Vegan Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken Soup Ingredients:

8oz. MorningStar Chicken Strips
6 cups Vegetable (or No-Chicken) broth
4 tbs Vegan margarine or butter (I'm partial to Earth Balance margarine)
1/2 White onion (chopped)
1 Garlic clove (minced)
1/2 cup Flour
1/4 tsp Pepper
4 Boiled potatoes
3 Carrots (chopped)
3 Celery stalks (chopped)
1/3 container Sliced baby bella mushrooms

Dumplings Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Flour
2 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup Vegetable shortening
3/4 cup Soymilk

Chicken and Soup Steps:

1. Combine chicken and broth in a large pot

2. Simmer gently, partially covered for 10 minutes

3. Transfer chicken to plate, strain broth into a large bowl, set aside

4. Melt margarine in stock pot

5. Add onion and mushrooms, sautee for 3-4 minutes

6. Stir in flour and pepper (1-2 minutes)

7. Add reserved broth

8. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth and thin

9. Add cubed potatoes, chopped celery and carrots

10. Simmer over low heat, partially covered for 20-25 minutes (Now would be a good time to start the dumpling batter :) )

11. Rip chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to soup

12. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then bring down to a simmer

13. Drop in dumplings*

Dumplings Steps:

1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl

2. Using fingers, work in vegetable shortening until the mixture is crumbly

3. Make a well in the center of the batter and pour in the soymilk

4. Stir quickly with a fork until the ingredients are just mixed

5. Using a tablespoon, drop the batter into the broth to make about 16 small dumplings. (You can also roll the batter into small balls before dropping into the broth)

*6. Cover pot and simmer for 15 minutes

Serves 8-10