New Orleans is at the top of my bucket list of places to travel. I would love to taste a hot fresh beignet and some real Louisiana home cookin! In the meantime… I found a recipe for vegan gumbo that that I intermingled with a “real” gumbo recipe. I think you’ll enjoy the result.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 Onion (diced)
1 Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
3 stalks Celery (chopped)
1 28oz can Diced Tomatoes
2 cups cut Green Beans (I used frozen)
1 cup chopped Okra (I used frozen and some fresh from my garden!)
4 cups Vegetable Broth
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 Tbsp Tony’s Cajun Seasoning
1/2 Tbsp dried Thyme
1/2 Tbsp Pepper
1/2 Tbsp Salt
1 tsp Cayenne*** (I used slightly more than this when I made it and it came out very spicy – you may want to decrease the amount or leave it out all together if you don’t like spice!)
1 cup Rice
2 cups water
Directions:
1. Make the roux by whisking together the oil and flour over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux turns a dark brownish gray (the other recipes describe it as a used copper penny or dark caramel).
2. Whisk in the garlic first, then add the onion, green pepper, and celery. Then add the seasonings and keep stirring for 3 minutes.
3. Stir in all remaining veggies except okra and add the vegetable broth and bay leaves.
4. Saute the okra with a bit of oil in a skillet until it starts to brown (about 5 minutes). Then add the okra to the pot with everything else.
5. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down low and simmer for 1 hour.
6. Make the rice by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil, add the rice, then cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
7. Serve the gumbo over rice.