It’s Mardis Gras time, plus it’s freezing in a lot of the country so I thought what’s better than a warm bowl of Vegan Gumbo?! While traditionally this dish is made with loads of bacon drippings and meat, I’ve created a delicious and very healthy version making it something you can eat more often – and once you taste it, you will definitely want to eat this again!
One of the traditional ingredients in Gumbo is Okra. In fact, the name derives from a West African word for okra so historians think this dish was originally made with okra. And we now know why, this green vegetable, also known as Lady Fingers is really quite healthy!
Health Benefits of Okra:
- High in soluble fiber, which aids in digestion and keeps blood sugar levels stable because it affects how sugar is absorbed in the intestines.
- High in Vitamin C and we all know that we need this to boost our immune system
- High in Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and has traces of Zinc and Calcium
I like this Vegan Gumbo just the way it is but, of course, if you want to add a little added protein, the traditional ones are shrimp, chicken, and sausage.
Now on to the recipe – Laissez le Bon temps rouler (which is French for Let the Good Times Roll)!
Oh, Fat Tuesday is tomorrow and a lot of people celebrate that night by eating pancakes. Here are a few of my favorites: Gluten-Free Apple Pancakes and The Best Protein Pancakes Ever.
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Vegan Gumbo
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
- Total Time: 45-55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This Vegan Gumbo is so packed with flavor you will not even miss the meat!
Ingredients
To make the roux:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour, our favorite is Better Batter
To make the Gumbo:
- 1 Tablespoon Oliv Oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups of chopped okra
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 Tablespoon dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Filé powder (optional but adds great flavor)
- 1 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne (more if you like it really hot but go slowly, this spice can sneak up on you!)
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes (keep the liquid)
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans of Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1.5 cups of Vegetable Broth
- Cooked Jasmine rice to serve over
Instructions
- In a large stock add the olive oil and bring the heat up to medium. Let it get a little hot – you can test if the oil is ready by sprinkling a little bit of flour in the pot and if it makes little bubbles around the flour, it is ready. Now gradually add the flour while whisking to make sure all the flour is dissolved. Keep whisking until all the flour is dissolved and the mixture starts to thicken but before it starts to turn brown. Traditionally roux is cooked longer to create a darker color but we found that it can easily burn so we went with what is called a Blond roux. Feel free to try it your way but be sure to watch and whisk as if the roux is burned, it is ruined.
- Once the roux is made, add in the chopped onions, peppers, okra and celery. We also added an additional tablespoon of olive oil at this point to keep the roux covered vegetables from burning. Keep stirring while the vegetables start to get tender, about 6-8 minutes – you will want most of the okra slime to be cooked out.
- Add all the spices in and combine. Next, add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes with their juices and kidney beans. Stir to combine, cover the pot and lower the heat so that the gumbo simmers for about 20-30 minutes. You will definitely want to go in and stir the gumbo a few times to keep it from burning on the bottom.
- Serve over the cooked rice and enjoy!!
