Okra Gumbo

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.

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

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!!

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.

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 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.

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 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.

This recipe needs a lot of adjustments, but it's an okay place to start. Agree no file; but we did add some thyme. And used celery instead of mushrooms. As well, at lest two cans of vegetarian broth or you won't have a gumbo but a mushy stew. Added a pretty dark roux and served with short-grain brown rice and fresh chives. Next time will use more onion, pepper, celery for that large amount of okra. Oh, a little tomato paste won't hurt, but will try double diced tomato--no paste. UPDATE: Second time no tomato paste--huge improvement. Soaked okra in milk and it made the texture perfect. Went for a slightly darker roux and that nailed it. Added shredded chicken for the meat eaters in the family.

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

I am not sure what this dish is, but it is not gumbo. It appears to be some kind of thick stew. I think in the future if I want to make a veggie gumbo, I will use one of the traditional recipes and just substitute vegetables for meat. Also, the only veggie used in this recipe that isn’t included in standard gumbo is mushrooms so it especially disappointed. How about adding some corn, lima beans, green beans, carrots, cauliflower, or some combo thereof? Finally, never use both file powder and okra in gumbo. That part I already knew; use one or the other.

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!

I love all of the ingredients in this recipe! However, this combination does not make what I think of as gumbo. It was thick and pasty - I added more liquid. I did not add the File because they would just make it pastier.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

This recipe was pretty good. I did make some changes based on other reviewers. First, since other people thought it tasted too much like tomato paste, I only added 3 ounces tomato paste and then 3 ounces tomato sauce. I added 1 cup of vegetable broth along with the tomatoes, and then I added a second cup of vegetable broth along with the roux. I left out the file powder completely. I also added about 1 teaspoon creole seasonings. Overall, it was a pretty good recipe and I will probably make it again.

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!!

I did not add the file powder either!

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.

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.

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

This was wonderful. Will definitely make this again!

After reading some of the reviews, I decided to make it without mushrooms, green pepper and tomato paste. But we added two links of andouille sausage and three cups of organic chicken stock. Love it! Next time we have to double the ingredients and make more!

Just so all you northern people know, gumbo does NOT have any tomatoes or tomato sauce in it period. It's not authentic if it does. Cajun here, and this recipe probably makes a good stew but it's not gumbo.

Okay, so I understand the criticism that people don't like it when you don't follow a recipe exactly, and then you try to rate it... but the way I see it, making the recipe as written (especially after reading the reviews) would be a waste of a perfectly good meal. Okay, so I'm no gumbo expert by any means, I was just looking for a soup I could turn into a one pot meal, so I started with this recipe. The hubby doesn't like mushrooms so I subbed other veggies, then added some chicken and andouille sausage for some extra flavor and protein since when I looked at the nutritional profile, this looked like a great side, but not a full meal. The recipe as written is severely lacking in liquid (Like I said, I'm not gumbo expert, but I thought gumbo was supposed to be a soup!), so I added 4 cups of vegetable broth. After reading other reviews, I was a little afraid to follow the instructions as written with the file, and perhaps this is why I found the flavors lacking. I added some creole seasoning (Sorry I can't advise how much, I just kept adding and tasting till it had the flavor I was looking for) and only added the file to the bowl at the end. The result was delicious, but it wasn't the recipe as written. Still, I couldn't have made this without the recipe instructions plus reading several very helpful reviews!

I liked this! Easy to make and quick. I followed what other reviewers said and omitted the tomato paste and file powder; it turned out just fine. I like tomatoey things, so I might add the piste next time, but it was fine without. I also added a jalapeño and hot sauce to give it a kick. I'll make this again.

I used fresh, instead of frozen okra, which may have altered the texture and left out the file powder. I added cayenne pepper, but it was still bland. Also, I prefer more liquid. Even after adding extra tomato juice, it was thick enough to be used as a sandwich filling. I should have skipped the roux, because it really wasn't needed.

Very easy to prepare. I followed the recipe except the only thing I did different was to add Italian Sausage.

Tasty. The recipe is flavorful and not too salty.

Gumbo is either okra gumbo or filé (sassafrass) gumbo. One or the other; they are never mixed. Keep it down home.

Definitely want to get a little more creative with the spices as it was a tad bland, but it’s a great recipe and I will definitely be making it again.

We added hot sauce, water, vegetable bullion and left out the sassafras. The gumbo was wonderful.

A very easy to follow and tasty recipe. Even the fussiest toddler was enjoying this New Orleans special!

I googled what to substitute file powder for because I didn't have it.... I used cornstarch instead ...... I also had to add one cup of chicken broth because it was way too thick to me...... it's okay definitely not my favorite I would try a different recipe next time ...... just my own personal opinion / taste .....

I am not a huge fan of okra gumbo, but I made this for my husband. It was delicious! I did about 2.5 recipes using 4 cups of fresh okra from my garden. I used 1 can of diced tomatoes and several fresh ones from my garden. I used coconut oil and white whole wheat flour. I only used about 1 Tbs tomato paste because I really didn't think it needed much, and I needed the rest for my spaghetti sauce (ha!). I did not have mushrooms or file powder so I omitted them. It was also pretty spicy. Oh wait, that's because my husband threw in a cayenne pepper while it was cooking. He also thought it would be good with carrots, so I threw in some shredded carrots to give it a little more nutrition. I tasted it before adding the roux, and it was plenty thick and tasted excellent. After adding the roux, it was even richer and better! I will definitely be making this every summer with our fresh okra and tomatoes.

Liked it but put ground hamburger in it and omitted the file powder.