red or gold preferred, chopped into chunks, skin left on
- 8 cups (~2 L) water plus 8 tsp fake chicken bouillon.
- Equivalent to 8 cups fake chicken broth.
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
- Measure this out by chopping it, then packing into a 1/4 cup measure
Modifications
Most storebought fake chicken brands are seitan-based and contain gluten. This recipe can be made gluten-free by omitting the fake chicken, finding a brand that does not contain gluten, or replacing the chicken with something else, e.g. baked tofu! Also be sure to verify that your fake chicken broth of choice is gluten-free as I am told not all of them are.
Directions:
- Prepare the ingredients: chop up the onions, celery, and carrots into one prep bowl, the garlic into another bowl, and the potatoes into a third bowl. Meanwhile, preheat a large (~4 quart) pot over medium heat.
- Chop or tear the fake chicken into pieces, then saute it in the olive oil with a pinch of salt until nicely browned. Mix up the chicken every 2-3 min to get a different side browning. It should take about 10-15 min.
- Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Now, add the vegan butter, a pinch of salt, and then the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 min, until the onion is just translucent (but not all the way cooked).
- Make a clear spot in the pan, then add in a little more butter/oil and the garlic in the clear spot. Let the garlic cook for 30-60 sec, until fragrant.
- Add the poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper, then saute for another minute.
- Add the rice, potatoes, water, and chicken bouillon.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer until the potatoes are tender and the rice is done. I would recommend checking after about 15 min of simmering, but it might need an extra 5-10 min.
- Stir in the fake chicken and chopped dill. Then, taste for seasoning. You might need an additional 1/4 or 1/2 tsp of salt depending on how salty your chicken broth is and how much salt you like.
- It might taste better if you let it sit for a bit, but you can also serve right away!
- Serve, garnishing with any extra dill. Some sourdough bread on the side might be a nice addition.
