Vegan Green Chile Stew is the ultimate comfort food for any vegan who loves New Mexican green chile!  It’s a cream-based soup made with vegan “chicken,” potatoes, veggies, and fresh roasted green chiles!

Two white bowls filled with creamy vegan green chile stew with vegan chicken, potatoes, zucchini, and mushrooms.

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What is Vegan Green Chile Stew?

When most people hear chile, they think of Texas chili which is a thick bean stew with beans, meat, and chili powder. New Mexican chile is a totally different dish. For this green chile stew, I’m talking about roasted green chile peppers from Hatch NM.

These are Anaheim peppers that are grown in the Hatch Valley along the Rio Grande near Hatch NM. (The climate in this specific region gives the peppers their unique flavor).

New Mexican Green Chiles on a cutting board.

If you have ever been to New Mexico in the fall, you have smelled the green chiles roasting from seemingly every street corner. The smell used to make me gag when I first moved to NM, but now it reminds me of the magical taste of green chile stew!

Red chiles vs. green chiles

If they don’t roast the fresh green chiles, they string them up into ristras. These green chiles turn red as they dry in the sun. One may think that they are nothing more than an iconic New Mexican decoration, but the ristras are functional to dry out the peppers to be used to make their equally popular red chile dishes like red chile sauce and pozole rojo.

Where to buy green chiles 

Green chiles are sold fresh (or frozen if out of season) in most grocery stores and farmers’ markets in the Southwestern region of the United States.  If you don’t live in this region, you can order green chiles in a can or a jar from Amazon or you may be able to find them at a Mexican supermarket.

New Mexican green chiles roasted on a cutting board.

Are green chiles spicy?

The peppers range greatly in spiciness, so you want to adjust the number of chile peppers to control the amount of heat in your stew.  I like to use about 1 cup of medium-level spice chopped peppers.  If you use extra hot, it overwhelms the roasted chile flavor in my opinion.

What can I use instead of chicken?

To make this stew vegan, you will want to use faux chicken. I find that Butler soy curls are really easy because you can just toss them into the soup and they will rehydrate and soak up the flavor of the broth.

You can also use any store-bought vegan chicken products or make your own homemade chicken seitan, vegan shredded chicken, or my quick and easy seitan recipes and toss them in.

A top view of two bowls of New Mexican style creamy dairy free green chile stew.

How to make vegan green chile stew

Step 1 – Sauté onion in 1 tbsp of oil for about 3 minutes. (For an oil-free option, just add all veggies to water with bullion and green chile and simmer for 20 minutes).

Step 2 – Add zucchini and mushrooms and sprinkle with salt

Step 3 – Sauté for about 5 more minutes until they start to release their juices.

Onions, mushrooms and zucchini sauteing in a large pot to make vegan green chile stew.
Saute the veggies.
Broth and green chiles added to the vegetables to make vegan green chile stew.
Add broth, green chiles and potatoes.

Step 4 – Add water, Not Chick’n bouillon cubes, chopped green chiles, and peeled and diced potatoes, then simmer on medium-low. (Reduce water by 1 cup if not using Soy Curls.)

Step 5 – Heat soup until it boils, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are just barely soft.

Vegan shredded chicken added to a pot of green chile stew.
Add vegan chicken.
Plant based milk being poured into dairy-free green chile stew.
Add plant based milk.

Step 6 – Add Butler soy curls or other chicken strips of choice.

Step 7 – Simmer it for about 5 more minutes, then add the soy milk.

Thicken the stew

Step 8 – Thicken the stew by making a vegan roux with oil and flour or use corn or potato starch desolved in cold water.

Step 9 – Let the stew simmer on low for a little bit longer to allow the stew to thicken and all the flavors to mix.

Pro Tips

  • Since traditional Green Chile Stew has chicken in it, I use a vegan Not-Chick’n Cubes bullion to give it a chicken flavor, but you can use vegetable broth as well.
  • For a fat-free option, just add all veggies to water with bullion and green chile and simmer for 20 minutes. Then continue the recipe according to the directions and use the starch method to thicken.
  • If you are using freshly roasted chiles, you will need to peel most of the tough skin off the chiles and remove the stem and most of the seeds. The seeds of the peppers are the hottest part, so if you want a super spicy stew, you can leave them attached. (However, they have a tough texture, so you don’t want too many).
  • You can use a traditional roux, or to make it gluten-free or fat-free, simply use corn or potato starch. The traditional roux will give you a heartier stew, but both ways are delicious!
  • Be careful not to touch your eyes when handling chiles, they will burn and irritate your skin.

Storage

This is one of those meals that tastes even better the next day after all of the flavors have been mixed together! Store leftover green chile stew in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days or keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What to serve with green chile stew

A large pot of vegan green chile stew with a wooden ladle scooping up some.

Gluten-free method

You can easily make this gluten-free or lower fat by thickening the soup with corn starch instead of a roux. To do this, add 1/3 cup of corn starch (or potato starch) to the cold plant-based milk. Stir in the starch until it dissolves, then add the milk to the soup and stir very well until it begins to boil and thicken.

A white bowl filled with vegan green chile stew.

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📋 Vegan green chile stew recipe

Two bowls of New Mexican style green chile stew made vegan with a spoon beside it and parsley around it.
5 from 7 rating

Vegan Green Chile Stew

Yield: 12
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A creamy authentic New Mexican green chile "chicken" stew!  A hearty dairy-free soup that is easy to make gluten-free as well.
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil, any mild-flavored oil will work
  • 1 medium onion , peeled and diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small zucchini , cubed
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 cubes Not Chick’n bullion, or replace water with vegetable broth
  • 1 cup roasted green chiles, chopped (medium heat) (you can also use jarred or canned green chili)
  • 4 medium potatoes , peeled and diced into bite-sized cubes
  • 3 cups plain soy milk, or other plant-based milk of choice
  • 2 cups Butler Soy Curls, or vegan shredded chicken or any imitation chicken strips

To thicken the stew (roux method)

  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • ½ cup white flour, or 1/3 cup GF flour without sorghum or garbanzo beans

Or to thicken with gluten-free/ fat-free method

  • 1/3 cup corn starch , (or potato starch)
  • 1/2 cup cold water

Instructions
 

  • Sauté onion in 1 tbsp of oil for about 3 minutes. (For an oil-free option, just add all veggies to water with bullion and green chile and simmer for 20 minutes.)
  • Add zucchini and mushrooms and sprinkle with salt
  • Sauté for about 5 more minutes until they start to release their juices.
  • Add water, Not Chick’n bouillon cubes, chopped green chiles, and peeled and diced potatoes, then simmer on medium-low. (Reduce water by 1 cup if not using Soy Curls.)
  • Heat soup until it boils, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are just barely soft.
  • Add Butler soy curls or other chicken strip product of choice.
  • Simmer for about 5 more minutes, then add the soy milk.

To thicken the stew with a roux

  • Mix the oil and flour in the bottom of another soup pot.
  • Heat over medium heat until oil and flour mixture bubbles.
  • Scoop out the liquid from the soup with a ladle and add it to the roux one at a time stirring well between each scoop. (It will be very thick at first). Continue until all of the soup is added.
  • Stir until the stew just begins to bubble and then turn off the heat.

To thicken with corn starch

  • Add 1/3 cup of corn starch (or potato starch) to the cold plant-based milk. Stir in the starch until it dissolves, then add the milk to the soup and stir very well until it begins to boil and thicken.

Notes

  • Green chiles vary greatly in levels of spiciness.  Add 1/2 and then taste test to see how spicy they are.  Remember, once you add the milk and thickener, your soup will lose some spice.  
  • To make this oil-free, omit sauteing vegetables and use the cornstarch method. 
If using fresh roasted green chiles
  • Remove the stems and peel off any hard or burnt skin.  (You want the meaty inside of the chile).
  • Once all hard parts of the chile have been removed, chop it into small pieces.
  • Be careful not to touch your eyes when handling chiles, they will burn and irritate your skin.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 208kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 8g, Sodium: 583mg, Potassium: 436mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 145IU, Vitamin C: 12.2mg, Calcium: 155mg, Iron: 4.6mg
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This recipe was originally posted on September 25, 2017. It was updated on September 16, 2021, and again on 2/20/24 to include new images and more detailed instructions.