Name: Louisiana Gumbo
Prep time: 19 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil; 4 tbsp plain flour; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp tabasco; 2 null onions; 2 null celery stick; 4 null garlic cloves; 2 null green bell peppers; 300 g okra; 250 g chestnut mushrooms; 4 null tomatoes; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 0.25 tsp salt (- plus a little extra); 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper; 750 ml vegetable stock; 2 null fresh bay leaves; 240 can kidney beans; 4 null spring onions; null to_taste salt & pepper; 500 g cooked basmati rice (- or 2 x 250g bags of microwaveable rice)

Instructions

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1

First, prepare all your vegetables: Peel the onions (2), trim the stick (2 celery), and halve and deseed the bell peppers (2 green). Roughly chop the onions (2), bell peppers (2 green), and stick (2 celery) into small pieces. Peel and finely grate the cloves (4 garlic). Trim the okra (300 g) and slice into 1cm-thick pieces. Quarter the chestnut mushrooms (250 g). Finely chop the tomatoes (4). Roughly chop the fresh thyme (2 sprigs), removing any woody stems.
2

Heat the olive oil (4 tbsp) in a large casserole dish over medium heat. Add the chopped onions (2), stick (2 celery), bell peppers (2 green) and salt (0.25 tsp). Sweat for 10 minutes, until softened.
3

Add the cloves (4 garlic), okra (300 g) and chestnut mushrooms (250 g) to the dish and fry for a further 7-10 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through.
4

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the plain flour (4 tbsp) and stir to combine. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning, until golden brown. This browning gives your gumbo its rich colour.
5

Add the chopped tomatoes (4) and tomato purée (1 tbsp) to the pan and stir for 2 minutes.
6

Stir in the apple cider vinegar (1 tbsp), fresh thyme (2 sprigs), smoked paprika (2 tsp), cayenne pepper (0.5 tsp), dried oregano (1 tsp), and tabasco (1 tsp) for 2 minutes.
7

Pour in the vegetable stock (750 ml). Add the bay leaves (2 fresh) and can kidney beans (240 g). Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes, until the broth is thick and hearty, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Taste and season with [salt & pepper to taste].
8

Heat the cooked basmati rice (500 g) or cook it following the instructions on the packet. Trim and thinly slice the onions (4 spring) and sprinkle over the gumbo. Serve the gumbo with the rice.