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Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan is made from vegan chicken cubes and broccoli, mixed in a creamy and ultra satisfying sauce. A great vegetarian version of classic chicken divan recipe which is rich, decadent, but yet so easy to prepare and comes together in under 30 minutes.

A portion of the Chicken Divan is served over white rice.

Best Chicken Divan recipe

Often people use a can of mushroom soup for Chicken Divan, or you have to make a mornay sauce which is a cheesy and creamy sauce. But friends, it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t make everything so much easier for you:

I combine dairy free sour cream with mayo along with seasonings and voila that it is you have the most amazing sauce in no time.

The sauce is on point, because I use vegetable stock powder (not broth) which really makes it more aromatic.

I steamed the broccoli before as you can see in my step by step pictures. In this way the vegetables still have some bite, but are not raw. While you can also cook them, you have to make sure the broccoli won’t get mushy.

Who doesn’t just love the combination of broccoli and cheese? Always a winner, as in my Broccoli Bake, the Broccoli Casserole, or the Broccoli Rice Casserole.

Ingredients needed to make this vegetarian Chicken Divan are assembled on a wooded board.

What you need for this Chicken Divan recipe

Besides the broccoli, dairy free sour cream, mayo, and vegetable broth powder, make sure you have the following ingredients at hand: 

Vegan chicken cubes – these add so much texture and are  what makes this dish so good, just like you know and love it in the classic dish.

Mustard provides amazing flavor, but adds a bit of tang and a great contrast.

Garlic powder simply makes everything better. The more, the better it tastes.

Onion powder is another seasoning which compliments the other flavors and transforms everything from great to even more delicious.

Two views of a large mixing bowl, showing how the dry and liquid ingredients are added.

Oat milk – this is and will always be my favorite milk, because it tastes so good. Feel free to use any other milk you have in your pantry. The Chicken Divan recipe will work with any you prefer.

Breadcrumbs – up for some crunch? I use breadcrumbs for the topping which you will taste in each bite. Do I need say more? Toppings are what makes everything so good. Hmm, think of this  Dorito Casserole.

Vegan butter – this buttery spread adds richness and flavor. You can of course use any oil that you would like to, but the result will be different.

Cheddar shreds: You just can’t have enough cheesy goodness. So I add it both in the filling and on the top. You will taste the difference with each bite, so tasty.

View of the mixed ingredients for the Chicken Divan and a small bowl with the prepared breadcrumb topping.

How to make Chicken Divan

Preheat oven to 405°F. You will also need a casserole dish.

In a small pan, heat 1 Tbsp of vegan butter. Add chicken bites and cook them for around 3 minutes.

Next in a large mixing bowl combine broccoli, chicken bites, garlic, onion powder, mustard, milk, half of the cheese shreds, broth powder, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the casserole dish.

Meanwhile mix breadcrumbs with butter sprinkle over the casserole and finishing with remaining cheese, bake for 15 minutes.

Serve the Chicken Divan on plates.

The Chicken Divan in a casserole dish before and after baking.

Leftovers and freezer instructions

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 4 days. For reheating you can use the microwave or oven.

Freezing: wait until the Chicken Divan is cooled down. You can freeze it for around 3 months.

To make everything even more delicious and easier

Meal prep: you can make the casserole in advance, but give the topping over it just before baking. Don’t make it in advance otherwise topping might get soggy.

What to serve: I tell you this is such a delicious and easy recipe what goes so well with many things. Salads like my Creamy Cucumber Salad, or just great over rice like I do in my step by step pictures. But hey it is also amazing with noodles or even mashed potatoes (try my Garlic Mashed Potatoes).

Closeup of the casserole dish with the Chicken Divan.

More vintage recipes to try

Collage of two pictures of the Chicken Divan with recipe title text.

Try this Chicken Divan and tag me with your remakes on Instagram or Facebook.

Enjoy, Florian.

A portion of the Chicken Divan is served over white rice.

Chicken Divan

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Chicken Divan is made from vegan chicken cubes and broccoli, mixed in a creamy and ultra satisfying sauce. A great vegetarian version of classic chicken divan recipe which is rich, decadent, but yet so easy to prepare and comes together in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 14 oz vegan chicken bites
  • 4 Tbsp dairy free butter
  • 2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
  • 3/4 cup vegan mayo
  • 7 oz dairy free sour cream
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 8 oz vegan cheddar, shredded
  • 1/2 cup oat milk
  • 1/4 tsp vegetable stock powder
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs (use gf, if you want to)
  • salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 405°F and set a 8x11 inch casserole dish ready (because this is exactly the size I use).
  2. Start in a small pan. Heat 1 Tbsp of vegan butter, and fry the chicken bites which will take around 3 minutes.
  3. Next in a bowl combine broccoli, chicken bites, garlic, onion powder, mustard, milk and half of the cheese shreds, broth powder, season with salt and pepper. Transfer to your casserole dish.
  4. In the meantime, mix breadcrumbs with remaining butter. Sprinkle over the casserole and finish with the remaining cheese.
  5. Bake the whole thing for 15 minutes. Serve on bowls or in plates and enjoy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 512Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 1422mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 18g

Angela

Sunday 14th of January 2024

Can you provide a link for the chicken bites you used in the recipe

Florian

Sunday 14th of January 2024

Hi Angela1 I use vivera, but any will work. Hope that helps and clarifies.

Louwana

Monday 20th of November 2023

I am guessing the powder in the description is onion powder. Hopefully the sour cream and mayo go in on step 3?

Florian

Monday 20th of November 2023

Hi Louwana!Thanks for pointing out and fixed. Let me know what you think.

Pamela

Tuesday 21st of February 2023

Hi Florian, Can you substitute yoghurt for the sour cream? Thanks.

Pamela

Wednesday 22nd of February 2023

@Florian, Thank you. I will stick with the sour cream.

Florian

Tuesday 21st of February 2023

Hi Pamela! It can be, but the result will be really different.

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