Chick'n & Dumplings

First, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 
 Next prepare your mise en place. Note: You should have roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups of carrots and celery, once diced. Measure out the butter and flour. Note: The amount of flour used (12 tbsp) will produce a relatively thick sauce; however, if you want the sauce to be really thick, you can use up to 18 tablespoons of flour. The roux will just be very thick. 
Gather the bay leaves and thyme. Set aside. To make the sauce, heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium to medium-low heat. Add the butter, followed by the celery, carrots, leeks and a pinch of salt. Sweat until the leeks are translucent, about 10 minutes. Once it is softened, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. 
Singer with the flour to make a roux. Stir to combine. Temper in the cold broth a little at a time. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the bay leaves and thyme and let cook for about 10 to 15 minutes to cook off any starchy flavor. Stir often to prevent scorching. Season to taste with salt and pepper. While the sauce is simmering, prepare the dumpling mixture.

Make the non-dairy buttermilk. Add the lemon juice to the soy milk and set aside to curdle for 10 to 15 minutes. To prepare the dumplings mix together the dry ingredients. Once the soy milk and lemon juice have curdled, fold into the dry mixture. Stir just to combine the ingredients. Fold in the green onions. 
Set aside while you finish the dish.

Finish the dish by adding the cashew cream followed by the Chick’n and the peas. Using two spoons, drop heaping spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture into the simmering sauce. 
The dumplings should just cover the surface. 
Cover and poach the dumplings over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are puffy and firm to the touch. Alternatively, the dumplings can be finished cooking in a 350°F oven. To serve, spoon some of the Chick’n mixture into a warmed bowl and top with one or two of the dumplings.