Vegan Gumbo Recipe

Vegan gumbo is a classic New Orleans dish. Bold, spicy, and iconic, vegan gumbo boasts as much rich cultural flavour and heritage as the city itself. This slow-cooker vegan gumbo recipe has all the classic staples.

This recipe also includes diced tomatoes and carrots for an extra-hearty veggie stew. To add more flavour, tomato and onion are processed with herbs and spices, lots of garlic and some mustard and Worcestershire sauce and then added to the gumbo.

The ingredient list is a little long and not at all typical for gumbo, but they work together and create a delicious vegetarian gumbo. To make a roux, you need patience, a strong forearm, and a heavy-bottomed pan.

You want to keep the heat fairly low because a roux burns easily, and once it is even slightly burned, there’s no turning back. For best flavour, keep cooking the roux until it is a deep caramel colour or the colour of an old penny.

This soup can be versatile with different types of mushrooms, vegetables, and soup stock. To give this recipe some heat, use cayenne pepper and smoked paprika often used in gumbo. This gumbo can last in a stored container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

There’s no reason you can’t enjoy a bowl of this vegan gumbo all on its own as a stew. Traditionally, however, gumbo is served over rice. While white rice is often the go-to when it comes to southern cuisine, this clean recipe is best served over healthy brown rice.

Ingredients;

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1-quart vegetable stock or broth
• 4 cups sliced okra
• 1 (16-ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 cremini mushrooms quartered
• 1 1/2 cups diced zucchini 1 medium
• 1 1/2 cups diced green pepper 1 large
• 1 1/2 cups diced red bell pepper 1 large
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion

Instructions;

1. Place vegetable oil and flour in a Dutch Oven with a heavy bottom. I like to use a cast-iron Dutch oven. Turn the heat on medium and whisk continuously until the mixture becomes fragrant.
2. Turn the heat to low or medium-low, depending on the size and heat your burner gives off. Continue to whisk continuously until the roux becomes a dark caramel colour, like the colour of an old penny. This could take 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat.
4. In a food processor, process tomato, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, liquid smoke, vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce, thyme, red pepper flakes, paprika, nutmeg, and oregano until mixture is smooth.
5. Place the Dutch oven with the roux over medium-high heat and add tomato/onion puree. Stir to mix. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. Add vegetable stock and stir. Bring to a simmer.
7. Add beans, mushrooms, zucchini, green and red pepper, and celery and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Serve with rice and green onions.