I've captured all the outstanding flavors of a classic Louisiana gumbo in my meat-free, seafood-free and very vegan gumbo. The flavors stack up with a chocolate-hued roux of flour roasted in oil, the "holy trinity" of onions, bell peppers and celery, and umami-rich mushroom broth and tomatoes. Traditional gumbo ingredients like okra and thyme add more classic flavor, while kidney beans and vegan sausage add plant-based protein. The recipe is gluten-free and you have the option of making it without added fat.
Gumbo, and how to make a classic vegan gumbo
A gumbo is a classic Louisiana stew that is made variously with combinations of seafood, pork sausage and chicken. It also contains vegetables, including the holy trinity of Louisiana cuisine - onions, celery and bell peppers - and, famously and perhaps notoriously, okra, the veggie so many love to hate.
Gumbo is special because it distils into a single bowl a host of cultural influences. Its roots are West African, but other cultures in Louisiana - Spanish, French, Caribbean and Native American - have each, over time, sprinkled their own culinary magic into the dish we know today.
Like most Americans, I have a deep love for the food of Louisiana; a love I have shared with you through my recipes for vegan jambalaya, vegan dirty rice, vegan meatball fricassee, vegan étouffée, and so many more. The first veganized Louisiana recipe I shared, in 2014, was this vegan gumbo. I know many readers continue to love that recipe as it was. But over the years I've made some tweaks to this gumbo in my kitchen that I think make it even more delicious and I want to share those with you.
My vegan gumbo recipe substitutes the seafood and the meat with kidney beans, so delicious in Louisianan recipes like red beans and rice, and the pork sausage with vegan sausage. I didn't use sausage in my old gumbo recipe and you can leave it out if you want to, but I like the added protein. My old recipe was oil-free and this time I did add some oil to brown the flour for the roux because it adds more flavor. If you want to keep the recipe oil-free, just brown the roux in a dry pan. The last, small adjustment I've made to the old recipe is to use tomato paste in addition to tomatoes for richness.
The recipe has okra, of course, because it's divinely vegan, and I love it. Besides, why would you make a gumbo without okra? According to people who know more about this than I do, the very name, gumbo, comes from the West African word for okra. So even if you're an okra hater, sorry, you simply can't skip the okra in this recipe. The okra cooks up deliciously tender and the notorious okra slime helps thicken the gumbo. You won't even notice it, all you will taste is the deliciousness. I also add some carrots and mushrooms to the recipe for more veggie power.
Making a gumbo right does take some time, and most of that time is for browning the flour. The roux needs to get to a point where it's a deep brown - a task that takes me nearly 45 minutes of stirring over medium-low heat. But the payback in flavor is well worth it. The rest of the recipe is as easy as it gets - just toss in the ingredients and let them cook together. The recipe is one-pot if you remember to brown the sausages first in the Dutch oven before you start the roux. I forgot this time, so I had to take some help from my small cast iron skillet.
Like my old gumbo recipe, this one is gluten-free because I use rice flour. It does use tamari so it's not soy-free, but you can easily skip the tamari or use a soy-free soy sauce. Some readers have also used liquid smoke (not soy-free) and reported great results.
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! - Susan
Recipe card
Vegan Gumbo
Ingredients
- 14 oz vegan sausage (optional)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more to brown sausages)
- 3 tablespoon rice flour (white or brown rice flour)
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 2 bell peppers (finely chopped)
- 2 carrots (finely chopped)
- 3 stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup pureed tomatoes (about three medium tomatoes)
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 cups okra (cut into rings)
- 3 cups canned or cooked kidney beans (If using dry beans, start with 1 cup of beans. Drain out all water from the beans.)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 2 heaping tablespoons Cajun seasoning (add more if needed after tasting.)
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce (minced, with 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce)*
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 3 cups mushroom stock (or vegetable stock, or water, plus more as needed)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Brown the vegan sausage (optional)
- Spray some oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and turn on the heat to medium. Once the pot heats up, add the sausage links and brown the sausage, turning them around every couple of minutes to brown them evenly. Slice the sausage into rounds and set aside.
Make the roux
- Turn heat down to medium low and mix the olive oil and flour in the pot. This is the roux. Begin cooking it over the gentle heat, and stir it frequently so it doesn't burn.
- The roux will darken gradually: it will first turn blonde, then caramel-hued, and finally it will turn a rich, chocolate-brown. This took me a total of about 45 minutes. Don't get tempted to turn the heat higher because you can burn the roux.
Make vegan gumbo
- Add onions, bell peppers, celery and carrots to the roux. Season the vegetables with salt and ground black pepper. Mix well so the vegetables absorb the roux.
- Cover the pot and let the vegetables cook over medium-low heat for five to eight minutes until they are almost tender. Stir a few times in between and add a little water or stock to the pot if they start to stick. Stir in the garlic and sauté with the veggies for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and mushrooms to the pot. Mix well.
- Stir in the sage, thyme,, rosemary and Cajun spice mix.
- Stir in the tamari and chipotle chili. Mix well.
- Add the okra and beans to the pot and then add three cups of mushroom stock. Mix well. Bring the gumbo to a boil, cover, and cook, stirring a few times in between, until the okra is very tender and the stew is thick. You can add more stock or water if you want to thin out the gumbo.
- Stir in the vegan sausage, check and add salt as needed, and bring back to a boil.
- Turn off heat and serve the gumbo hot.
Notes
- The chipotle chili peppers are an unusual addition to the gumbo, but they add a lovely, spicy kick. Tamari adds richness and umami.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
Vegan gumbo FAQs
Yes, just add the okra straight from the freezer, no need to thaw.
Absolutely. Use three tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
Yes, replace a teaspoon of dried herbs with a teaspoon of the fresh herb. For instance, replace a teaspoon of dried thyme with a tablespoon of fresh thyme.
Gumbo is traditionally served with rice. Use either white rice or brown rice. It's also great over other grains like quinoa, or cauliflower rice. I love slurping it up by itself.
More delicious vegan stews
First published Jan. 10, 2014. Updated and re-published on Oct. 10, 2025.
Alicia Alderete says
Where do you get your chipotle chili and adobe sauce?
Vaishali says
From the supermarket! Usually in the international foods aisle, with the Latino foods. You can also fine it online.
Capricia says
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.
Barbara A Shepherd says
This vegan gumbo was really great. I added just a few fennel seeds at the end to give it that sausage taste.
J says
Amazing recipe!! Thank you so much for this. Easily the best gumbo recipe I’ve ever used 🙂
Cathy says
The report discussed the massive numbers of mammals that are injured or die globally each year in fishing “incidents” — 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.
Vaishali says
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.
Anonymous says
Thank you for your compassionate heart.
Karla Adams says
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.
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!!)
Jordan D says
I use this recipe but cheat and use regular butter and flour. I'm not vegan, I just know vegan recipes are veggie rich. This is an amazing recipe. I made this for 1000 people and it was a HIT. The carrot boil at the beginning is the most important part. And prior to adding the carrots and water, let the garlic and onions brown. Besides that this is on POINT!
Suzanne says
I made this tonight and it was fantastic, and beautiful! Thanks so much for another great recipe I can enjoy with dietary restrictions.
Suzanne
Brenda says
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!
Vaishali says
Yay! So happy to hear, Brenda!
Reema says
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.. 🙂
Vaishali says
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! 🙂
Jessica says
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!
Vaishali says
Not very spicy at all! 🙂
David says
Delicious!...Every one loved it
Thanks for the recipe
Vaishali says
Awesome, so happy you tried it!
Mary says
I'm very excited to try this, and I bought all of the ingredients, but I bought the wrong peppers. I bought the plastic bag toasted jalapeños. Would those work, or should I go back for the canned peppers in adobo?
I'm happy this is fat free!
P.S. There is a vegan Cajun place that just opened here called Krimsey's! I tried it and I was so delicious!
Vaishali says
The flavors are different but now that you have the jalapeños, just use those. Should taste good.
Infiniti Williams says
Made this like eh 2 weeks ago I believe and it was soooo gooood and very flavorful. The aroma was amazing as well and I just knew it'd taste good before tasting it haha. Omg it's going to be a staple of mines now. Going to be making it again soon. Can't waait. You're a genius c: thank you very much. I ate it w/ rice so it could be more filling. Also what's the serving size? Like a cup?
Meg says
I made this with some fresh CSA okra because you know nothing screams gumbo like 90 degree weather. It was amazing! You don't even miss the oil at all with all the other flavors. I will totally be making this one again.
Anonymous says
I made this gumbo and it deelish!!! It came out wonderful!
Vaishali says
Awesome, glad you liked it!
Cat says
I think this would be really great with some smoked salt! It's one of my favorite ingredients for veg dishes, without having to reach for the bacon or sausage that my grandma used to flavor things. Applewood is good for most dishes, but sometimes hickory is better; usually for breakfast foods.
Tara says
I am Making this on Saturday . So you don't add any vegan butter to the roux? Just cook the flour in the pot? Amazing by he way .. I was in Nola last year 🙂
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Tara, yes, this is fat-free, so no need to add butter or oil. Cheers!
krithikap says
I have actually made this several times and it always comes out great! It's a great way to get veggies in and I love it with garlic bread. I'd like to try it with some vegan sausage, but I haven't been able to get it out of the package and cut it into rounds: it crumbles so easily. Do you have any tips on how to do this easily?
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Krithika, I usually use the Field Roast ones-- I take a pair of scissors and snip off the top, then run the scissors down the side of the plastic casing. Then I just peel it off. It always works for me.
Glad you like the recipe! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know.
Joan says
I don't eat seafood for the same reasons. Your words summed up nicely my feelings. I also believe there are healthier choices for omega's in the plant kingdom. This looks and sounds wonderful and I will be making this soon. Thank you for sharing your recipe and your story.
Jean says
I am not vegetarian but I am from the gulf coast (alas, live much further north now) and have many vegan/veg friends. As this time of year always makes me nostalgic, I am having a Mardi Gras dinner and find myself taking elements of your recipe with my own seafood gumbo for my diverse group. I have to say- your spices and the adobo are fantastic and I can't wait to serve this on Mardi Gras night! Laissez Les Bons temps rouler!
Carissa says
I'm going to make this tomorrow for our neighborhood Mardi Gras parade! Can I use whole wheat flour instead of brown rice flour? Thanks!
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Carissa, yes, absolutely. Roast it the same way. Cheers.
Carissa says
Wow! This is really good! Thanks!
Samantha says
First, I want you to know that I very rarely leave reviews. Maybe I am just lazy, who knows, but what I am about to tell you is very genuine and from the heart.
I got online, searching for healthy vegan gumbo recipes as I, too, was craving some comforting, healthy soup and gumbo, I knew, would hit the spot. I traveled amidst a sea of different recipes, but this one caught my eye. And then, I read your blog post about the fisherwoman, or Kolin, and I had chills. I love that you took the time to stress the importance of "can't feel pain" arguments and tie it into your own experience. I have never eaten a crab in my life, to know that they are living, sentient beings has been enough, but your words were quite powerful and so touching that I found myself not only in chills, but copying/pasting this link to my Facebook, along with an excerpt from your blog in hopes that it would touch others the way that it did me.
I have since bookmarked your blog and I will be back, indeed.
Gumbo is on the menu tonight! I have found my recipe. 🙂
Dennis Morton says
Yummmmmm thank you. Just had fun using the FAT-FREE VEGAN GUMBO recipe. Delicious. Instead of Okra I used tofu. This is definitely a favourite now. Thank you for sharing
Patricia says
What is adobo sauce? I did not see it explained in the Vegan Gumbo recipe.
Vaishali Honawar says
You can buy chipotle chilies in adobo sauce at any supermarket-- it's usually sold in a tiny can in the international foods aisle. You can store the leftover chilies and their sauce in an airtight box in the refrigerator. The adobo sauce is very flavorful but it's also very spicy, so use it with caution.
Rose says
I am cooking it right now, both kid and I cannot wait to taste our first gumbo ever.
Vaishali Honawar says
Rose, that's great. Hope you like it! 🙂
Rose says
We loved it very much, thank you for sharing the recipe
Gail says
Hello,
I noticed you had mentioned after the amount of red beans to use, '...to put enough water to cover the lentils...' Did you mean the 'red beabs', as I didn't notice lentils as one of the ingredients. My husband loves okra and was a big 'seafood gumbo' connoisseur, but due to health issues, we have had him on intake of vegan recipes & juicing. This looks very easy, and delicious, to prepare!
Vaishali says
Hi Gail, yes, I mean the beans. Hope you try it. 🙂
smallftprints says
Mmm ... this looks delicious!! In my pre-vegan days, I loved shrimp gumbo and frankly, I've never found a vegan version that lived up to the original. I think that this one will do it with all the lovely vegetables and flavorful "gravy". Browning the flour will give it that authentic taste, as will the okra. Thank you for including information on how many dried beans to use. I prefer to pressure cook my beans ... it's so fast and easy and we get so many more meals from a package of dried beans versus cans. But I'm never quite sure how many to cook to equal the beans in a recipe. Can't wait to try this!
Vaishali says
Small Footprints, thank you! I like pressure-cooking beans too-- just makes it so much quicker. And very true, it's more economical as well. I think a cup of dry beans roughly equals three cans of cooked, although all beans are different. 🙂 I guess that's what makes them so special. 🙂
Cassandra says
This looks so good! I'm always on the lookout for vegetarian meals I can make for my meat-eating housemate that will satisfy both of us, and I think this just might do it! 😀
Pallavi Kulkarni Desai says
this looks so good! I have never tasted gumbo, do you eat it with anything?
Do you add okra, just like that? will it not make the stew slimy?
Vaishali says
Hi Pallavi, you can eat it with brown rice or quinoa or bread even. The okra does not at all become slimy in this, because of all the liquid. It actually helps as a thickening agent.
Jacqui Pappas says
Did I miss where you add the brown rice flour back to the pot? I saw toasting it and removing it, but not using it as a thickener.
Vaishali says
Hi Jacqui, you add it back just before you add the stock. It's in the recipe now. Thanks.
Diane Vandermast says
That looks so yummy - I'm going to be making that in the next few days for sure. I have some vegan chorizo that will probably end up in there; my 46 year old son lives with me and doesn't feel satisfied without some on his plate or in his bowl.
Vaishali says
Hi Diane, hope you try it. My husband always likes something 'meaty' in there as well, even if it's vegan. 🙂
Nancy says
Which brand of Cajun seasoning did you use.
Vaishali says
I can't say for sure because it's been a while, but I am fairly certain it was this one:
Anonymous says
Thank you
Anonymous says
Vaishali is the red beans kidney, or red lentils?? Recipe sounds delicious and want to make it