Reviewed: Oct. 5, 2009

I omitted the tomato paste because I didn't want a strong tomato flavor, and it was plenty thick without it. Also omitted the file seasoning. Added thyme, celery seed, and Tony Chachere's seasoning. Turned out great.

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CB

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Reviewed: Jul. 17, 2009

This was great with the changes that I made. I did not use file powder or tomato paste. I substituted zucchini for the mushrooms and I added a jalapeno.

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COOKKAT

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Reviewed: Jun. 28, 2009

A delicious vegetarian gumbo recipe! Per previous comments, I did not use file powder, just tomato paste and roux—in my humble opinion, it's not gumbo without the roux. Even without file powder, the roux, tomato paste, and okra created a nice, thick texture; I actually added about 3 cups of water so it wasn't TOO thick. I suggest keeping a large glass of water handy and adding it as you think it's necessary. I also added thyme and celery seed, and both added a nice flavor to the dish. Very, very good—I will definitely make this again.

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clenn

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Reviewed: Jun. 15, 2009

I loved this BUT I used peas instead of okra, so I am pretty sure that disqualifies this from being an accurate review. It was yummy though, quanities were perfect and all ingredients blended well together.

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Alina

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Reviewed: Jun. 14, 2009

Needs thyme and celery to be a true gumbo, but a good basis.

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TJG

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Reviewed: Jun. 14, 2009

I love gumbos - vegetarian, meat, fish, poultry, any combination. I found the discussion on file powder very interesting. Okra IS sticky and thickening as is the roux. Unfortunately I have to forego the roux as I'm gluten intolerant, so no flour for me. I miss roux because I love the flavour it imparts to a dish. I'm of French Canadian heritage and we use roux frequently as a thickener. Thanks for the recipe, roux or no roux, it's a mon gout!!

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Lesley

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Living In: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

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Reviewed: Feb. 24, 2009

I prepared this as presented. However, when making the roux, I made an almost black roux -- which provides a lot of flavor (and the darker the roux, the less thickening properties it has). So, the issue of "too thick" did not happen. (Besides I did not have any file to use.) I used frozen/chopped okra and the entire dish was quick and lovely. The only change I made was to add another teaspoon of salt and then added 2 TBL of Frank's Hot Sauce to give it both a little heat and some acid in the background. We will have this again!

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Chef Peggy

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Reviewed: Feb. 24, 2009

When using roux and okra, there is no need to also add file powder. File is to be used without okra. They are both thickening agents and only one is needed. Usually okra is used with seafoods and file is used with chiken and sausage. Some people will add some seafood with their meats, but usually don't combine okra and file in the same dish....at least not in the real New Orleans.

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ghc630

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Metairie, Louisiana, USA

Living In: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 26, 2008

This was good. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that it really does need some liquid in the recipe. I added about 1 cup of vegetable broth. I also substituted fresh eggplant for the okra and omitted the powder. It was still delicious.

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RR

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Reviewed: Nov. 17, 2008

This was wonderful. Will definitely make this again!

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TNCLEIGH

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Reviewed: Sep. 27, 2008

This was good, but it seemed like it needed something to spice it up, so I added cayenne and Cajun seasoning. I also topped it with hot sauce. There apparently is no file powder to be found in NM; maybe it would have added the flavor that was lacking. I used fresh tomatoes and okra, and I added a bit of water so it wouldn't be too thick. I'd make this again.

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KymInNM

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Central Point, Oregon, USA

Living In: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 26, 2008

I followed the recipe except that I had to leave out the onions and canned tomatoes. The recipe was very delicious but it ended up thick because I didn't have the canned tomatoes.

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MariahLantz

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Payson, Arizona, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 27, 2008

okra takes the place if file. Commercial file powder is mixed with thyme. It gives a unique flavor to gumbo and thickens the mixture, but it must be used sparingly. Add powder to gumbo only after it is completely cooked and the stove heat has been reduced. Otherwise, the gumbo will become stringy and completely unpalatable. i added a bit of vegetable stock with the tomato paste and a jalapeno to spice it up.. DELICIOUS!!

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LadyHvnly

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Reviewed: Oct. 23, 2007

Just a comment to Sinsgirl if you decide to give this recipe another shot. If you skip the flour step, you're not making a gumbo. The dark roux is key to this dish and it's where all of the flavor lies. Making the roux is a bit time consuming, but it's well worth the effort. Otherwise, you're just making an ordinary soup type stew. I personally don't use tomatoes in my gumbo. Give it another shot and I'm sure you'll see a huge difference in taste.

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LINDA MCLEAN

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Livingston, New Jersey, USA

Living In: Flanders, New Jersey, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 23, 2007

10/23/07 *orginal review*I was so excited, I finally found file powder. It was in the seafood section, near the counter. It comes in a 1.25 oz can similar to grated parmesan cheese. That being said, I gave this recipe a whirl. If you use file powder, I'd recommend omitting the tomato paste, because the end result is super thick. Also, it adds way too much tomato flavor and therefore hides all the other flavors. Also, I skipped the flour step, because I felt it was unnecessary. The final result was just okay, all I could taste was tomato. Next time, I'll use more green pepper and onion, and no tomato paste. *12/13/07* So I decided to give this another shot, and still no luck. I did fine making the roux, but it's the darn tomato paste. I should have left it out, AGAIN, but I wanted to retry the recipe step by step. My end result, again was a thick, flavorless glop of tomato mess. You would never know there is onion or green pepper in this thing. Sorry for the poor review, but I guess this recipe isn't for me. Thanks anyway.

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{ Heidi }

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Wheaton, Illinois, USA

Living In: Chicago, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 18, 2007

This was a new dish for my family and it was a great hit. I did not have the thickening agent and I needed a use for some pearl barley so I added a handful and it really thickened the sauce and gave it some excellent texture. I used some Creole seasoning with a hint of wasabi for extra spiciness. Also I had canned shitake mushrooms as well as button mushrooms. All in all it turned out great. My husband was thrilled since we are trying to go Vegan. Thank you! Can not wait to try it with all fresh ingredients and file powder.

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Wren Song Heart

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Laurel Mountain, Pennsylvania, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 20, 2007

It's plenty thick without the roux. Anyhow, I also ommited the mushrooms the second time around because I did not care for them.

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Jade Andersen

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Portland, Oregon, USA

Living In: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

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Reviewed: May 1, 2005

Not bad, but not super outstanding. I used a purple pepper instead of green (tastes pretty much the same) and I omitted the file powder because I couldn't find it at the store. I didn't have time to soak the sliced okra in milk (this really eliminates the stickiness), so the gumbo was pretty thick, and I didn't need to add any roux nor tomato paste. This is a good light lunch recipe. Thanks.

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Caroline C

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Feb. 23, 2004

This is a very good vegetarian gumbo. I left out the green peppers and instead used one seeded jalapeno.

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WESTIE RESCUE

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Reviewed: Feb. 22, 2004

This was good after I made changes. After following the recipe it was so thick that there was no need for the roux. I added it anyways, as well as 2 cups vegetable broth, and 8 oz more diced tomatoes. It seemed to be missing water to rehydrate the tomato paste. Good overall, though. I was glad to find a vegetarian alternative for gumbo.

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RP

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