Gumbo Without Meat (Seriously!)

Ingredients 0/22

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 them, stirring now and then, until the onion softens and becomes translucent—this should take about 5 minutes. Once that's done, transfer the veggies to a large bowl and set them aside.

Step 2

Add the remaining canola oil (about 1/3 cup) to the same skillet and warm it over medium heat for around 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the flour, stirring constantly. Keep it going until the roux darkens to a rich brown color and smells nutty—this part takes about 15 minutes, so be patient.

Step 3

Turn the heat down to low and gradually whisk in about a cup of vegetable broth, making sure the mixture stays smooth. Then, stir the cooked vegetable mix and the tomatoes into the skillet. Add another cup of vegetable broth and give everything a good stir.

Step 4

Now, toss in the eggplant, okra, red beans, and all your spices—salt, thyme, basil, file powder, cayenne, black pepper, paprika, cumin, liquid smoke, and the bay leaves—along with the remaining 4 cups of broth. Cover the pot and let it all simmer gently for about an hour and a half, stirring every now and then so nothing sticks.