Vegan Gumbo

The best Vegan Gumbo recipe that brings the flavors of Louisiana right to your kitchen! This easy, thick, and hearty stew is packed with traditional Creole and Cajun spices, plus classic Southern veggies like okra, celery, onion, and bell pepper staying true to its authentic New Orleans roots! A naturally gluten-free, allergy-free, and completely plant-based meal everyone will love!

Thick, hearty, packed with veggies, and perfectly spiced this authentic New Orleans-style vegan gumbo will blow your mind! You won't miss the meat or seafood in this recipe, nor do you need gluten-filled flour for a perfect roux. Like any good Southern recipe, this dish has no exact origin and combines a delicious mix of African, French, Spanish, Native American, Caribbean, and German influences. Now we're adding a meatless take to the dish while keeping as much tradition as possible!

What Is Gumbo?

There are different regional versions of gumbo, but the basic definition is a thick, savory stew that is heavily spiced and contains a mix of meat and seafood like chicken, Andouille sausage, crab, shrimp, etc. The sauce or gravy of the dish is thickened with a rich dark roux (Cajun uses oil and flour, while Creole uses butter and flour) and/or okra. The holy trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery is used, and in Creole-style gumbos you'll often find tomatoes (Creole is also more seafood-heavy). Spices and aromatics include bay leaves, filé powder (ground sassafrass leaves), cayenne pepper, garlic, thyme, parsley, and green onions.

Can Gumbo Be Vegan?

This vegan gumbo recipe is still hearty and full-flavored without meat or seafood. Fully plant-based without any mock meat or soy, just whole food ingredients! We are replacing the animal protein with kidney beans, potatoes, and hearts of palm. This trifecta provides meaty textures and protein to the stew, plus reduces the need for extra cooking time since we're taking the lazy way and using canned ingredients. The roux is made with gluten-free flour and vegan butter for a thick, rich, hearty stew that will stick to your bones. This plant-based recipe is also:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Budget-Friendly & Great For a Crowd
• Healthy, Quick, & Easy
• Meal Prep, Make-Ahead, & Freezer-friendly
• Delicious Weeknight Dinner with Great Leftovers For Lunch

Ingredients For Vegan Gumbo

• The Holy Trinity Vegetables: The essential veggie base in Cajun cooking is onion, green bell pepper, and celery. Used in a 1 to 1 to 1 ratio, these three veggies are in many classic dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and étouffée.
• Okra: Used as a thickening agent due to the gel-like substance it contains, called mucilage. It's also an essential Southern veggie that's hearty and delicious, making it even more perfect for vegetarian gumbo! Pro Tip: Use frozen okra! It comes pre-sliced and just needs to be thawed before adding it to the gumbo.
• Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Canned fire-roasted tomatoes for a deep, richer, smokier flavor than plain diced tomatoes. Since we're not using sausage, the smokiness of the char helps deepen the flavor of the stew.
• Gluten-Free Roux: Any all-purpose gluten-free flour you have on hand, plus vegan butter. You can swap the butter for oil if you prefer, but I love the added richness of the butter in this plant-based gumbo. You can even do half vegan butter and half oil!
• Meatless Trinity: Kidney beans, white potatoes, and hearts of palm. Kidney beans are a protein-packed Southern staple (think red beans and rice), canned whole potatoes are a hearty soup essential and so budget-friendly, while hearts of palm are one of the best vegan seafood swaps you'll ever use!
• Vegetable Stock: You'll need some liquid in your gumbo and the best way to add a ton of easy depth and flavor is with a low-sodium veggie stock!
• Garlic + Bay Leaves: Two essential aromatic ingredients include fresh minced garlic cloves and bay leaves.
• Seasonings: You can use a pre-mixed cajun seasoning to make this easier on yourself or include individual spices and herbs such as parsley, dried thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, salt, and filé powder (if you're able to get your hands on some!)

Ingredient Variations

• No Tomatoes: If you want to go the traditional Cajun route, you can skip the can of diced tomatoes. If you still want the flavor without actual tomato chunks, you can add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste.
• Other Meaty Veggies: If you don't like kidney beans, potatoes, or hearts of palm, some other meatless but hearty options include: canned plain artichoke hearts, chopped mushrooms, canned jackfruit, or other legumes like pinto beans or black-eyed peas.
• Other Veggies: You can add some dark leafy greens like collard greens or kale. Canned corn, green beans, or sliced zucchini/yellow squash would be delicious additions as well.
• Hot Sauce: If you want a spicy gumbo, add a splash of your favorite Luisiana hot sauce like Crystal!

How To Make Vegan Gumbo

Making The Gluten-Free Roux:

1. Add the vegan butter to a large soup pot over medium heat, allowing it to melt before adding the gluten-free flour.
2. Stir the mixture together until you have a thick paste and allow it to continue cooking until it thins out and the flour gets a nutty scent and brown color. Be careful not to burn it or you'll need to start over.

 

3. Next, add the holy trinity veggies along with the garlic and okra. Mix together so everything is coated in the roux and allow the veggies to soften.
4. Add the kidney beans, diced potatoes, hearts of palm, tomatoes, bay leaves, and aromatics. Stir everything together before adding the vegetable stock.

5. Allow the gumbo to simmer for about 20 minutes until it thickens up. At this point taste the sauce and season with extra salt and pepper if needed. If you'd like a thinner sauce, add more vegetable stock, otherwise, remove the pot from the heat and serve with a scoop of white rice, fresh scallions, and chopped parsley.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Don't burn the roux! It needs to be stirred often enough to prevent it from burning. The roux can take 10-20 minutes to cook properly, but you don't want to burn the flour by letting it sit in one position in the pan.
• The gumbo thickens even more after it is done cooking. I prefer my gumbo to be thick, but if you want a looser sauce and more of a soupy texture, you can increase the amount of veggie broth used.
• Adjust any of the seasonings after the gumbo has cooked. This allows time for the natural flavors of the veggies to infuse throughout the stew and to prevent you from over-seasoning (i.e. too much salt).

How To Serve Vegan Gumbo

Authentic gumbo is traditionally served with a scoop of white rice! Ladle your vegan gumbo into a bowl with a scoop of white rice. Top it with fresh sliced scallions and chopped parsley. Add an extra splash of hot sauce if you want some extra warmth in your bowl. You can always serve the gumbo with cauliflower rice or brown rice. It also goes with a slice of gluten-free cornbread or this jalapeño cornbread.

Other side dishes that go well with this hearty Southern stew are air fryer okra, air fryer hush puppies, Southern potato salad, Southern squash casserole, vegan coleslaw, or old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits!

Storage & Freezing Instructions

• Storage: Once cooled to room temperature, you can store leftover gumbo in a closed container in the fridge for about 5 days. To reheat the gumbo you can add it back to a pot with a few tablespoons of water and heat until warmed through. The water helps loosen the sauce from being chilled in the fridge. You can also zap individual servings in the microwave when you're short on time!
• Freezing: You can freeze leftover or make-ahead gumbo in an airtight freezer-safe container, leaving some room at the top for expansion, for about 6 months. You can also freeze the New Orleans gumbo flat in freezer bags for easy stacking and storing once frozen solid. Allow the meatless gumbo to thaw overnight in the fridge, before reheating it on the stove in a pot with a few tablespoons of water to get it moving again.

More Vegan Southern Recipes:

• Southern Vegan Banana Pudding
• Easy Vegan Dirty Rice
• Easy Louisiana Red Beans & Rice
• Southern Carrot Raisins Salad
• Vegan Corn Casserole
• Southern Pineapple Casserole
• New Orleans King Cake
• Bananas Foster

Print

Rich with unique history and regional variations, this New Orleans-style vegan gumbo will be a meatless staple even the biggest traditionalists will fall in love with!

So tell me:

+ What are your gumbo must-haves?

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