Vegan Étouffée

5 from 17 votes

Étouffée (pronounced ay-too-fay) is a luxurious stew from Louisiana that's typically made with shellfish. In this delicious, veggie-packed vegan version, bits of golden, chewy tofu spiced with Cajun seasoning make an appetizing stand-in for the seafood.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course/Stew

Cuisine: American, Louisiana, Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 311kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Ingredients

16 oz tofu (preferably super firm or extra firm tofu. Press out the water if using extra firm. Cut into cubes about ½ inch square).
¾ cup all purpose flour (or glutenfree all purpose flour if gf)
2 teaspoon thyme (divided)
2 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (divided. Can sub Creole seasoning or Old Bay seasoning)
2 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
1 medium onion (diced)
2 stalks celery (diced)
2 bell peppers (any color, diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
8 oz crimini mushrooms (or any mushrooms, cut into 1-inch chunks. If using dry mushrooms, reconstitute them before adding to the stew)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)
1-2 teaspoon hot sauce (use as much as you want)
2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
3 scallions (chopped)
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)

Instructions

Place the tofu in a bowl with the flour, half the thyme, paprika, cayenne, salt, ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning and flour. Toss to mix.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet or wide nonstick saucepan. Shake the excess flour off the tofu (reserve the excess flour) and place the tofu in the pan in a single layer. Fry on all sides until golden-brown. Remove to a dish.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the flour remaining from coating the tofu. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour turns a deeper color that resembles the color of peanut butter. Don't leave the flour unattended or let it burn. This should take no more than 5-7 minutes on medium-low heat.
Add celery, onions and bell peppers along with the garlic and remaining thyme and a dash of salt and ground black pepper. Saute for about three to four minutes or until the vegetables become soft but are not fully cooked. If the flour sticks to the bottom, scrape it up with a spatula.
Add the mushrooms and continue cooking a couple more minutes. Then add the tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce and remaining 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning along with 2 cups of vegetable stock or water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and let the sauce cook five more minutes.
Stir in the tofu, scallions and parsley. Turn off heat.

Nutrition