So this week I made Garden Gumbo courtesy of Susan Voisin and Fatfree Vegan Kitchen. This dish has all the spicy enticement of a traditional Cajun gumbo without the meat.
What to Use
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green or yellow pepper, chopped (I used green.)
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable broth
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
8 ounces eggplant or other vegetables, diced*
1 pound sliced okra, fresh or frozen (I used frozen.)
1 16-ounce can chickpeas -- (drained)
1 teaspoon salt -- (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper -- (or to taste)
1-3 teaspoons Tabasco (I used 2.)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring (or chipotle chile powder to taste)
(I used 1 full teaspoon of mesquite flavored liquid smoke. This is the first time I ever used liquid smoke and let me tell you - it is mmm mmm good.)
2-3 cups additional broth or water
(I only added a 1/2 cup of additional broth.)
What To Do
In a small skillet, toast the flour over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it is a uniform tan color, about the color of whole wheat flour. (If you use whole wheat flour for this, it will of course be darker.) Be very careful not to burn it. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
(This is something I never tried before - in fact I never even thought of trying it. Quite frankly I'm not sure why the flour has to be toasted. If anyone with more cooking experience knows why, please explain!)
Spray a large non-stick pot lightly with olive oil, and sauté the onions, pepper, and celery over medium-high heat. When the vegetables begin to get brown, add the garlic and browned flour and stir to combine. Add the vegetable broth and tomatoes, stir, and add all the remaining ingredients. The gumbo should have enough liquid to resemble a chunky soup; if it is too dry, add some more vegetable broth or water. Cook for at least 30 minutes, until the flavors have a chance to mingle.
(These instructions are very easy to follow, so there isn't much to add. I will tell you that I boiled the gumbo for a bit longer than 30 minutes to make sure all the vegetables were suitably softened.)
Remove the bay leaves and serve over rice.
(I used basmati rice left over from last week because it was the only rice I had. It blended well with this dish.)
*If you use softer vegetables like zucchini or summer squash, add them after the gumbo has cooked for 15 minutes; adding them earlier will make them mushy. Carrots, eggplant, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and other longer-cooking vegetables can go in with the okra and other ingredients.
Cooking Time
Don't let the long list of ingredients fool you - this recipe was very easy to prepare. The most time consuming part of the process is chopping the vegetables, but once everything goes into the pot all you have to do is stir occasionally. It took me about 50 minutes to make this from start to finish. Not bad at all.
What I Liked About It
Like all gumbos, one of the best things about this one is the wonderful variety of ingredients. It has flavorful everyday favorites like tomatoes, onion and garlic. It has chick peas and okra. All these tastes and textures blend seamlessly together in a Cajun stew spiced with thyme, Tabasco, smoky mesquite and bay leaves. Although the recipe suggests removing the bay leaves, I recommend leaving them in the pot even when you store it. Because gumbo is one of those dishes whose flavor seems to enhance a day or two or three after all those diverse ingredients come together.
What I Didn't Like
After two days of eating the gumbo (I actually made it yesterday), I can't think of much I don't like about it. It's really quite delicious and it's simple to make. My only warning to you is that this recipe produces a massive quantity of gumbo - probably enough to feed my husband and I for a week. I even packed up three big helpings to share at work, and there is still enough gumbo left for the weekend. So if you don't know if you like gumbo, you'd better cut the recipe in half - unless you are feeding an army...of Cajuns.
Conclusion
You should definitely try this recipe, especially if you are a gardener who is capable of growing many of these ingredients in your own back yard. I can't think of a better way to enjoy the fruits and vegetables of your labor than in a big, bubbly, spicy pot of garden gumbo. Yum.
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