Smoky Vegan Gumbo
This flavorful twist on the classic Gumbo is packed full of spices that pack a punch. Nobody will be missing the meat in this plant-based and just as hearty dish.
Servings: 6
Calories: 243kcal
Ingredients
- 2-3 bell peppers of any color
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 white onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or sub with a neutral oil)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (½ tsp for less spicy version)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 7 oz okra
- 2 jalapeños (opt)
Instructions
- To prepare the vegetables, start by thinly dicing the onion, bell peppers, and celery, and by mincing the garlic. Once finished, on a large pan over medium-high heat, allow the oil to heat up for 1-2 minutes. Add in the flour and mix together to form a roux (it should look a little bit like a paste) and allow the mixture to cook and turn a dark golden brown. Make sure to stir every couple seconds to prevent the roux from getting burnt.
- Next, add in the chopped vegetables to the roux and toss in the bay leaf, thyme leaves (removed from the stem), and stir everything together to evenly coat everything. Continue stirring every 10-20 seconds and cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes. The vegetables should start to caramelize and turn a dark golden brown color.
- Add the salt, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and wine to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer everything together. After 3 to 5 minutes, or once the liquid has reduced by half, add in the crushed tomatoes and chickpeas, with the juice, and cover the pan. Let it simmer for another 20 minutes, and add in the frozen peas. Let it simmer another 5-7 minutes uncovered. Meanwhile, on a non-stick pan, blister the okra by cooking it for about 3-5 minutes on each side until it looks slightly charred. This step does not require any cooking oil. And, if you are using the jalapeño, dice up the jalapeño to serve along with the Gumbo. Once the Gumbo is done simmering, serve it along with white rice and top it with the blistered okra and freshly chopped jalapeño. For some extra protein, top it with some tofu as well.