Chili rojo gumbo

6 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
½poundsOkra
2Ancho chile peppers
2teaspoonsOlive oil
cupYellow onion; chopped
1tablespoonFlour
2Stalks celery; sliced
1smallGreen pepper; seeded and chopped
1mediumRed pepper; seeded and chopped
2Serrano peppers; seeded and minced
1tablespoonGarlic; minced
1cupTomatoes; chopped
2Bay leaves
½teaspoonSalt
¼teaspoonCayenne pepper
3cupsVegetable stock; with tomato
5ouncesTempeh; chopped
1tablespoonRed wine vinegar; to taste, to 2 T.
½cupCilantro; minced

Directions

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 2 hours Booknotes: Traditional tastes of the Southwest are added to a typical Cajun Gumbo resulting in this fiery full-meal soup.

1. Trim stem ends from okra, then slice each piece into 1-inch pieces.

Cover a baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel. Place okra on the towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Holding the ancho peppers under cold tap water, pull off their stems, tear them in hali and scrape out their seeds. Trim and discard any large ribs. Chop the chilies into 1-inch pieces and place them in a small bowl. Cover with hot water and set aside to soften for 30 minutes.

2. In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the onions and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, until onions have caramelized (they will be soft and brown), about 20 minutes.

3. Raise heat slightly and add the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour turns light brown. Add the okra and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the celery, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, cayenne, and stock. Drain the ancho chilies, saving ½ cup of their soaking liquid, then add the chilies and reserved liquid to the gumbo. Cover and simmer, stirring often, for 1½ hours. Add water as the gumbo cooks if the liquid evaporates below the top surface of the okra.

4. Stir in tempeh, vinegar and cilantro. Continue to cook for 10 minutes.

Serve hot. The gumbo may be prepared up to 3 days in advance if refrigerated in an airtight container. It may be frozen for 1 month.

>MC formatted by Brenda Adams and Buster MC-PER SERVING: 211CAL, 6g fat (23% cff) >edited for inclusion in Eat-lf archives with permission.

Recipe by: New Vegetarian Classics: Soups, by Mary F. Taylor Posted to EAT-LF Digest by KitPATh <phannema@...> on Feb 18, 1998