Gumbo Made with Fire-Roasted Veggies

Ingredients

• 1 serrano pepper
• 1 small jalapeno chile pepper
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon file powder
• 1 cup fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup canned red beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups frozen cut okra, thawed

Step 1

Set your oven to broil. Lay out the serrano, banana, and jalapeno peppers on a baking sheet and pop them under the broiler. Keep a close eye on them and let their skins blacken and blister, which should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the peppers so all sides get nicely charred. Once they’re done, toss them into a sealed paper bag to steam for about 15 to 20 minutes. After that, peel off the blackened skins, remove the stems and seeds, and roughly chop the peppers before setting them aside.

Step 2

Heat some canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle a pinch of flour into the hot oil and when it starts to bubble, whisk in the rest of the flour. Keep stirring the mixture constantly, and cook it until it turns a rich, dark brown—this usually takes around 20 minutes. Once your roux is ready, take it off the heat.

Step 3

In a deep soup pot, warm 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat. When it’s hot and just starting to smoke, add the celery along with half of the onions and bell peppers. Cook everything, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften and the onions look clear—about 5 minutes. Pour in a quarter cup of vegetable broth, cover the pot, and let it simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, which should take 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4

Now, stir in the chopped fire-roasted peppers along with the uncooked bell peppers, onions, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and smoked paprika powder. Mix in the roux and a cup of vegetable stock, stirring until the roux fully dissolves into the veggies. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Step 5

Finally, add the tomatoes, sweet potato, parsnip, red beans, black-eyed peas, okra, and the rest of the stock. Let everything simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors meld together. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, then it’s ready to enjoy.