mmmm Gumbo! The quick cooking Vegan kind of Gumbo.

For Vegan Wednesday this week I experimented with Vegan Gumbo...no such thing as Vegan Gumbo you say? Well, after you tastes this recipe you will definitely change your mind. I had a really hard time finding frozen okra for this recipe but after discussing it with my critics the okra can be removed from the recipe and it would taste just as good. Okra isn't for everyone! I personally like the squishyness of it but some people have an issue with the texture.

Pictures of the gumbo while it cooked without the okra:

Picture of the gumbo while it cooked with the okra:

In the pictures above I doubled the recipe, but I'm listing the original recipe which is supposed to yield 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly

1 16 oz package frozen bell pepper strips (I found mine at Trader Joe's, they have the multi-colored bell pepper strips)

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I chose organic, no salt added diced tomatoes)

1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I only drained 1/2 of the liquid and did not rinse)

1/2 tablespoon of cajun spice

1/2 tablespoon of Chef Paul Prudhomme Blackened Redfish Magic Spice

1/2 pound Vegan sausage links cajun spiced (I did not find cajun spiced vegan sausage so I replaced with Tofurkey Spicy Italian Sausage) cut into 1 inch slices

3/4 cup rice (I chose Trader Joe's ready cooked brown organic rice)

8 ounces frozen cut okra (optional as it does add a different texture)

Hot Sauce to serve with (but it's spicy enough without the hot sauce)

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot until warm

Add garlic and saute briefly

Stir in bell peppers and cook for about 4 minutes

Stir in tomatoes, beans and seasoning spices

Bring to boil and add rice and sausage

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes

Add okra and simmer for another 10 minutes, if you are not using ready cooked rice simmer until rice is cooked and make sure to add more liquid as needed

I think this recipe would be just as delicious if you excluded the vegan sausage. It is substantial enough to provide good protein without the soy sausage.

Enjoy your gumbo!

-V