Holy Trinity Louisiana Gumbo
"GUMBO" is a nice word to say and it's also a nice meal to eat. In fact, it's not just "nice" it's downright delicious! Vegan Gumbo is more or less our new favourite meal and if you cook it, it may well be yours too! This is a great plant-based family meal and a really easy vegan recipe too! The full recipe is in BISH BASH BOSH! which is available now. Order your copy here.
Serves
Ingredients
For the recipe
<item-todo-done>4 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 tbsp plain flour<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp tomato purée<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp apple cider vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp smoked paprika<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp dried oregano<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp Tabasco<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 celery stick<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 green bell peppers<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>300g okra<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>250g chestnut mushrooms<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 sprigs of fresh thyme<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>¼ tsp salt - plus a little extra<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp cayenne pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>750ml vegetable stock<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 fresh bay leaves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>240g can of kidney beans<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 spring onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>500g cooked basmati rice - or 2 x 250g bags of microwaveable rice<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Large casserole dish | Fine grater or Microplane
First get all your veg ready
- Peel the onions
- Trim the celery
- Cut the peppers in half and cut out the stems and seeds
- Roughly chop the onions, peppers and celery into small pieces
- Peel and finely grate the garlic
- Trim the okra and cut into 1cm-thick slices
- Quarter the mushrooms
- Finely chop the tomatoes
- Roughly chop the thyme (if the stem is woody, remove the leaves by running your thumb and forefinger from the top to the base of the stem)
Next, fry the veg
- Put the casserole dish on a medium heat and pour in the oil
- Once the dish is hot, add the onion, celery, peppers and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- Sweat for about 10 minutes, until softened
- Add the garlic, okra and mushrooms and fry for a further 7–10 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the flour and stir to combine
- Cook for another 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning, until golden brown (don’t stop cooking too early, this browning is what gives your gumbo its rich colour)
Then add the rest of the gumbo ingredients
- Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée to the pan and stir for 2 minutes
- Add the apple cider vinegar, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano and Tabasco and stir for 2 minutes
- Pour in the vegetable stock
- Add the bay leaves and kidney beans, reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cook for 30–35 minutes, until the broth is thick and hearty, stirring occasionally to make sure the bottom doesn’t catch
- Taste and season with salt and pepper
Serve and enjoy!
- Heat the rice or cook it following the instructions on the packet
- Trim and thinly slice the spring onions and sprinkle over the gumbo
- Serve with the rice