Vegan Gumbo

Gumbo is a Gulf State regional dish  and has been exported around the world. There's boxed, canned, and frozen gumbo.  There are  gumbo snobs,  so called experts and high handed judges.  It all seems a little too much for what originated as basic sustenance for people with meager means. It has rightfully blossomed into a quintessential signature American dish.  Now there's all types of Gumbo, chicken, shrimp, green, gator, rabbit, crayfish, or kinda what ever was around.

At the core of any gumbo is the roux.  It's very hard to do and strangely very easy once you get it down.  Roux is essentially flour sir-fried in butter until the rawness is cooked out of the flour and in the process the flour gets toasted. You have blond roux, brown roux, and brick roux.  After brick which is the color of a brick you get into a dangerous territory.  Burnt roux is like burnt caramel,  you just have to pitch it.

Well, does gumbo need to involve meat, no. There is green Gumbo which is mostly greens and it's great, but what about a pre-lent gumbo that is flavorful,  and is just as good as meat based gumbo. Is it possible to make a decent vegan gumbo. Well, let's see.

Step One: The Main Ingredients

I want to say up front nothing really special is needed.  A green pepper, frozen okra, celery, filet, canned tomatos, etc. All super market fare.  To ensure this is vegan get a vegan butter substitute.  However, if you can't find it use veggie shorting, it should be vegan. I've not tried the butter flavored, but there's nothing against a good try. If you can't find shortening, you can use veggie oil.  Shortening and the vegan butter subs work better.   The basics are salt, pepper, onion, green pepper, okra, celery, vegan butter sub, tomato paste canned whole tomatoes, vegetable stock or broth, crush red peppers, and  chick'n.

Step Two: Cutting it all up.


Cut up all your veggies and chick'n ahead of time, you wont have time.  Dice your onion, and you pepper. Mince your garlic and slice you celery.  If you okra isn't frozen cut that up too. There will be no time, and to say again, no time to do this later.   Chop up the tomatoes too.



Step Three: the Roux

Grab a pot, like a dutch oven, and melt 6 tablespoons of vegan butter sub or shortening, or the appox. amount of oil over high heat. Once melted add 2/3 cups of flour a little at a time stirring all the way on med-high heat.  Here a whisk was employed, but a spoon would do.

Stir, and stir, and stir. You can't stir enough.  You will smell the flour cooking and the flavor blossoming, and you will know you are teetering between a wonderful roux and a burnt mess. No matter what you do, no matter who calls or comes to the door, STIR!!!  And then STIR, and STIR. Not trying to be obnoxious, but STIR!!

Once you get the brick roux color reduce your flame and keep stirring. When your arms get tired, when the moon is high, and the lights are on, guess what, keep stirring.  This may be repetitive, but keep stirring.




Step Four: Add Onion and Green Peppers

After the roux is brick red and the heat has been reduced, add the onions and green pepper. It will cool to the roux down and make a sorta paste.  Keep stirring, but you'll notice it's less volatile.  The aroma will be wonderful and the veggies will have a light glisten.

Step Five: Okra, Chick'n and Celery - oh my!

After the onions etc are cooked then add the okra, chick'n and celery.  Again be sure to stir, as medium heat is still quite hot and to burn something at this time would be devastating.







Step Six: Adding Broth or Stock


Once all the goodies are in the pot, then add about 1 1/2 cups of veggie stock, a 1/4 cup at a time.  STIR, the heat is still med-high.

After a while the mixture will thicken. Keep stirring.

After about five minutes reduce the heat, and slowly stir in a teaspoon or more of filet.

Step Seven: Rest, Eat and Enjoy.