Vegetarian Creole Gumbo Stew

Ingredients:

For the roux

• 5 tbsp olive oil

• 5 tbsp flour (glutenfree flour works as well)

Vegetables

• 3 celery stalks (sliced)

• 1 onion (finely chopped)

• 100 grams okra (sliced)

• 5 garlic cloves (crushed)

• 5 dl vegetable stock

• 1 can crushed tomatoes

• 1 medium sized cauliflower (seperated into florets)

Spices and seasonings

• 1 tbsp paprika

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 dashes tabasco sauce

• 2 bay leaves

• 3 big dashes Worcestershire sauce

The heart of the gumbo is the french roux. Before making the roux, make sure you have all the vegetables cut up and prepared. When you have this ready, start by adding the olive oil and flour in a pot, and heat up gently to about half heat. The roux will take some time so put on some music, have your cooking brew chilled and start. The color of the flour paste will slowly turn more and more golden, until almost golden brown. When you have reached the desired color (should smell a little like roasted nuts), add in the onion and glaze. Then add the celery, okra and garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes and cauliflower and mix well. Now you can add alle the spices and seasonings. Cook until tender.

After finishing the stew, serve with rice and sprinkle some spring onions on top as garnish.

Outdoor cooking equipment:

Basically you are just going to heat up the stew in the winter time. You can even freeze the stew in the pot you are going to bring out with you, and just place over a camp fire to thaw out and heat to desired temperature. Pre cooked rice can also be added after the gumbo has thawed out, or add more water and cook rice in the stew over the campfire. If you take this approach, make sure you mix constantly so the stew does not burn in the bottom. You can control the heat over a camp fire with a tripod by varying the height above the flames.

1. Campfire tripod

2. Pot