Cook's Corner with Chef Jyoti Friedland

Vegetarian Gumbo

Chef Notes: I get very emotional when I see any dish that everybody likes that I can’t eat because it’s not vegetarian. That I can’t take. I will use any power that I think I have to duplicate a splendid non-vegetarian soup like gumbo. I was in New Orleans once and everybody there is eating gumbo. But they don’t have vegetarian gumbo. I was so displeased (saying it mildly) that the first thing I did when I went home is to make gumbo without meat. Eat your heart out New Orleans; here’s my vegetarian gumbo! Chef Jyoti

                                                                      

Yield: 6 - 8 servings          Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Spectrum organic safflower oil

2 Tofurky vegetarian  italian sausage, sliced thin

1 small organic yellow onion, diced

3 cloves organic garlic, minced

1 tablespoon organic lemon grass, only white parts finely ground

¼ cup organic carrots, diced

½ cup organic yellow squash, diced

¼ cup organic celery, diced

¼ cup organic green pepper, diced

2 cups fresh okra, trimmed and sliced

1 teaspoon organic chili powder

1 teaspoon organic cumin seed powder

1 teaspoon organic  thyme leaf

1 teaspoon organic oregano leaf

¼ cup Woodstock frozen organic green peas

1 cup organic brown rice or jasmine rice, cooked

1 ½ cup crushed tomatoes

5 cups filtered water

1 tablespoon s vegetable broth powder

Sea salt and black pepper

 

Directions:

  1. In a heavy soup pot, heat oil and add vegetarian sausage. Sauté until lightly brown.
  2. Add onions, garlic, and lemon grass; cook over low heat for 3 minutes or until soft.
  3. Add carrots, squash, celery, green pepper, okra, and pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Stir frequently and cover with lid. Cook until lightly brown, 3 minutes.
  4. Stir-in chili powder, cumin powder, and herbs. Let it be absorbed by the vegetables for a minute.
  5. Add peas, rice, tomatoes, filtered water, vegetable broth powder, and sea salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer, partially cover for 10 to 12 minutes.
  6. Taste for seasonings and turn off the heat.
  7. Serve hot as a whole meal, with salad or rolls

 Original Talley's recipe by Chef Jyoti Friedland

Copyright © 2006 Talley's Green Grocery