Vegan Gumbo with Andouille Red Bean Meatballs

Bowl of Vegan Gumbo with rice and chopped scallions.

4.95 from 19 votes

Vegan Gumbo with Andouille Red Bean Meatballs

This vegan gumbo is packed with juicy tomatoes, Cajun spices and hearty red bean andouille meatballs! Serve it with rice for hearty and flavor-packed vegan meal!

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 438kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Vegan Gumbo

¼ cup olive oil
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (14 ounce/400 gram) can fire roasted tomatoes
2 cups fresh okra, tails and caps removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (measure after cutting) (Note 1)
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
Cayenne pepper, to taste (I used ½ teaspoon)
Salt, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste

For the Anduille Red Bean Meatballs

1 (14 ounce/400 gram) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt, to taste
Olive oil, for brushing or spraying (about 1 teaspoon)

For Serving

Cooked rice
Chopped scallions

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make the Gumbo

Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil and place it over medium heat.
Whisk in the flour. Cook the flour, whisking constantly, until it darkens in color a bit and begins to smell nutty, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the onion, pepper and celery. Cook the vegetables, for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften, stirring frequently to prevent the flour from burning.
Add the garlic to the pot and cook it with the vegetables for about 1 minute, until very fragrant, stirring constantly.
Stir in the broth, tomatoes, okra, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, thyme, pepper, oregano, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is thick and the veggies are tender, about 30 minutes.

To Make the Meatballs

While the gumbo simmers, preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet or oven-safe skillet.
Place all ingredients except for the salt and olive oil into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the machine until the ingredients are finely chopped and well mixed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Taste-test the mixture and season it with salt to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (you'll get about about 24) and arrange them on the baking sheet or in the skillet. Lightly brush or spray the balls with olive oil.
Bake the meatballs for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned, flipping them once halfway through.

To Serve

When the stew has finished simmering, remove the pot from heat. Remove the bay leaf and season the gumbo with salt and hot sauce to taste.
Divide the meatballs into bowls and ladle the gumbo over them. Serve with rice and top with scallions

Notes

Frozen okra can be used if fresh isn't available. Thaw it and then add it to the stew when it has about 10 minutes of simmer time left.
If you have any leftovers, store the meatballs separate from the stew so they don't get soggy.
Nutrition information does not include rice.

Nutrition