Vegan Gumbo

Louisiana Inspired Rich and flavorful Stew with Vegan Sausage and Cajun Spices

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 ribs celery, medium dice

2 small green bell pepper, medium diced

2 small white onion, medium diced

8 ounces beer

4 cup water

2 teaspoons better than bouillon vegetable stock paste

2 bay leaves

1 pound vegan sausage (Tofurky Beer-brats), cut into ½ inch wheels

1 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 can Great Great Northern Bean, drained and rinsed

1 can Kidney bean, drained and rinsed

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Cooked white rice, for serving

Sliced scallions, for garnish

Procedures

Mix together the 2 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon Vegetable stock paste and 4 cups of water together. Set aside until needed.

In a large pot, heat about a tablespoon of oil to medium high. When the oil starts to slightly smoke, add the vegan sausage to the pan in an even layer. You might have to cook these in two batches to prevent overcrowding. Once a good sear forms of the bottom of the sausage, flip the sausages over. When both sides are browned, remove the sausages from the pan and set aside for later.

Have all of the mise en place (prepped vegetables and vegetable stock) ready before starting your roux. Make the roux by heating ½ cup of oil in the same pot used for the sausages to medium high. Once the oil starts to smoke slightly, add the flour and whisk constantly. Remove the pot from the burn if the oil becomes too hot and the flour is cooking too fast.

Once the flour is chocolatey-brown and smells like burnt toast, dump in the chopped onion, bell pepper, and onion. Stir and saute until the vegetables are sweated and almost translucent. Add the garlic and bay leaf and cook for about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pot by drizzling in the beer while mixing.

Cook for bout 30 seconds, then slowly pour the vegetable stock into the pot while stirring. Do NOT add all the vegetable stock all at once. This will cause the flour to lump together and create a lumpy stew. Once all the vegetable stock is mixed in; add the sausages, kidney beans, great northern beans, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika into the pot.

Cover the pot and let simmer for at least an hour on low heat. The longer the gumbo cooks the better the flavor will become.

Serve hot with rice and chopped green onion.