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    Home > Vegan Stew Recipes

    Vegan Gumbo, Fat-Free and Gluten-Free

    Posted: Jan 10, 2014 ยท Updated: Sep 20, 2021

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    This delicious, gluten-free vegan gumbo has no added fats, and it is packed with delicious beans, okra, mushrooms, thyme and sage. Serve the gumbo with brown rice for a tasty and healthy meal. A soy-free recipe.
    Photo of a large bowl of vegan gumbo that's also gluten free, served with brown rice on a wooden table

    When I was a child, a young woman with a huge straw basket balanced over her head would make the rounds of my neighborhood every week or so. She would knock on doors, peddling fresh fish that her husband had just hauled in that morning from the sea that hugs Bombay's shoreline. Everyone simply called her "Kolin" which is the Marathi word for fisherwoman.

    Kolin was a striking woman-- mahogany skinned with large eyes shaped like almonds and gold earrings so big and so heavy, they had pulled her earlobes almost down to her chin. She was always dressed in a colorful saree with a gold border and at her waist, where the saree tucked in, she had fashioned a little purse with the fabric in which she kept all the bills and coins she had collected from her customers.

    I dreaded Kolin's visits. Partly because of her rather abrasive tongue that always told you exactly what she thought, and partly because I hated the smell of the fish that lingered in the air for hours after she had left. But I was never so terrified as the occasional day when Kolin would bring what my parents considered a special treat: crabs.

    The poor little creatures would be alive as Kolin picked them out of a wire cage in her basket, snapped their claws and put them in a steel tin my mother would hold out. Some would escape and run all over the apartment, scurrying into every corner of the room, trying to hide from the inevitable. It was such a terrifying sight that I could never bring myself to eat a crab through all of my childhood.

    Overhead shot of a large bowl of a nourishing, gluten-free, vegan gumbo with beans, okra and served with brown rice.

    Years later, a friend who loves her seafood argued with me that crabs do not really feel pain: they just don't have the mental capacity to do it, she insisted. But it is not an argument that is easily made to someone who had seen the terror of those little crabs in a Bombay apartment trying to save their skins.

    Driving home the other day, I was listening to aย segment on NPR's All Things Consideredย that reminded me of another reason why seafood is just not a good idea. The report discussed the massive numbers of mammals trapped each year in fishing "incidents" -- around 650,000.ย Casualties happen in all sorts of fisheries, ranging from tuna to squid, shrimp, swordfish and bottom-dwelling fish. At the bottom of the ocean, sea mammals can get trapped in trawls.ย The mammals affected include dolphins, whales, seals, porpoises, manatees and so on.

    Something worth chewing over.

    And now for the vegan gumbo!

    Front partial shot of a large bowl of vegan gumbo that's also gluten-free and fat-free, with a spoonful of brown rice, on a brown wood background.

    As nature turned the world into a cold, icy mush over this past week, I found myself craving something warm and comforting and nutritious to put into my tummy. It seemed the perfect time to make a seafood-free vegan gumbo -- something I'd been planning on making for a long time.

    One of the things I love about eating vegan is that I never have to be one of those people who has to rush at the last minute to buy milk or eggs because a storm is coming and the supermarket may not be open or accessible for days afterward. I don't have to worry about a power failure turning all that  meat in my freezer into an unsanitary nightmare.  Give me some beans,  rice,  frozen veggies and soymilk -- all of which are usually already in my pantry -- and I'm all set.

    I had everything I needed for the vegetarian gumbo on hand. Okra, beans, onions, green peppers, herbs, and even some Cajun seasoning that I had picked up months ago. 

    And then, just to get a little edgier, I decided to make my homemade vegan gumbo fat-free. There seemed to be so much going in with all those different flavors -- beans, herbs, veggies-- that the fat just seemed totally redundant.  I threw in some sage and chipotle for their smoky deliciousness, and I made the gumbo gluten-free by making the roux with brown rice flour instead of whole-wheat-- an idea that totally worked.

    More delicious vegan dinner recipes:

    • Vegan Jambalaya
    • Vegan Dirty Rice
    • Grilled Tofu Steaks in a Creamy Vegan Cajun Sauce
    • Vegan African Peanut Stew with Eggplant and Okra
    • Vegan Maryland Crab Cakes

    The recipe's really easy and comes together faster than you would imagine.  I served it with some wholesome brown rice, but crusty bread or quinoa would go really well with this too. You can also serve it with my extra delicious vegan dirty rice, another Louisiana classic.

    Wishing everyone a great weekend-- hope you have plenty of time to live, love, and laze around, not in any particular order. Now on to this gluten-free and fat-free vegan gumbo recipe -- it's going to take you straight into New Orleans!

    Vegan Gumbo Recipe

    An outdoor shot of a bowl of vegan gumbo, gf and free of added oils, with a spoonful of brown rice.
    A large bowl of vegan gumbo that's also gluten free, served with brown rice on a wooden table

    Vegan Gumbo

    This delicious, gluten-free vegan gumbo has no added fats, and it is packed with delicious beans, okra, mushrooms, thyme and sage. Serve the gumbo with brown rice for a tasty and healthy meal. A soy-free recipe.
    4.9 from 65 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Main Course/Curry
    Cuisine: gluten-free, Louisiana, nut-free, Vegan
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Vegan Gumbo
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 45 mins
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 122kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Ingredients 

    • 2 tablespoon brown rice flour
    • 1 large onion (finely diced)
    • 6 cloves garlic (finely minced)
    • 1 green bell pepper (finely diced)
    • 2 carrots (cut into rounds)
    • 2 cups button mushrooms or crimini mushrooms (sliced)
    • 2 cups frozen or fresh okra (cut into rings)
    • 1 cup pureed tomatoes
    • 3 cups canned red beans,, (If using dry beans, start with 1 cup of beans, soak them overnight, then cook in a pot with enough water to cover the beans. Let the water come to a boil, lower the heat to simmer, cover the pot and then cook about 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the beans are tender. Add more water if the beans get dry., drained and rinsed.)
    • 1 tablespoon dry sage
    • 1 tablespoon thyme
    • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
    • 1 chipotle chili (minced, with 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce)
    • 2 tablespoon tamari
    • Water or vegetable stock
    • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat a large pot and add the brown rice flour. Roast, stirring constantly over medium-low heat, until the roux is a couple of shades darker. Remove immediately to a bowl.
    • In the same pot, add the onions, carrots and garlic along with a quarter cup of water or vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and the water has evaporated.
    • Add the tomatoes, bell peppers and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for another five minutes. Add the chipotle chili and adobo sauce, tamari, herbs and the Cajun seasoning and mix well.
    • Now add the beans and the okra and stir well to mix. Add the brown rice flour back to the pot and stir in. Add 2 cups of vegetable stock and allow the gumbo to come to a boil over medium-high heat. If the gumbo is too thick, add more water or stock. Lower the heat to a simmer and let everything cook for another 10 minutes.
    • Add more salt if needed. Turn off the heat. You can also throw in some vegan sausage if you like -- cut it into rounds. That would add a small amount of fat to the gumbo, but it would also send the protein content soaring higher.
    • Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.6g | Protein: 7.1g | Fiber: 6g
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    I cook and eat simple, tasty and nutritious plant-based food in my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. Read more about me here.

    Try these recipes next

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Beth

      March 02, 2022 at 12:02 pm

      5 stars
      Tried this for my first vegan Fat Tuesday and it was great! I did sautรฉ my veggies in a bit of olive oil and added a couple of bay leaves, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. It was fresher and crisper than traditional gumbo- canโ€™t wait for leftovers for lunch!

      Reply
    2. Caitlin

      November 17, 2021 at 3:16 pm

      5 stars
      I'm wondering how big this recipe came out to be? If I am serving it as a thanksgiving dish should I double the recipe?

      Reply
    3. JTbay

      August 29, 2021 at 1:06 pm

      5 stars
      Superbโ€ฆ the flavours meld well this recipe is a keeper
      Thanks

      Reply
    4. Sarah G

      June 27, 2021 at 9:03 pm

      5 stars
      I added vegan sausage. It actually took less labor than regular gumbo, was healthier, and JUST as delicious. This was one of those recipes - if I didn't know it was vegan, I wouldn't know it was vegan. My skeptical daughter tasted it - she said, "Wow! The flavor is definitely there!" I doubled the chipotles just cuz I like my gumbo spicy. I could eat it every day, and it feels sinful, but as healthy as it is, I can eat as much as I want!

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        June 27, 2021 at 10:54 pm

        So happy to hear Sarah!

        Reply
    5. Kim

      June 05, 2020 at 10:02 am

      5 stars
      Thank you! This was fantastic! I added about a 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke to give it that Louisiana aroma and it worked out fantastic!

      Reply
    6. Anza

      May 26, 2020 at 11:24 am

      Is this recipe missing oil to make the roux? The first step tells you to roast the brown rice flour but there isn't any oil. Please help!

      Reply
      • Vincent Huffaker

        October 03, 2020 at 6:13 pm

        5 stars
        It's a dry roux. As it turns out, you don't actually need to add oil to make a roux. Just cook the flour. I know it sounds crazy, but it works. Just keep stirring/whisking it until it turns the color of brown that you want. You can also do an oven-baked dry roux for similar results, but less sensitive to mistakes. Feel free to google "dry roux" for the options.

        Reply
      • Zan

        October 11, 2020 at 7:49 am

        5 stars
        Itโ€™s an oil free recipe. You can roast the flour without oil, on its own to add flavor. Itโ€™s just a non traditional roux. This recipe follow a whole food plant based way of eating, which uses no oil or processed foods; oil is one of the most processed foods out there.

        Reply
      • Lyn

        November 27, 2020 at 12:40 am

        I cook all the time without oil. Donโ€™t miss it once I got past the idea I needed it. In other recipes not this one you can use oil or vegan broth to replace the oil.

        Reply
    7. animal lover

      April 21, 2020 at 3:40 pm

      5 stars
      if crabs did not feel pain they would not try to crawl out of the boiling water in the pot....

      Reply
    8. Alicia Alderete

      April 17, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      Where do you get your chipotle chili and adobe sauce?

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        April 17, 2020 at 5:13 pm

        From the supermarket! Usually in the international foods aisle, with the Latino foods. You can also fine it online.

        Reply
    9. Capricia

      February 17, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      5 stars
      Love the idea of the food (will definitely make it soon!) and also the way that you write! Excited to eat this and also try (and continue reading!) your great recipes and stories.

      Reply
    10. Barbara A Shepherd

      September 24, 2019 at 1:18 pm

      5 stars
      This vegan gumbo was really great. I added just a few fennel seeds at the end to give it that sausage taste.

      Reply
    11. J

      July 07, 2019 at 12:57 am

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe!! Thank you so much for this. Easily the best gumbo recipe Iโ€™ve ever used ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    12. Cathy

      December 27, 2018 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      The report discussed the massive numbers of mammals that are injured or die globally each year in fishing โ€œincidentsโ€ โ€” around 650,000. Casualties happen in all sorts of fisheries, ranging from tuna to squid, shrimp, swordfish and bottom-dwelling fish. At the bottom of the ocean, sea mammals can get trapped in trawls. The mammals affected include dolphins, whales, seals, porpoises, manatees and so on.

      I hate to burst your bubble but do you know about the massive numbers of mammals that die during the harvesting of the beans and grains that you eat? "No food is free of death. Being a vegan doesn't mean you get to say no creature was harmed because of the way I eat" it's simply not true.
      That said - your recipe is really nice and I'm going to use it as a veggie offering at my New Year's Day party - along side a traditional gumbo.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        December 27, 2018 at 2:49 pm

        Hi Cathy, sure, no food production is without casualty, and I daresay every vegan knows that, because we don't just embrace this cause instinctively or emotionally -- for most of us it's a journey reached through realization, compassion and research. This is also a popular card for meat-eaters to pull out when they argue against veganism. That said, vegans still cause far fewer casualties than meat-eaters do, by not contributing directly to animal cruelty and suffering in food production, including the nine billion chickens, 121 million pigs and 30 million cows who die horribly to feed Americans each year.

        Reply
        • Anonymous

          August 27, 2020 at 10:48 am

          Thank you for your compassionate heart.

          Reply
      • Karla Adams

        January 12, 2020 at 9:18 am

        5 stars
        First of all - the gumbo is delicious.
        Second - really Cathy?!?
        I can appreciate some researched and enlightened information from someone that walks the walk, but this comment is just overly dramatic and inaccurate finger wagging , so spare us please.
        Here's a link to a very thoughtful and researched article debunking this absurd statement:
        https://www.theflamingvegan.com/view-post/Vegan-Mythbusting-1-Are-wild-animals-killed-when-grain-is-harvested-for-vegans
        And - last thing here - did we seriously just get a lecture from someone serving a "traditional" (meaning full of dead animals) gumbo?
        Hard to stomach.(the comments - not the gumbo. Again - the gumbo is delicious!!)

        Reply
    13. Suzanne

      November 11, 2018 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      I made this tonight and it was fantastic, and beautiful! Thanks so much for another great recipe I can enjoy with dietary restrictions.

      Suzanne

      Reply
    14. Brenda

      February 17, 2018 at 7:32 pm

      5 stars
      I'm from Louisiana with a long family history of traditional gumbo. I've tried a few different vegan gumbo recipes, but this was by far the BEST! It will be a regular in our home. Thank you!

      Reply
    15. Reema

      January 31, 2018 at 4:30 am

      5 stars
      Hi Vaishali

      My husband is always on the lookout for different vegan recipes to try and was excited to find your website. He made the gumbo last weekend and it turned out really delicious. Was enjoyed by all. Used bbq spice mix as we didn't have the Cajun spice and it gave a lovely smoky flavour.
      Thanks for the lovely recipes. I am looking forward to trying the rawa vegetable idlis.. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        January 31, 2018 at 1:05 pm

        Hi Reema, that's so good to hear, thanks for the feedback. Nice idea to use the barbecue spice. The rawa idlis are Jay's favorite! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    16. Jessica

      August 10, 2017 at 2:54 pm

      Hi, just wondering how spicey this is as I have toddlers. They can tolerate a bit of a kick.? This looks great and I will post a review after I've made it!

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        August 10, 2017 at 6:53 pm

        Not very spicy at all! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    17. David

      May 22, 2017 at 7:46 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!...Every one loved it
      Thanks for the recipe

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        May 22, 2017 at 8:51 pm

        Awesome, so happy you tried it!

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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