Best Quick Vegetable Gumbo Recipes

VEGETARIAN GUMBO

Steps:

• Whisk flour and oil in a 7-quart pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is deeply browned (the color of milk chocolate), 10 to 12 minutes. Add squash, onions, poblanos and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are well coated and warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, crushed tomatoes and salt; bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir in okra; reduce heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini and beans; simmer until the squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in hot sauce, vinegar and pepper. Serve over rice.

QUICK AND EASY SAUSAGE AND CHICKEN GUMBO

Steps:

• Combine flour and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it forms a thick paste the consistency of cake frosting. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the flour turns dark golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. The darker the roux, the more depth of flavor, but don't burn it.
• Add onions, bell peppers, okra, celery, garlic, Creole seasoning, thyme, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender, 3 to 6 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add unopened bag of rice and boil, uncovered, until rice is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove bag from water and drain. Cut open bag, pour rice into a bowl, and fluff.
• Stir chicken, kielbasa, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth into the cooked vegetables. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 10 minutes. Serve gumbo over warm rice.

CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the roux has cooked to the color of chocolate milk, 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the roux. If you see black specks in the mixture, start over.
• Stir onion, bell pepper, celery, and sausage into the roux; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning; blend thoroughly. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken, and simmer 1 hour more. Skim off any foam that floats to the top during the last hour.

VEGETARIAN GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the frozen okra in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast, until cooked through and just starting to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• As okra roasts, prepare the roux: Melt the butter in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. (Either vessel will help evenly distribute the heat for a better roux.) If using vegetable oil, simply heat over medium. Using a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix the flour into the fat. Stir continuously, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so the roux does not burn (a burned roux cannot be saved), until the roux transforms from pale to peanut butter to a rich cinnamon color, about 7 minutes. Remove the roux from the heat and set aside. (Pull the pot from the heat just as the desired color is reached; the retained heat will continue to cook the roux slightly.)
• Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and bell pepper, and cook until softened, another 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Lastly, add the Creole and Old Bay seasonings, and stir so that they coat the vegetables and are lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the diced tomatoes, stock and lentils. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to a light simmer. Cover and allow the lentils to cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. (Add more water or stock if needed.)
• Add the okra and cook uncovered until softened, another 5 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce, and the liquid smoke, if using. Give the cooled roux a good stir and add it to the pot, making sure to mix it in thoroughly, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt, pepper, creole seasoning or hot sauce, if desired. Serve warm over white rice or quinoa.

QUICK SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in sausage; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until sausage begins to brown. Add green pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, seasonings and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. , Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in shrimp. Cook 3-4 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in rice. Remove from the heat. , Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve with lemon slices if desired.

QUICK 'N EASY GUMBO

Steps:

• Pour a glass of nice red wine and have a drink.
• Put some Italian opera on the stereo and turn volume up.
• Start a big pot of rice, I prefer white rice to serve this gumbo over.
• Rice is on the top shelf to the right.
• Cut meat into nice bite-sized slices, keeping fingers clear of blade.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a big pot and slowly saute meat with garlic and onions.
• Try not to eat too much of the meat while you cook or allow family members to.
• Precooked meats like the pork will speed process.
• Uncooked meats like chicken or shrimp can be quickly boiled in chicken broth and tossed in later.
• Never under cook chicken.
• Saute until lightly browned.
• Add broth to the pot and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to medium and then add all the other ingredients one at a time starting with firmer vegetables first (they need more cooking) and soft last.
• Toss in spices last.
• Cook over medium heat until all ingredients are blended and cooked to your liking.
• Not over cooked or too soft is how I like it.
• Maybe fifteen minutes tops.
• The longer you cook the more the flavors will blend, but I prefer separate identifiable flavors so I cook less.
• Now taste your results being careful not to burn your tongue no matter how hungry you are.
• You're going to need that tongue later.
• Add ingredients according to your liking.
• I like to toss in some of the wine I'm drinking and I always add more garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
• Don't make it too spicy or your wife will not enjoy it.
• Serve over rice in big bowls.
• Put salt and pepper and Tabasco on the table for others to adjust flavors to their liking.
• You can now add more Tabasco to your own bowl and give your wife a wink.
• Turn off the TV and try talking to each other for a change.
• Finish the bottle of wine and go for a walk around the neighborhood after dinner to aid digestion.
• Enjoy!

QUICK VEGETABLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat oil over med heat in a 4 qt dutch oven until hot.
• Add bell pepper, celery, onion and garlic.
• Stir until crisp tender.
• Add Tomatoes, juice, beans, parsley, oregano, pepper sauce and bay leaves.
• Bring to boil over high heat.
• Add rice.
• Cover and reduce heat to simmer.
• Simmer 15 minutes or until rice is cooked.
• Add okra.
• Cover and cook 5 minutes longer or until okra is tender.
• Remove bay leaves.

VEGETABLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, 3 tablespoons water and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes.
• Add the soy sauce and paprika and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in the vegetable broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then cover and bring to a boil.
• Add the greens and black-eyed peas to the pot. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the rice, if desired.

VEGETABLE GUMBO

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan add greens and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Remove greens to a cutting board (reserving 2 cups of cooking water) and chop coarsely, set aside.
• In a heavy saucepan over medium low heat whisk 1/4 cup oil and flour together and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is a dark reddish brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large soup pot heat 2 tablespoons oil and saute onions, green pepper, celery and tomatoes for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add hot sauce, file powder, cayenne, thyme, oregano, basil, parsley and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more. Then whisk in roux, stock and reserved greens cooking water, bring to a boil, add salt and pepper, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add okra, kidney beans and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste for seasoning. Serve with white rice.

VEGETABLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Method: In a large heavy stew pot, place bouillon and white grape juice, onion, green pepper, celery garlic, cook until tender, 5-7 minutes.
• Add other ingredients, cook over low heat, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking to bottom.
• Cover and simmer gently until corn and okra are done.
• (or simmer in crockpot 6-7 hours) If you use dried herbs, rub them with the palms of your hands before adding to the pot, this releases their mojo.

QUICK GUMBO

Steps:

• Peel and devein shrimp, reserving heads and shells in a 6-quart stockpot. Add 12 cups water, 1 stalk celery and bay leaves, and simmer 30 minutes over medium heat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet, and saute okra over gentle heat, stirring continuously, until dry, about 20 minutes.
• In another large skillet, heat remaining oil, and saute remaining vegetables with salt, cayenne and pepper until soft. Strain stock into clean pot, add vegetable mixture with thyme and simmer 30 minutes. Add shrimp, and simmer 10 minutes. Turn off flame. Add crab meat and oysters. Season with cayenne and pepper. Wait at least 5 minutes before serving over rice.