October 23, 2018
(last updated January 7, 2025) 
I’m here to present you with a dish that kept me company in the final week of my first clinical rotation—seven days in which my enthusiasm for cooking was diminished by an exam, wrapping up my paperwork and responsibilities, and the process of saying goodbye to the preceptors and residents who have taught me so much in a very short period of time.
This vegan chick’n rice skillet isn’t fancy food. It’s not super creative. But it was all of the things I seem to need food to be lately: creamy, carby and comforting. (We’ll call them the three C’s.) For the first time since the DI began, my Sunday batch cooking bounty had run out before the end of the week, which meant that I needed something tasty for supper quickly, with minimal fuss, and using stuff I already had at home. In this way, too, the dish came to the rescue.
The protein here is my vegan chick’n strips, which are the star ingredient of this chili and also a staple ingredient in my home. I use them for vegan chicken salad, in bowls, in breakfast tostadas, soups…the list goes on. Soy curls are such a winning ingredient: simple (one ingredient: whole soy beans), nutritious, protein dense, easy to prepare, and a lot less expensive than some of the vegan meats on the market these days. I order them online in packs of three, which affords me a ton of hearty and filling meals.
The other big component of this dish is of course the rice. I used frozen, pre-cooked brown rice when I made this—I know it’s not much to cook rice, but I find the frozen bags to be super handy for those moments when one finds oneself in need of a cooked grain, STAT. I get them at Whole Foods, but I know that more and more brands are making them now, either frozen or in plastic pouches.
Of course, were I being a little more organized, I’d have cooked the rice myself ahead of time, which you can, too. You can also cook it far ahead of time and freeze it, or cook it right before assembling everything else. Ditto for the cashew cream: I tend to freeze it in 1/2-1 cup portions, which means it’s nearly always on hand. But you can make it in advance, or just swap it for a plant milk of choice (the creamier and richer the better).
Other things I love about this supper: umami from the mushrooms. A splash of white wine (optional) if you’re feeling kind of fancy. And the fact that it reminds me quite a bit of a chicken casserole that my mom used to make with Campbell’s mushroom soup. Times have changed a lot, but much of the food that feeds my soul hasn’t. Here’s the recipe.
Creamy Vegan Chick’n Rice Skillet Supper
Author –Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large, thinly sliced shallots (substitute 1 white or yellow onion, chopped)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms (substitute button mushrooms, sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced or minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, optional
- 3-3 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (what you'll get from 1 cup dry; I like to use short grain rice, but any kind is fine)
- 1 batch 5-Ingredient Vegan Soy Curl Chicken Strips (substitute 8 ounces vegan chicken of choice, cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup cashew cream
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- cashew parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the shallots, carrot, celery, and mushrooms. Sautée the vegetables for 7-10 minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms have released their juices and the carrots are tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly.
- If you're using the wine, add it to the skillet and continue sautéing the vegetables until the wine has mostly cooked off, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Add the rice, soy curl chicken strips, broth, cashew cream, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste (I added about 1/2 teaspoon salt) to the pot. Continue to cook until everything is creamy and warmed through and the liquid has reduced. If the mixture gets too dry, add an extra splash of broth.
- Taste and adjust salt/pepper/lemon as needed. Top with vegan parmesan, and enjoy!
Video
I’m glad that I’ve been so organized and diligent about preparing food in advance of these busy DI weeks, but it’s also nice to be reminded that a supremely cozy, tasty supper is possible even at the end of a long week. If you try this humble and homey meal, I hope it’ll stick to your ribs as it stuck to mine. And I’ll see you soon, for the weekend roundup.
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Main Dishes
Method: One Skillet
Ingredients: Rice
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: 30 Minute or Less, Quick & Easy
Method: One Skillet
Ingredients: Rice
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: 30 Minute or Less, Quick & Easy
Leave a Comment
This is one of my favorite soy curls recipes! I make it basically as written, though I usually add 2 cups of frozen peas. It just seems like it needs it. It might look like a time-intensive recipe at first, but rehydrating the soy curls and making the rice is not all that arduous. I used Califa “heavy whip” vegan cream this time instead of cashew cream since I had some in the fridge I needed to use up. It’s worth hunting down the shallots, I think. The shallots and white wine make it taste “fancy”! Oh, and I added a tablespoon of Yondu (non-spicy version) which is my secret ingredient in most of the savory vegan dishes I make. I add it instead of salt.
So glad you like this one, Jackie! And it’s helpful to hear about your modifications, too. Thanks for sharing ๐
So easy and very yummy! Thank you!
Yummy! Thanks for the recipe. This looks delicious, seasonal and easy to prepare. Will try it tonight.
Another winning recipe! I used unsweetened soy milk instead of cashew cream because I had a carton to use up before I go out of town and it came out great. Omnivore approved by my boyfriend and his brother. If you fancy a little spice, I recommend putting Frank’s Red Hot Sauce on it. Will definitely make this one again. It was also very fast because I made sure to cook the brown rice the night before.
This recipe was seriously amazing! So simple yet so tasty.
I made it and loved it; and so did my husband and daughter. I offered to let her have the leftovers, but she wants me to make a full recipe for her; better the next day; I think some peas added might be nice, but it was fine as is. Precooked the rice in the I pot, and remade the cashew cream . Great recipe
When I was falling in love with cooking, I reveled in making every component of every meal from scratch. Seven years later, I’m married and starting a business, and getting food on the table before I lose my willpower to takeout has become increasingly difficult. I’ve been dreaming of that single, uninhibited version of myself a lot recently, and marveling at how she did it. I always feel such guilt when I take short cuts, and when I read that you โ someone whose nutritional and culinary wisdom I admire so much โ built the base of this meal from frozen brown rice, I felt this massive release of pressure. While this recipe looks divine, what I’m really taking away from your post is a reminder to meet yourself where you’re at. And that there is just as much self-love in a defrosted package of rice and doctored can of beans in front of the Housewives at 10pm on a Tuesday as there is in a perfectly executed, five-course, from-scratch meal. I will be picking up more than one package of frozen rice this weekend.
This sounds incredible. I’m all about the three C’s. Damn it, brown foods, why do you have to be so good?
Gena, this sounds delicious! It looks like it could lend itself to a lot of variation, depending on what is on hand. Like maybe chickpeas instead of soy curls. Or peas added at the end. I’m kind of wondering if that tofu cream cheese of yours could be used instead of cashew cream. . .lots to consider. I can practically smell it! Thanks! Easy and comforting, that’s my favorite combination! xoxo