Vegan Gumbo with Spicy Red Bean Meatballs

This vegan gumbo is packed with juicy tomatoes, Cajun spices, and hearty red beans and ooey-gooey meatballs! Serve with rice for a hearty and flavor-packed vegan meal!

I had vegetarian gumbo on my to-do list for a while and had some okra in my fridge. i never just happens To keep okra in the fridge, but I saw some in the produce department at my supermarket the other day and bought it on a whim. A recipe is the perfect excuse to get to work!

This gumbo is made with vegan meatballs (beanballs if you prefer). Traditional gumbo doesn’t have meatballs, but we’re rule breakers here.

Some versions of traditional gumbo include andouille sausage, but homemade vegan sausage is a big project that I think most of us want to tackle with weeknight meals.

Having said that, if you’re in a real hurry, there are faster options than meatballs. Try store-bought vegan sausage, seitan or even a can of red beans.

Ingredients you will need

• Olive oil. Use another high-heat oil like avocado oil, coconut oil, or canola oil if you want.
• All-purpose flour. Whole wheat flour works too.
• onion
• bell pepper
• Celery.
• garlic
• Vegetable broth.
• Fire roasted tomatoes. Regular old canned diced tomatoes will work if these are not available.
• the okra Use fresh okra if you can find it. Otherwise, frozen okra works well. Frozen orca is partially cooked, so thaw it and add it to the pot when you have about ten minutes left in the cooking time of your gumbo.
• Vegan Worcestershire Sauce. Most Worcestershire sauces contain anchovies, so be careful here. Whole Foods, Anise and Edward & Sons brands are all vegan. You can also use homemade vegan Worcestershire sauce (it’s easy!).
• spices. You will need paprika, cumin (for the beanballs only), thyme, oregano, black pepper, cayenne and a bay leaf.
• Salt.
• Red kidney beans.
• Panko breadcrumbs.
• I am Willow Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if you prefer.
• liquid smoke You can find it near barbecue sauce at the grocery store. It’s completely vegetarian and will add a lot of smoky flavor to your red bean meatballs.
• Braised sauce. I like Crystal or Tabasco sauce with my vegan gumbo.
• the rice Gumbo is traditionally served with rice. I went with basic small grain brown rice, but feel free to use your favorite.
• Scallions Also known as green onion.

Tip: One ingredient I didn’t include but you’ll find in many traditional gumbo recipes is filet, a powder made from sassafras leaves that primarily acts as a thickener. If you want to serve your gumbo with filet, add a few teaspoons toward the end of cooking, or sprinkle some on each bowl when serving.

How is it made?

Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. If you want to skip the recipe, scroll all the way down!

• First make your roux. Heat the oil in a large pot and whisk in the flour. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly and starts to smell nutty.

• Stir in chopped onion, celery and bell pepper. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften, then add the garlic and fry briefly until it becomes very fragrant.

Suggestion: Your roux is the thickener for your vegetarian gumbo, so don’t skip it or skimp on flour or oil.

• Stir in your broth, tomatoes, okra, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings.

• Increase the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Now lower the heat and let your gumbo simmer until the vegetables are tender and the base thickens.

• While the gumbo is simmering, make the beanballs. Place the beans in the bowl of a food processor, along with the panko breadcrumbs, soy sauce, liquid smoke, paprika, cumin, thyme, oregano, and black pepper.
• Briefly mix the ingredients.

• Roll the bean mixture into balls, then brush or sprinkle with some oil.
• Bake the balls until lightly browned, flipping once or twice during baking.

• Remove the bay leaves from your gumbo and season with salt and hot sauce to taste.
• Divide the meatballs among the bowls, then ladle the gumbo over them. Serve each bowl with a scoop of rice and a sprinkle of chopped scallions.

Remaining and storage

Leftover vegan gumbo will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. I recommend storing the stew separately from the meatballs (they get soggy!).

More Vegan Cajun Recipes

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Vegan Gumbo with Andouille Red Bean Meatballs

This vegan gumbo is packed with juicy tomatoes, Cajun spices, and hearty red beans and ooey-gooey meatballs! Serve it with rice for a hearty and flavor-packed vegan meal!

total time 1 hours 5 minutes

material

For vegan gumbo

• ¼
  the cup
  olive oil
• ⅓
  the cup
  All-purpose flour
• 1
  medium onion,
  to cut
• 1
  green bell pepper,
  to cut
• 2
  celery stalks,
  to cut
• 3
  garlic cloves,
  minced meat
• 4
  the cup
  Vegetable broth
• 1
  (14 oz/400 g) can
  Fire roasted tomatoes
• 2
  the cup
  fresh okra,
  Tails and caps removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (measure after cutting) (Note 1)
• 2
  table spoon
  Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 2
  teaspoon
  Paprika
• 2
  teaspoon
  dried thyme
• 1
  teaspoon
  Bell pepper
• 1
  teaspoon
  Dried oregano
• 1
  bay leaf
• pepper,
  to taste (I used ½ teaspoon)
• salt,
  to test
• jhal sauce,
  to test

For Anduille Red Bean Meatballs

• 1
  (14 oz/400 g) can
  red kidney beans,
  drained and rinsed
• 1 ½
  the cup
  panko breadcrumbs
• 1
  small onion,
  Cut approx
• 2
  garlic cloves,
  minced meat
• 1
  table spoon
  I am Willow
• ½
  teaspoon
  liquid smoke
• 1
  teaspoon
  Paprika
• 1
  teaspoon
  cumin
• 1
  teaspoon
  dried thyme
• 1
  teaspoon
  Dried oregano
• 1
  teaspoon
  Bell pepper
• salt,
  to test
• olive oil,
  For brushing or spraying (about 1 teaspoon)

to serve

• cooked rice
• Chopped scallions

instructions

to make gumbo

1. Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place over medium heat.

2. Whisk in the flour. Cook the dough, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly in color and begins to smell nutty, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in onion, pepper and celery. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften, stirring frequently to prevent the flour from burning.

4. Add the garlic to the pot and cook with the vegetables for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.

5. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, okra, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, thyme, pepper, oregano, cayenne and bay leaf. Increase the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.

6. Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

To make meatballs

1. While the gumbo is cooking, preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet or oven-safe skillet.

2. Place all ingredients except salt and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Stir the machine until the ingredients are finely chopped and well mixed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Check the mixture and season with salt to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.

4. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (you’ll get about 24) and arrange them on a baking sheet or in a skillet. Brush or spray the balls lightly with olive oil.

5. Bake the meatballs for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned, flipping once halfway through.

to serve

1. When the stew is finished boiling, remove the pot from the heat. Remove the bay leaves and season the gumbo with salt and hot sauce to taste.

2. Divide the meatballs among bowls and top them with the gumbo. Serve with rice and top with scallions

Recipe notes

1. Frozen okra can be used if fresh is not available. Thaw it and then add it to the stew when it has about 10 minutes left to simmer.
2. If you have any left over, keep the meatballs separate from the stew so they don’t get soggy.
3. Nutritional information does not include rice.

nutrients

Vegan Gumbo with Andouille Red Bean Meatballs

No. per job

calories 438
Calories from fat are 152

% Daily Value*

thick 16.9 grams26%

2.6 grams of saturated fat13%

Sodium 1441mg60%

potassium 906 mg26%

carbohydrates 54.9 grams18%

13.4 grams of fiber54%

9.4 grams of sugar10%

protein 16.8 grams34%

calcium 150 mg15%

iron 6.3 mg35%

* Percent Daily Value is based on a 2000 calorie diet.