Vegan Chicken Paprikash
This Vegan Chicken Paprikash is creamy, flavorful, and perfectly comforting. Serve with homemade dumplings for a plant-based twist on the Hungarian classic.
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Servings: 6
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Ingredients
Chick'n Paprikash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 large red bell peppers seeded and diced
- 2-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon chicken-style bouillon paste or 1 1/2 bouillon cubes (see notes for brand recommendations)
- 14-16 ounces vegan chicken pieces (see notes for brand recommendations)
- 1 (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk see notes for substitutions
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley optional, to garnish
Cornstarch Slurry (optional — to thicken sauce)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Vegan Nokedli (Dumplings)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons potato starch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch turmeric optional, for color
- 1 cup warm water not too hot
- water for boiling
- salt
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter to finish
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add in diced onion, diced red bell peppers, and minced garlic. Add a generous pinch of kosher salt. Sauté for 4-6 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Cook tomato paste: Add in the tomato paste. Use your spoon to break it up and coat the aromatics. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, till the tomato paste begins to darken in color.
- Simmer the stew: Add in the Hungarian sweet paprika and stir to distribute. Then add in 1 cup water, chicken-style bouillon, canned coconut milk (or other plant-based cream of choice), vegan chicken pieces, and another big pinch of kosher salt. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then reduce heat to low to establish a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes to reduce the sauce and soften the onions and peppers. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Thicken (optional): If you prefer a thicker consistency for the sauce, whisk together 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water to form a slurry. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the paprikash and allow it to simmer and thicken. I usually skip this step and keep the sauce loose, because the dumplings will absorb the sauce.
Nokedli (Dumplings)
- You can make these while the paprikash is simmering, or prepare them ahead of time and reheat when you're ready to eat.
- In a bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons potato starch, salt, and (optionally) a pinch of turmeric for color. Then add in the warm water (not too hot) and stir together until smooth. I like to use a wire whisk for this to break up any lumps. Allow the batter to sit for about 10 minutes to hydrate.
- In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt. When you're ready to cook the dumplings, reduce the temperature slightly. We want a gentle boil rather than a full rolling boil.
- Give the batter another stir. There are a few methods to form the dumplings. The easiest way in my opinion is to simply use a spoon to scrape a small amount of batter from the edge of the bowl into the boiling water. You can dip the spoon into the water to get the batter to release. There's usually about 1 scant teaspoon of batter in each dumpling but you don't have to be too precise.
- I like to cook them in 2-3 batches so that none of the dumplings get overcooked or mushy. They only take a few minutes to cook; they are ready when they float to the top. Use a slotted spoon or spider to scoop them out and into a bowl. Toss them with a little vegan butter so they don't stick together.
To Serve
- To serve, add a scoop of the buttered dumplings to a bowl and spoon the chick'n paprikash on top. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Vegan chicken: Abbot's Chopped Chicken is my favorite for this recipe. I find it at Sprout's and I use two (10 ounce) packages. You can also use two (8 ounce) packages of the Daring Chicken Original pieces. There are some other options by Gardein, Beyond, and Alpha, but I haven't personally tried these. My next favorite option is to make with super-firm tofu (see below).
Tofu: I make this dish with tofu often and love it! I use two blocks of extra-firm tofu. I press it thoroughly and tear it into bite-sized pieces. I like to season it with salt, onion/garlic powder, and some nutritional yeast. I will toss it in about 1/4 cup flour and brown it in the pan with a little olive oil to develop some extra chew. Then set it aside and add back it into the sauce at the end. The browning step isn't necessary though — you can just tear it up and add it in if you don't mind the texture.
Soy curls: Soy curls are a nice budget-friendly alternative to vegan chicken. They are high in protein and have a meaty and slightly spongey texture. For this recipe, you need 5 ounces of dry soy curls, about 2 cups. You will need to rehydrate them before using them in the recipe. Simply add them to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for about 10 minutes, then drain in a colander and rinse with cool water. Use your hands to squeeze the extra water out of them before chopping and adding into the stew.
Beans: This stew is super tasty and hearty made with beans as well. Try 2 cans of white beans or chickpeas, drained and well-rinsed.
Coconut milk: Substitute a plant-based cream of choice, such as homemade cashew cream or a store-bought nondairy heavy cream. You are also welcome to use a plant-based sour cream — in which case I would start with just 1/2 cup and add more to preference. You may wish to temper sour cream by whisking together with a small amount of the sauce in a small bowl before adding it into the pot. This can help prevent curdling.
Dumplings: If you don't want to make homemade dumplings, the chick'n paprikash is also delicious with a side of buttered pasta, rice, or even over mashed potatoes.
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