Vegetarian Gumbo

Some recipes for vegetarian gumbo have ventured entirely too far from the original. (White grape juice? I think not!) This is as authentic as possible, without the artery-clogging ingredients. There is some controversy over the addition of tomatoes to gumbo. Some purists will tell you it isn’t done, others insist on their presence. I’ve added them, simply for their lycopene. There is also an alternating viewpoint on whether file powder should be added if okra is used as a thickener. I like both, so I’ve included both. Always add file powder to gumbo after it’s cooked. The name “gumbo” is thought to have derived from the word for “okra” in various Bantu dialects from southern and central Africa.

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1/2 cup cooking oil (see note)
1/2 cup flour
2 onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 qts vegetable stock, or chicken-flavored vegetable stock
1 lb fresh okra, chopped, or use frozen if fresh is not available
1 15 oz can tomatoes, chopped
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
cayenne, to taste
1 lb. vegetarian kielbasa-style sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices, or tempeh, cubed
salt, to taste
Gumbo file powder
Tabasco sauce
Hot cooked rice

Make Roux: Combine oil and flour in heavy frying pan (preferably cast iron) or stock pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon or wire whisk, until it reaches a nut brown color. BE CAREFUL NOT TO LET IT BURN! If black flecks appear, the roux is burned, and you must start over. It should take about 20 to 25 minutes to achieve the desired color. (See How to Make a Roux)

Just before roux is desired color, add chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic, and continue stirring until vegetables have been coated with the roux and are beginning to soften. If using the same pot to make gumbo, add stock directly to the pan. Otherwise, let roux cool until it is safe to handle, and add to large stock pot with the stock. Add the okra, the tomatoes, the bay leaves, and the dried spices, except for the salt. Let simmer for 30 minutes, then add vegetarian sausage. Let simmer another 10 minutes, and add salt. Check for seasonings, and adjust if necessary.

Remove from heat, and serve over mounds of hot rice. (To mound rice, use an ice cream scoop.) Sprinkle with file powder if desired and Tabasco sauce.

NOTE: Peanut oil works best at high temperatures but other oils can be used. Lower the heat and extend the cooking time for the roux if using canola oil.