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!!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

I used Rotelle cubed tomatoes with chilies and they came out great. Took to a party and had several requests for recipe.