Made a big ol' pot of Vegan Gumbo for the Alive Expo this past weekend. Folks seemed to enjoy it, even though (or maybe because) we didn't use any okra! I still started with a quick roux and finished with file, so the heart of the gumbo was still beating even without it's namesake ingredient. The word gumbo is derived from an African term for okra. I certainly had a good time and I hope y'all did too!
If you whip up a batch, let me know how it turns out!
Vegan Gumbo
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, leaves removed, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 Tbs flour
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 32-oz box of Pacific Natural Foods Organic French Onion Soup
1 Tbs cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 pkg of chorizo or spicy style meatless sausages, cut into pieces
1 pkg of chicken or stir fry style seitan, broken into bite sized pieces
1 Tbs file (to taste)
In a large soup pot heat the olive oil and saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add the flour and stir continuously until the flour has taken on a toasty aroma. Stir in the diced tomatoes and French Onion Soup scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot to enhance the soup’s flavor. Add bay leaves, cayenne pepper, soy sausage and seitan. Simmer at least 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Just before serving, stir in a bit of file which will thicken the gumbo and add authentic flavor. Serve with rice.
