Skye Michael Conroy
Gumbo is a heavily seasoned stew-like dish that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including West African, French, Spanish, German and Choctaw. Gumbo traditionally contains spicy meat sausage, chicken and seafood; however, here we’re using nutritious and satisfying chickpeas. Kelp powder can be added to impart a subtle seafood taste, if desired.
Gumbo filé, which is dried and ground sassafras leaves, is an ingredient sometimes added to gumbo but is not included in this recipe. It imparts an earthy flavour and is also used to thicken the gumbo. After consulting a chef colleague from New Orleans who specialises in Cajun cuisine, she informed me that the filé is purely an optional ingredient. In restaurants it is often contained in a shaker on the table which gives the diner the option to use it as desired.
60ml cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
55g vegan butter or margarine
65g all-purpose flour (or rice flour for gluten-free)
8 cloves garlic, minced
950ml water
80ml tamari, soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos
60ml vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp browning liquid (optional; to enrich colour)
1 tsp liquid smoke, or more to taste
400g can diced tomatoes with juice (or peeled and chopped tomatoes)
300g frozen sliced okra
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp kelp powder (optional)
½ tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 bay leaf
Sea salt or kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste
4 spring onions, chopped, white and green parts
30g chopped flat leaf parsley plus chopped leaves for garnish
Gumbo is a heavily seasoned stew-like dish that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including West African, French, Spanish, German and Choctaw. Gumbo traditionally contains spicy meat sausage, chicken and seafood; however, here we’re using nutritious and satisfying chickpeas. Kelp powder can be added to impart a subtle seafood taste, if desired.
Gumbo filé, which is dried and ground sassafras leaves, is an ingredient sometimes added to gumbo but is not included in this recipe. It imparts an earthy flavour and is also used to thicken the gumbo. After consulting a chef colleague from New Orleans who specialises in Cajun cuisine, she informed me that the filé is purely an optional ingredient. In restaurants it is often contained in a shaker on the table which gives the diner the option to use it as desired.
1. Prepare your mise en place (assemble and measure all ingredients).
2. Heat the oil in a large cooking pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add the butter or margarine and stir until melted. Sprinkle in the flour, stir to combine and cook until the flour emits a nutty aroma, about 2 minutes.
3. Incorporate the water in increments while stirring vigorously. Stir in the tamari, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, tomatoes with liquid, okra, chickpeas, thyme, optional kelp powder, cayenne and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat; partially cover and simmer for a minimum of 1 hour. While the gumbo is cooking, prepare white or brown rice, your choice, and keep warm until ready to serve.
4. Five minutes before serving, stir the green onions and parsley into the gumbo (reserve a little for garnishing). Add salt, black pepper or additional cayenne, kelp powder and/or liquid smoke as desired to taste. To serve, place a scoop of white or brown rice into serving bowls and ladle in the gumbo. Garnish with green onions and parsley.
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