Gumbo 3 (Vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 1/4 c vegetable oil (60mL)
- 1/4 c Flour - plain (30g)
- 1/2 c chopped onion (80g)
- 1/2 c chopped green bell pepper (80g)
- 1/2 c chopped celery (50g)
- 1/2 T minced garlic (4.5g; about 2 cloves)
- 14 oz canned chopped tomatoes (420g; whatever size of can is nearest)
- 1 c green beans (120g)
- 1.5 c sliced carrot (190g; or 1 cup [130g] carrot + 1/2 cup [70g] parsnip; try potatoes next time)
- 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 T ground cumin
- 1/8 t paprika
- 1/2 T dried oregano
- 1 c water (237mL)
- 1/2 T file powder
- cooked rice (for serving)
Method
1. Stir together oil and flour in a heavy-bottomed pot until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat while stirring constantly until the mixture (which is a roux) turns a dark caramel color, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in all remaining ingredients except file and rice; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 40 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
3. Stir in filé powder; turn off heat and cover. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve over rice.
Notes
SJ Note: Filé is ground sassafrass root. You can read more about it here. I order mine from Seasoned Pioneers, though occassionally I can find it in places like Praze.
SJ Note 7 Jan 2014: This is a really strange gumbo - the carrot makes it sweet. I don't like parsnips, so used all carrot, but parsnip will also go sweet like carrot, so that won't solve this issue. The rest of the recipe is fine, so I'm thinking of trying this with potatoes next time.