Vegetarian Gumbo

I often sit around watching cooking shows and think, "If only that didn't have meat...". Gumbo is one of them. For whatever reason, when Emeril talks about his gumbo from the south, I'm intrigued. His seems to be derived from shellfish and andouille sausage, which seems typical of the southern recipe. Even if I did eat meat, I'm allergic to shellfish, so it aint ever gonna happen for me in this lifetime. That being said, the creamy, vegetable-filled, stew like dream of gumbo was too tempting for me not to attempt on my own.

Hubby and I made this a while ago, but I didn't think about blogging about it until last night when we made it once again. I have no recipe other than what we did on our own, based loosely on traditional gumbo. The only real challenge is getting the roux just right in thickness, but you can eye it to match your preference. This recipe really is fun, and it's a great addition to a vegetarian diet instead of a typical pasta dish.

Ready for rice!

INGREDIENTS

1 large bell pepper (we used green)
1 small onion
5 stalks of celery
1 stick butter (or 1/2 stick and 1/4 cup margarine...it needs to total 1 cup total)
1 package soy chorizo from Trader Joe's
1/2 jalapeño, sliced and oven roasted (to reduce the heat a bit)
1-2 cups of stock (we used veggie)
1 cup rice (we used brown)
Salt & pepper to taste
Green onion for garnish

1.) If using brown rice, follow directions on box or bag to cook. Brown takes ~40 min., so start cooking before you begin the rest of the gumbo. If white rice is used, you can use your judgement.

2) Heat 1/2 butter/margarine mixture in a large pot over medium hear. Sweat and sauté pepper, onion, and celery in pot until soft but still with a bit of chew. Throw in the jalapeños.

3.) While the veggies sweat, brown the soy chorizo over medium heat in a shallow sauce or sauté pan. Sit the chorizo in the hot pan and DON'T MOVE IT until it's browned on the bottom. The char gives the chorizo and subsequent gumbo a yummy taste. Obviously you can cook it however you like, but I highly recommend this method. The chorizo is crumbly, so don't fret if it doesn't stay together in the pan.

4.) Add flour to mixture to make a roux. It should be a 1:1 ratio (If you put in 1/2 cup of butter, add 1/2 cup of flour). Mix right away so flour is absorbed into butter and thickens the mixture. No clumps of flour should appear. If there are clumps, add more margarine or butter until the flour is absorbed.

5.) Once the mixture is nice and thick, add the stock one cup at a time. The veggie mixture should absorb it and make a stew-like mixture.

6.) Add the chorizo to the gumbo mixture. Mix to combine and top over a scoop of rice. Garnish with chopped green onion, and enjoy!!

***I will say, my leftovers were really yummy when I added a crispy factor. We had corn guacamole sticks from my mother-in-law and the crunch added a great texture to the gumbo. Totally up to the individual though.