LOVING THIS CAJUN GUMBO WITH OKRA

This vegan gumbo won my heart... and my husbands! I ate it for 3 meals in a row and still wanted it again. Time to make another batch!

I was inspired by this recipe at “Ela Vegan” but made a lot of changes: Vegan Gumbo with Okra and Lentils.

Watch this “Lentil 101” video to learn nutritional value of lentils.

Black lentils are also called Beluga lentils because they are small and resemble Beluga caviar. Black lentils and black beans are not the same thing. Both are great sources of fiber, protein, and other nutrients. If you can't find a can of black lentils for the gumbo, use two cans of regular brown lentils or you can cook your own from dried lentils.

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 medium stalks celery, cut into large pieces

1 large green bell pepper, stem/seeds removed, cut into large pieces

5 ounces button mushrooms

3 large cloves garlic, peeled

2 cans lentils, 15 oz each, drained, rinsed. I used one can black lentils and one can regular brown lentils.

1 can red beans, 15 oz, drained, rinsed

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp onion powder

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

3/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

1/2 TBSP Tony Chachere's creole seasoning

1 TBSP vegan Worcestershire

salt to taste (my beans had no added salt so I added about 1/2 tsp salt)

1 cup prepared vegetable broth (I used Orrington Farm vegan ham broth base powder, 2 tsp in 1 cup of water)

1 can, 14.5 oz, crushed tomatoes (I bought diced tomatoes and pulsed them in my food processor into smaller bits)

2 bags, 10 oz each, frozen chopped okra

Instructions

Use a food processor to finely chop the onion, celery, and pepper. Transfer the mix to a large pot (I used a ceramic wok) and start cooking over medium heat, stirring often.

Finely chop the garlic in the food processor then add the mushrooms and pulse to chop into small pieces. Add the garlic/mushrooms to the pot with the other vegetables. Cook over medium heat stirring often until the mushrooms have released most of their water. Stir in the beans. Add the spices, broth and tomatoes. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring often. Add the frozen okra (at first I added one bag but I love okra so added a second bag). Simmer covered at least another 15 minutes or until the okra is done. Since I was waiting for the rice to get done in my rice cooker, I actually simmered the gumbo an additional 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Serve as is or serve over rice. Top with hot sauce if you like an extra kick.