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.