A hearty low-fat plant-based gumbo, packed with vegetables and all the Cajun flavors without all the fat in a roux and the animal protein. It's untraditional, sure, but oh! it's good!



Fresh & Seasonal. A Cajun Classic. Great for Meal Prep. Low Fat. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Easily Gluten Free. A hearty low-fat plant-based gumbo, packed with vegetables and all the Cajun flavors without all the fat in a roux and the animal protein. It's untraditional, sure, but oh! it's good!

A Little Backstory

Vegan Cajun Recipes: A Rarity

A Word About the Okra

A Word About Spiciness

COMPLIMENTS!

"I will be making this many more times." ~ Shawn

Could I pick 'em or what? Way back in the early days of blogging, it was a "thing" to invite fledgling bloggers to share a recipe on our food blogs.So I invited SusanV from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen to write a guest post for A Veggie Venture. Her blog was not even a month old! Now, of course, Fatfree Vegan Kitchen is the source of inspiration for a wide and passionate community of vegan eaters.But I'd never made Susan's Chickpea Gumbo myself. Then I did. Whoa – was I ever missing out,. I made it once and was very sorry to not be able to make another batch right away! This is one of the best things I've made in a long time! It would be a great choice for a Mardi Gras party!Looking for ideas for Mardi Gras? Check out Mardi Gras recipes Without further ado, please welcome SusanV from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen in her own words:





RECIPE for VEGAN CHICKPEA GUMBO Hands-on time: 30 minutes

Time to table: 50 minutes

Makes 11 cups

2 teaspoons olive oil (or 2 tablespoons water or broth)

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 tablespoon flour (use yellow cornmeal for gluten-free)



1 28-ounce can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice

2 cups vegetable broth



16 ounces sliced okra, fresh or frozen

1 16-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon Tabasco

1 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper



1-2 cups additional broth or water



In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmery, then sauté the onions, pepper, and celery in the olive oil, stirring often. When the onions begin to get translucent, add the flour and stir continuously, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the flour begins to brown slightly. Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth, Stir in remaining ingredients.



The gumbo should have enough liquid to resemble a chunky soup; if it is too dry, add some more vegetable broth or water. Cook uncovered for at least 30 minutes, until the flavors have a chance to mingle. Remove the bay leaves and serve over rice.



SUSAN's TIPS

To cut out the fat entirely, use a couple tablespoons of water or vegetable broth to sauté the vegetables. You may not be able to get the flour to brown without oil, so just continue with the recipe and add the broth and tomatoes.

I sometimes add a little vegan sausage along with the okra and seasonings ingredients. I use half a package of Gimme Lean brand “sausage” and brown it in a non-stick pan gitdy.



ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES

FOR FLAVOR I use a whole tablespoon of olive oil with the onion, pepper and celery. When developing this master recipe for

FOR LESS SPICINESS I use only 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and the milder green (vs red) Tabasco. Even so, the Chickpea Gumbo is plenty spicy, even served with rice, which moderates the heat a little.

FROZEN OKRA I use frozen okra from Pictsweet, they sell two kinds, whole okra which are AWFUL and sliced okra with tomato which are VERY GOOD! Go figure.

HOW MUCH BROTH? I use four cups of broth, then let the gumbo cook for a good hour, cooking down and concentrating flavors.

CHICKPEA GUMBO WITHOUT CHICKPEAS? Funny thing, I don't think the chickpeas add much flavor-wise and even texture-wise. So if you don't need the plant-based protein and would like to reduce the calories, I'd happily recommend omitting the chickpeas.



2 teaspoons olive oil (or 2 tablespoons water or broth)1 large onion, chopped1 medium green pepper, chopped2 celery ribs, chopped1 tablespoon flour (use yellow cornmeal for gluten-free)1 28-ounce can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice2 cups vegetable broth16 ounces sliced okra, fresh or frozen1 16-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained2 bay leaves1 tablespoon Tabasco1 teaspoon thyme1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)1/2 teaspoon black pepper1-2 cups additional broth or waterIn a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmery, then sauté the onions, pepper, and celery in the olive oil, stirring often. When the onions begin to get translucent, add the flour and stir continuously, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the flour begins to brown slightly. Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth, Stir in remaining ingredients.The gumbo should have enough liquid to resemble a chunky soup; if it is too dry, add some more vegetable broth or water. Cook uncovered for at least 30 minutes, until the flavors have a chance to mingle. Remove the bay leaves and serve over rice.SUSAN's TIPSTo cut out the fat entirely, use a couple tablespoons of water or vegetable broth to sauté the vegetables. You may not be able to get the flour to brown without oil, so just continue with the recipe and add the broth and tomatoes.I sometimes add a little vegan sausage along with the okra and seasonings ingredients. I use half a package of Gimme Lean brand “sausage” and brown it in a non-stick pan gitdy.ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTESFOR FLAVOR I use a whole tablespoon of olive oil with the onion, pepper and celery. When developing this master recipe for How to Make Homemade Vegetable Soup , I learned how important oil and time are to really let these aromatics turn golden, the source of so much flavor.FOR LESS SPICINESS I use only 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and the milder green (vs red) Tabasco. Even so, the Chickpea Gumbo is plenty spicy, even served with rice, which moderates the heat a little.FROZEN OKRA I use frozen okra from Pictsweet, they sell two kinds, whole okra which are AWFUL and sliced okra with tomato which are VERY GOOD! Go figure.HOW MUCH BROTH? I use four cups of broth, then let the gumbo cook for a good hour, cooking down and concentrating flavors.CHICKPEA GUMBO WITHOUT CHICKPEAS? Funny thing, I don't think the chickpeas add much flavor-wise and even texture-wise. So if you don't need the plant-based protein and would like to reduce the calories, I'd happily recommend omitting the chickpeas.