Spicy and hearty, this vegan chicken gumbo will satisfy your craving for Cajun food with no added fat. This is one of those dishes that improves with age, so consider making it a day ahead of serving.
A couple of weeks ago, my husband suggested I make our normal chicken soup with soy curls, but I was in the mood for much spicier food. So I compromised and made a vegan “chicken” gumbo using soy curls and frozen vegetables. It came out so good that I took a photo of it and posted it to Instagram, with the question, “Can you find gumbo and mirepoix frozen vegetable mixes where you live?”
As I was afraid, most people outside the South and Southwest don’t have access to these particular frozen vegetable blends. So I got to work chopping, weighing, and measuring fresh vegetables to approximate the amounts of frozen I had used, so that I could post a recipe everyone could use.
It wasn’t easy, and in the end I wound up using frozen versions of corn and okra because most people seem to be able to find those separately. In the end, my mostly-fresh version of vegan chicken gumbo came out tasting pretty much the same as my frozen version, though the chopping adds a good bit of preparation time. On the plus side, the fresh bell peppers look much prettier than the ones in the frozen mix.
Making a Fat-Free Roux
To make an authentic gumbo, you need to use a roux. Roux provides flavor and thickness to gumbo, but normally it’s made by cooking flour in fat. But you can get a similar rich, smoky flavor by browning the flour in a skillet without all the fat and calories of a traditional roux.
It takes a little patience to brown flour for roux, and the hardest part is knowing when to stop before it’s burned. So I made a video in which I actually speak (surprise!) to guide you through the process:
About Those Mushrooms
You’ll probably be surprised to see dried mushrooms in gumbo, but I love the chewy texture they add. I bought a huge bag of mixed dried mushrooms from Amazon (thanks for the tip, Christine), and I’ve been adding them to a lot of things. For this gumbo, I didn’t even soak them first, just rinsed them well and let them soften in the gumbo.
Of course, you could also use any dried mushrooms, or fresh mushrooms, or just leave them out completely if you don’t like mushrooms. It shouldn’t affect the outcome of the gumbo. If you use fresh, I suggest using about 4 ounces.
Soy Curls?
I loooooove soy curls as a meat substitute. I buy them in bulk online and keep them in the freezer for meals such as this. You may notice that I added them dry rather than re-hydrated. I like the way they pick up the flavor from the gumbo as they cook when they start off dry.
But if you don’t like soy curls, I suggest using cooked chickpeas instead. I think 2 cans or 3-4 cups of cooked chickpeas would work. (Until I discovered soy curls, I always made gumbo with chickpeas.)
You could also add other vegan proteins to this gumbo, if you use them. Packaged or homemade vegan sausage would be delicious.
Vegan Chicken Gumbo in the Instant Pot
I know someone’s going to ask me about making this in the Instant Pot. I prefer the flavor of the gumbo when it has a chance to simmer uncovered (and it’s also amazingly better the next day.) But if you want to try it in the IP, I suggest using the sauté mode to do the first step, cooking the onion, peppers, celery, and garlic, and then cooking it at high pressure for about 10 minutes. I would also decrease the water from 4 cups to 3 and add more at the end if necessary. Perform a quick release.
More Vegan Cajun and Creole Recipes
You can find more of my low-fat, vegan Louisiana-style recipes in my Louisiana Recipes archive. Some of my favorites are
Vegan "Chicken" Gumbo with Soy Curls
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup flour (I used white whole wheat, but brown rice flour may be used)
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (use more for spicier gumbo)
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper or cayenne (use more for spicier gumbo)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base (or 3 servings of bouillon of choice)
- 4 - 5 cups water
- 12 ounces sliced okra fresh or frozen
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 2 cups soy curls (4 ounces)
- 1/2 ounce dried mixed mushrooms rinsed well and drained
- smoked salt to taste
Instructions
Dry Roux
- Heat a completely dry skillet over medium-high heat and add flour to the pan. Stir it and spread it over the surface of the pan. Stir it often, moving it around the pan so it browns evenly. Watch it closely and once it begins to smoke, stir it constantly and reduce the heat. Cook until it is nicely browned but not burned. Important: If it burns, throw it out and start again. It should take 8 - 10 minutes.
- Once it is browned, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool while you begin to prepare the gumbo. When you're ready to add it to the gumbo, whisk in 2 cups of water.
Gumbo
- Heat a 4-6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peppers, and celery and saute until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add water by the tablespoon if they begin to stick. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
- If you haven't already, whisk 2 cups of water into the browned flour. Add it to the vegetables. Add all the seasonings, soy sauce, bouillon, and 4 more cups of water. Stir in the okra, corn, soy curls, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add extra water if it looks a little dry.
- Check seasonings and add more to taste. Season to taste with smoked salt. Remove the bay leaves, ladle into a bowl, and serve with a scoop of rice.
Easy Variation with Frozen Vegetable Blends
- You can substitute 1 12-ounce package of Cajun-style Mirepoix mix for the onions, peppers, and celery, and use 2 12-ounce packages of Gumbo blend vegetables instead of the okra and corn. This variation only works if you use both frozen vegetable blends.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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janet
Can this be done in there ipot?
Susan Voisin
Yes, read the post for details.
Chloe
Can you sub fresh mushrooms for the dried?
Susan Voisin
Yes, use about 4 ounces of fresh mushrooms.
Ruchama Burrell
My mother was from Alabama and her cooking featured what is known as “the holy trinity of Southern cooking: green peppers, onion and celery. I still make my pasta sauce using them. My Yankee Daddy hated okra so she reluctantly gave it up. Making a roux is much easier if you have a roux spoon. Basically it’s a wood “spoon” that’s more like a paddle on a handle than a spoon. My mother never had one. She just used a wooden spoon. i have one and once i learned how to use it, I found roux making much easier.
Maria
Looks delicious! Great video too! xoxo
Amanda
I know it’s integral to the dish, buuuut…. what do you recommend subbing okra with, if anything? I LOVE okra, but am super allergic to it. 🙁 🙁 🙁 Thanks!
Robin Plett
Maybe you could sub zucchini? or just leave out the okra. I think zucchini would be good, if not authentic!
Tracy
Hi, do you cook the soy curls (as per their instructions) before using them in this recipe?
Thanks !
Susan Voisin
No, the soy curls cook in the gumbo, absorbing flavor.
K
The only thing more exciting than this amazing new recipe is we get to hear your wonderful voice! Thank you so much Susan. You are my hero! And I’m so sorry about Domino. I’m a cat (and dog) lover too. It’s never easy, but they make life so much more. Happy Halloween! Go Gumbo!
Katie Simmons
Susan, this is awesome! In love the videos! So fun to hear your voice and see your face (in the reflection of the induction burner, hehe). Sorry about your cat. Gumbo sounds like the perfect comfort food. Gumbo-rules. Xoxo, Chef Katie
Susan Voisin
Thanks, Katie! I wish I had realized at the time that my reflection was in the shot; I would have worn make-up, fixed my hair, and smiled a little. 😀
Angie Barrett
This sounds so yummy for the upcoming cold weather! On a scale of 1-10, how spicy hot would you say it is? My husband and I can’t do really spicy foods so I often pass on spicy recipes but this one sounds too good to not try. Just wondering if I should reduce or replace any spices.
I’m so sorry to hear about losing your furry family member! It really is a huge loss to go through.
Susan Voisin
That’s hard for me to answer because I eat such spicy food. I also made it with the higher amounts of black and red pepper, so I’m not exactly sure how spicy it is with less. My advice would be to reduce the black pepper, halve the chipotle powder, and leave out the cayenne (red pepper). After it’s cooked, you could taste it and see if you want to add any of the omitted ingredients back in.
And thanks for your condolences. ❤️
Charlie
Hi Susan
I feel like you are a old friend
I used to make your recipes when I first went vegan back in 2005/06 excited to see you are still doing your blog
How old is E now?
Susan Voisin
Welcome back! E is 22 now. 😮
Alma
Made this last night and it was wonderful. We made it with beyond meat sausage instead of soy curls.
Melinda
Susan, I think it’s time. The Louisiana Vegan: Creole and Cajun Downhome Cooking…I’d buy it.
Susan Voisin
Thanks! That’s good to know. And a snappy title!
Stephen
Can this be done in a slow cooker?
Susan Voisin
Steps 2 and 3 of the gumbo recipe could probably be done in a slow cooker, but you would have to figure out how long to cook it. The one downside is that it should probably be stirred every now and then.
Lauralyn Chrisley
I made this using the exact recipe (high side of the spices), except I subbed chickwheat shreds from Avocados and Ales for the soy curls. It. Is. DELISH!!!
Susan Voisin
I need to try her chickwheat. I hear good things about it.
Alda
What kind of flour can ou use if you need to be gluten free?
Susan Voisin
You can try using rice flour.
Jenna
Hi, are the thyme and oregano dried or fresh? Thank you.
Susan Voisin
Dried. You can use fresh, but use at least twice as much.
Cassie
This is amazing!!! As always, Susan hits it out of the park. I made exactly as written using all fresh vegetables except frozen okra. So delicious! I didn’t have smoked salt, so I added a tsp of sea salt and a few dashes of liquid smoke before serving with brown basmati. One of my new favorite recipes 🙂
Kim Baker
I agree! I missed chicken soup, but not anymore! Thank you so much , Susan, for this awesome dish! Verdad, delicioso Alimento comodidad! Ooh lala! Happy dancing in Virignia!
Jackie
Love this! I used veggie broth instead of water and a full bag of soy curls with some additional liquid. Served over brown rice in a soup bowl, with Frank’s and smoked salt. AMAZING. We will have this often. Thanks for this amazing blog! I’ve recently discovered how many fabulous recipes you have. I find myself making something from here at least once a week!