Enjoy this easy recipe for Vegan Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo! A simple, one-pot pasta dish featuring plant-based chicken and broccoli coated in a creamy, dairy-free alfredo sauce. With less than 10 ingredients and minimal cleanup, it's the perfect mid-week meal that's easily customisable!
Sometimes you just need to treat yourself to something rich and indulgent, even on a busy weeknight! That's where recipes like this vegan alfredo with chicken and broccoli come in. I made this vegan chicken and broccoli alfredo on one of those nights where I wanted something creamy, comforting and nostalgic-but without the faff or a long ingredient list. It's a one-pot dish that comes together easily, but still feels like proper comfort food. The kind of meal you can curl up with midweek when you want something familiar, hearty, and full of flavour-just without the dairy or the fuss.
With less than ten ingredients, it's simple yet satisfying. Just sauté, simmer, and serve your new favourite weeknight dinner staple!
Versatile Vegan Alfredo
One of the BEST features of this dish is how easy it is to customize! There are so many ways you can change up the flavor or add other ingredients to make it a different dish every time. When you add the Parmesan in Step 6, you can add any of the following to the pot, alone or in combination; stir over medium heat for another minute or two.
- Vegan n'duja Paste (ve-du-ya paste (belazu)) - Adds a spicy, smoky, and slightly tangy flavor to the alfredo sauce, adding depth and complexity to the dish.
- Sun-Dried Tomato Paste - Introduces a sweet and tangy flavor profile to the sauce, enhancing its richness and adding a subtle hint of naturally sweet acidity.
- Sliced Sautéed Mushrooms - Provides a vegan meaty texture and earthy flavor to the dish.
- Cooked Cauliflower Florets - Offer a creamy texture and subtly sweet flavor to the sauce while also adding an extra vegetable to the dish.
- Fresh Herbs - Freshly chopped herbs such as oregano, thyme, and marjoram enhance the dish with aromatic freshness and a burst of herbal flavor.
- Fresh Greens - Fresh greens like spinach, kale, arugula, or Swiss chard add a vibrant color contrast and a fresh, slightly bitter taste to the dish, balancing out the richness of the alfredo sauce.
Ingredients you will need:
- Vegan Chicken Bites - These vegetarian faux meat chunks provide a meaty texture and protein to the dish, mimicking traditional chicken alfredo.
- Unsalted Dairy Free Butter - Adds richness and buttery flavor to the sauce without the use of dairy products.
- Minced Garlic - Infuses the dish with aromatic garlic flavor that's traditional in Italian dishes.
- Vegan Chicken Broth - Acts as the base for the sauce, providing savory umami notes and depth of flavor. I love using OXO meat-free chicken cubes.
- Pasta - You can use penne pasta, rigatoni, or zita. Cooked pasta serves as the main starch of the dish, soaking up the creamy alfredo sauce.
- Dairy Free Cream - This creates a creamy and velvety texture to the sauce, making it rich and indulgent without dairy products.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese (violife) - Violife parmesan cheese adds a cheesy flavor and enhances the overall creaminess of the sauce.
- Chopped Parsley - Adds freshness and a pop of color to the dish, balancing out the richness of the sauce.
- Seasonings (salt, pepper, nutmeg) - The combination of these basic spices elevates the flavors with savory, spicy, and warm notes.
Helpful Cooking Tips
- If you're using whole wheat pasta, keep an eye on the liquid level as it tends to absorb more than regular pasta, so you may need to increase the broth.
- When adding the broth, ensure the pasta is just covered; keep extra broth nearby and add a splash as needed to prevent it from drying out during cooking.
- If your sauce is too thin for your liking, you can easily thicken it by making a roux. Simply mix chicken broth
- Use unsalted dairy-free butter to control the saltiness of the dish, especially if your vegan chicken broth is already seasoned.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Make sure the dish is cooled completely before storing.
Freezing: Transfer the cooled alfredo to a freezer-safe container, leaving some space for expansion. Seal tightly and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: While this dish is best served immediately, it can be reheated. If frozen, let thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat leftovers gently on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of broth or dairy-free cream to restore the desired consistency.
Make ahead: To make this for meal prep, cook the pasta separately and not in the sauce. Remove the pasta from the water just before it gets to al-dente, and immediately cool the pasta to stop the cooking process. Cook the sauce separately, and combine the pasta and the sauce once the sauce has cooled down. This way, you can reheat the meal without overcooking the pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any alternatives to vegan chicken for this recipe?
If you prefer, you can substitute the vegan chicken with your favorite plant-based protein such as tofu, tempeh, or even chickpeas. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time and seasonings.
For a gluten-free version, simply swap out the regular pasta for your favorite gluten-free pasta brand. Ensure all other ingredients, including the vegan chicken broth and dairy-free cream, are also certified gluten-free to avoid any cross-contamination.
Frozen broccoli works just as well in this recipe. Simply add the florets into the pasta water and cook with the pasta until the florets are cooked but not mushy, before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
More Tasty Vegan Recipes
Vegan Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo - One Pot
Ingredients
- 190 g vegan chicken chunks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted dairy free butter
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 500 millilitres vegan chicken broth preferably low-sodium
- 340 grams dried penne rigatoni or even ziti pasta
- 250 millilitres dairy free cream warmed
- 150 grams vegan parmesan freshly grated, plus more for serving
- 15 grams chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon Flakey salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Alfredo Add-Ins: When you add the Parmesan in Step 6
you can add any of the following to the pot, alone or in combination; stir over medium heat for another minute or two.
- 1 tablespoon vegan 'Nduja paste - ve-du-ya paste
- 1 Tablespoon Sun-Dried Tomato Paste
- 400 grams mushrooms sliced & sautéed
- 400 grams cauliflower florets lightly cooked
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs oregano, thyme, or parsley
Instructions
- If you have larger chunks of vegan chicken; Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and sauté until nicely browned on the outside, about 3-4 minutes (the pieces don't have to be browned on all sides; two sides is fine).
- Remove the vegan chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Do not clean the pan! Those brown bits on the bottom of the pan are going to add flavor to the sauce. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté over medium heat until you can smell it, 30 seconds. Turn the heat to high, add the chicken broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up all of the caramelised bits. Bring to a simmer, lower to medium heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pasta, stir well, and simmer until the pasta starts to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the warm cream and the browned vegan chicken pieces.
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al-dente, most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 4 minutes more.
- Stir in the Parmesan until well incorporated, and adjust the seasonings. (See add ins section for other ingredients you can add at this stage)
- Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley, if desired. Serve hot and grate over extra Parmesan at the table.
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