Vegan Gumbo

5 from 84 votes

This Louisiana style vegan gumbo has layers of flavor and umami from a traditional roux, the holy trinity of Louisiana cuisine, okra, mushrooms, kidney beans and herbs. Serve with rice.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Stew

Cuisine: American, Louisiana

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Dutch oven

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

How to store and reheat vegan gumbo

Refrigerate the vegan gumbo for up to four days. Freeze for up to four months. To reheat, place thawed gumbo in a saucepan and heat until warmed through.

Nutrition