Gumbo, in all its many forms, is the quintessential Deep South dish. Our resident veggie expert Simon Rimmer reinvents this spicy, hearty Louisiana stew with herbivores in mind.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp each salt, dried thyme, dried oregano, cayenne and white pepper
- 150ml vegetable stock, hot
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 24 okra
- 1 bay leaf
- 400g sweet potato, cut into 1cm cubes
- 100g cabbage, finely shredded
- For the cornbread
- 200g butter, melted, plus extra
- 300g plain flour, sifted
- 50g icing sugar, sifted
- 300g polenta
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 250ml milk
Method
- 1. Put the oil, celery, chillies, onion, garlic, salt, dried herbs, cayenne and pepper in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes.
- 2. Add the stock, 150ml water, tomatoes, okra and bay leaf. Boil, then add the potato and cabbage. Cook for 15 minutes. Season, then discard the bay leaf.
- 3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/fan180C/gas 6 and grease a 12-hole muffin tin. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, polenta and baking powder, then mix in the egg, milk and butter. Divide equally between the muffin holes and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with the gumbo.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 821kcals, 37.8g fat (20g saturated), 16g protein, 107.8g carbs, 20.2g sugar, 2.4g salt
Chef's tip
Try this as a base for creamy wintry soups or as a rub for roasted root vegetables.