Today’s simple recipe for vegan chicken dinner is what I tend to make for dinner on a weekly basis. It’s a simple recipe inspired by summer dinners I used to eat as a kid, it’s quick and easy to prepare and elements of it (especially potatoes and beans) can be cooked in large quantity and reheated on the day to save time.

I tend to cook double the amount of potatoes, for example, and the second time I make this vegan chicken dinner, I will either roast the potatoes or if I want things to be ready quicker, cut them in half and pan-fry them in a little olive oil until golden. I often freeze pesto and dips I make in large ice-cube trays and so what goes really well with these pan-fried potatoes is this creamy basil dip. I also sometimes make it will dill instead. On the morning I pop a couple of cubes of frozen dip (or pesto) onto a plate and I am ready to serve it for dinner.

Chicken-wise, I use shop-bought vegan chicken that I pan-fry until golden and crispy first, then dust it in some spices for extra flavour. My favourite brand is What the Cluck by the Vegetarian Butcher, but there are plenty of alternatives so feel free to experiment and pick one that you enjoy. As this is a soy based product, I really value the fact that it’s naturally rich in plant protein, 100 g (3.5 oz) of it has as much as 16 g (0.56 oz) of protein.

Finally, when it comes to the third element, I like to vary that depending on what’s in season. At the moment, I am crazy about green beans and so I will simmer green beans until they are tender but still retain a little crunch and give them a super simple treatment of toasted golden breadcrumbs in butter. It’s a classic condiment and a bit nostalgic for me as that’s how my gran used to prepare beans when I was a kid. Seasonal and delicious. I hope you’ll enjoy this simple yet delicious combo as much as we do.

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

VEGAN CHICKEN: I use What the Cluck by the Vegetarian Butcher – that’s my favourite soy-based chicken replacement product I found. Due to the fact that it is mainly made out of soy, it’s rich in protein which is always something I am keen on – half a packet has almost 13 grams of protein. Just like actual chicken, I pan-fry this vegan chicken in olive oil until crispy and golden and then dust it with roasted chicken spice mix and nutritional yeast for extra flavour.

POTATOES: At this time of the year (August) I buy new potatoes, but you can use any potatoes you enjoy. Boil them in salted water until knife tender. I recommend cooking more than you need and roasting them or pan-frying them in the next following days.

GREEN BEANS: Green beans are in season in the UK right now and I love them so that’s what I use. Preferably I buy whatever variety is UK grown whether they are called green beans, dwarf beans, runner beans – all beans are welcome. I take care to boil them until tender but still a little crunchy as that’s what I like.

VEGAN BUTTER: I use vegan butter to dress freshly boiled potatoes with and to make the dressing for my green beans – toasted golden breadcrumbs in butter. I buy Naturli vegan butter if I can get it, but other unsalted vegan butter brands – Flora or Violife – work well too.

OLIVE OIL: I use a small amount of olive oil to pan-fry my vegan chicken in, I also add a bit to my toasted breadcrumb butter.

CHICKEN SPICE MIX: You can roast chicken spice mix in most UK supermarkets and that’s what I use here. It’s cheap and helps to fool my taste buds a little bit and transport them in time.

FRESH DILL: Dill used to be my childhood nemesis, I would pronounce it vile as soon as my grandma’s dill clutching hand came anywhere near my potatoes, but now I absolutely love it. If you don’t skip it, it’s fine! Or use a spoonful of basil or mint pesto instead of butter and dill on your potatoes.

NUTRITIONAL YEAST: A light dusting of this delicious – even my cat loves it – powder on my vegan chicken is a must, but if you don’t use it normally, don’t worry, the dish will be good enough without it too.

BREADCRUMBS: Breadcrumbs pan-fried in a bit of vegan butter is such a classic, but delicious move and beans love it. I love it too, but if you are gluten-free for example and cannot find decent gluten-free crumbs, you could swap it out for toasted almond flakes, for example.

HOW TO MAKE IT?

1) COOK THE POTATOES & BEANS

Start off by boiling the potatoes as they took the longest, typically about 20 minutes but exact cooking time depends on their size – slide a pairing knife in to see if the potatoes are cooked. If it goes in easily, they are done. If the knife is meets some resistance they need more time. 20 minutes is plenty of time to get the remaining components prepared by the time they are done. Cook the beans just before your potatoes are ready, they typically only take about 4 minutes.

2) PREPARE TOASTED BREADCRUMBS

Pan-fry the breadcrumbs in a little bit of butter until golden. Be sure to keep the flame low and to stir them frequently so that they don’t burn. Reheat and add just boiled beans seconds before serving.

3) PAN-FRY VEGAN CHICKEN

The final component is pan-fried vegan chicken. Pre-heat a well seasoned (or a non-stick) skillet or pan, add a bit of oil and fry the chicken pieces until crispy and golden on both sides. Once done, I like to dust them with a mixture of roast chicken spice and nutritional yeast for extra flavour boost.

4) SERVE

Divide breadcrumb coated green beans, crispy vegan chicken pieces and piping hot potatoes between two plates. Serve the potatoes with a few slivers of cold vegan butter and a sprinkling of finely chopped dill.