Hearty, and rich with complex flavor, I’m here to tell you, you can make delicious Vegetarian Gumbo! My gumbo recipe is made on the stove top, in one pot featuring an easy to make roux, the “holy trinity” of onion, celery and green bell pepper, spices like smoky paprika, black pepper and cayenne, with garlic, okra, tomatoes, tender cauliflower and plump kidney beans. It’s finished with a touch of hot sauce and liquid smoke to tie all the flavors together.
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Classic Gumbo Made Vegetiarian
I learned about Creole and Cajun style food early in my college days. A friend from Louisiana introduced the flavors of this cuisine to me during weekend cooking sessions. When I adopted a vegetarian way of eating, I brought those Cajun and Creole flavors with me and haven’t looked back.
You may know a few inspired recipes here on the blog, like this reader favorite Vegetarian Dirty Rice, and this one pot Cajun Stewed Black Eyed Peas recipe. After a lot of testing and iterations of this recipe, my classic vegetable gumbo is ready!
This Recipe Is
- rich and hearty
- not *too* spicy
- made with an easy roux (it truly is easy!)
Cornbread is a delicious side with this dish. Since it’s a little sweet, it complements gumbo’s spicy flavors. And, you’ll need something to mop up all that stewy gravy anyway. Here on the blog, find my Fluffy Brown Rice, skillet Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread and Buttery Sourdough Cornbread.
About the Key Ingredients
- Holy Trinity: in Creole and Cajun cuisine, onion, bell pepper and celery is considered the “holy trinity.” It’s the foundation for many classic dishes including gumbo.
- Okra: my recipe calls for fresh or frozen okra. It’s cooked with the veggies to reduce its mucilaginous texture, but also, this is the same feature of okra that aids in thickening gumbo.
- Cauliflower: unconventional in gumbo but, in vegetarian cooking, it’s cauliflower that’s a tasty textural stand in for succulent seafood, such as shrimp. It’s tender and mild in flavor, perfect for carrying the rich flavors of gumbo.
- Cooked Kidney Beans: I love the hearty and sturdy texture kidney beans add to this dish. I tested black eyed peas and lentils in this recipe because I’m a big fan of both, but their size and texture got lost among the other ingredients. Kidney beans stand out in part due to their chunky size and hearty texture.
- Liquid Smoke: for a vegetarian smoky flavor, this is my secret ingredient. Liquid Smoke offers a subtle yet effective stand in for any smoky flavor meat could deliver. Look for a brand with the simplest ingredients (and ones you can pronounce).
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How to Make Vegetarian Gumbo
step by step
Authenticity Note: Gumbo has a rich history, and there are many variations. I do not submit my recipe as authentic, since it’s vegetarian. Rather, it’s an inspired recipe based on the flavors I came to know and love this dish for.
My vegetable gumbo recipe is Creole inspired due to the addition of fire roasted tomatoes and tomato paste as well as herby aromatics like thyme and oregano. Tomatoes add a component of sweet and acidity that balances the spicy flavors in this style of gumbo.
Traci’s Tips
- Cook Pot: you’ll need a large heavy bottom cook pot for this recipe since we’re cooking a lot of veggies. They’re bulky initially, but will cook down.
- The Roux: when making the roux, stay close to the stove and pay attention to the heat, aroma and color. While cooking, the mixture should smell nutty and rich. Never smoking or burnt. Low heat and slow cooking is key. If overcooked, there’s no bringing it back. You have to start over.
- How Spicy?: I wouldn’t call this recipe spicy as written, although it does have an assertive heat. Share with Tabasco on the table so those who love spicy flavors can douse their gumbo as needed!
Vegetarian Gumbo with Okra
My gumbo recipe is made on the stove top, in one pot featuring an easy to make roux, the holy trinity of onion, celery and green bell pepper, spices like smoky paprika, black pepper and cayenne, with garlic, okra, tomatoes, tender cauliflower and plump kidney beans. It's finished with a touch of hot sauce and liquid smoke to tie all the flavors together. Total recipe time includes some multitasking. Get the roux cookin' then chop the onion, pepper and celery. Once in the pot, prep the remaining ingredients while holy trinity cooks.
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) Unsalted Butter, *use plant butter for dairy free / vegan
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) All Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup (100 grams) Yellow Onion, diced medium, about 1/2 a large onion
- 3/4 cup (100 grams) Celery, sliced thin, about 2 ribs
- 1 1/4 cups (155 grams) Green Bell Pepper, diced small, about 1 large bell pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoons Minced Garlic, about 4 plump cloves
- 2 1/2 cups (10 ounces / 283 grams) Sliced Frozen Okra, about one small bag*
- 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 1/8 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon each Dried Thyme, Dried Oregano
- 3 teaspoons Smoky Paprika
- 1 can (411 grams) Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 2 cans (425 grams ea) Cooked Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups (300 grams) Cauliflower Florets, cut into chunky bite size pieces, about one 3/4 pound head
- 2 1/2 cups (535 grams) Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Liquid Smoke
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco, + more to taste
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- Optional Fresh Chopped Parsley and Sliced Green Onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the Roux: In a large 7 Quart Dutch oven (affiliate link) or heavy bottom soup pot, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Once melted, sprinkle in flour and cook on medium, whisking often, until it starts to turn lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low to low and cook an additional 10-13 minutes whisking often and adjusting the heat as needed. Cook until it turns a peanut butter color. The consistency will be thin, and smell nutty. It can burn easily, so low heat is key.
- Once the roux is a peanut butter color, add the onions, celery and bell pepper. Stir to coat the veggies in roux and cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened, stirring occasionally with a wood spoon.
- Stir in the tomato paste, coating the veggies. Cook for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and okra and continue cooking for about 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the okra is thawed.
- Add the cayenne and black pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, and paprika. Cook, stirring until incorporated throughout the veggies, about 1 minute.
- To the pot, add the tomatoes, kidney beans, cauliflower and broth. Add the liquid smoke, Tabasco and bay leaves. Stir gently and throughly. Bring to a heavy simmer, lid the pot and reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring a few times to prevent sticking for 25 minutes (if sticking too much, reduce heat). Remove the lid and continue cooking at a low simmer for 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly (you can cook it a few minutes longer to thicken further). The cauliflower and okra will be tender, and the stew fragrant when done. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Add more salt to taste (I always add a bit more).
- Share with Tabasco on the side, cornbread (like my Jalapeno Cheddar Skillet Cornbread or Sourdough Cornbread) and white or my easy Brown Rice. Optionally garnish with chopped parsley and/or chopped green onions.
- To Store: store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to two weeks. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Gently reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
Notes
*Okra: Use fresh or frozen in this recipe. If using frozen, sort out the tough ends and discard them. For fresh – trim ends and discard, slice chunky crosswise.
Recipe inspired by Veganomicon (affiliate link) with support for making a roux from Mike at Chili Pepper Madness.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 991mg | Potassium: 863mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1618IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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