Plant-Based Gumbo (No Way!)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 8 stalks celery, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 eggplant, peeled and chopped
• 6 cups chopped okra
• 1 (15 ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon gumbo file powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups vegetable broth, divided

Step 1

Heat a tablespoon of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion, bell peppers, celery, and garlic, and cook, stirring now and then, until the onion softens and becomes translucent—this usually takes about 5 minutes. Once that’s done, transfer the veggies to a large bowl and set them aside for a bit.

Step 2

Heat the remaining canola oil in the same skillet over medium heat for about half a minute. Slowly whisk in the flour, stirring constantly. Keep going until the roux turns a rich, dark color and smells nutty—this should take around 15 minutes, so be patient and don’t rush it.

Step 3

Turn the heat down to low and gradually add about a cup of vegetable broth while whisking to keep things smooth. Then, stir the cooked vegetables and canned tomatoes into the skillet. Add another cup of broth and mix everything together well.

Step 4

Now it’s time to add the eggplant, okra, red beans, and all the spices—salt, thyme, basil, file powder, cayenne, black pepper, paprika, cumin, liquid smoke, and bay leaves—along with the rest of the broth. Give everything a good stir, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking.