Louisiana Vegan Gumbo

Finely chop the onion, bell peppers, carrots and celery. Mince the garlic, slice the mushrooms and cut the okra into rings.

Spray a little oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Brown the sausage links for about 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Slice into rounds and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium low. Stir the 2 tbsp olive oil and the rice flour together in the pot to make your roux.

Cook the roux gently, stirring often, until it goes from blonde to caramel to a rich chocolate brown. This takes about 45 minutes, and a higher heat will burn it.

Add the onion, bell peppers, celery and carrots to the roux. Season with the salt and pepper and stir well so the vegetables are coated.

Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are almost tender, stirring now and then. Add a splash of water or stock if they stick. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste and mushrooms.

Stir in the rosemary, thyme, sage and Cajun seasoning, then the tamari and minced chipotle with its adobo sauce.

Add the okra, kidney beans and mushroom stock and mix well. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook until the okra is very tender and the gumbo is thick, stirring a few times. Add more stock or water if you want it thinner.

Stir in the browned sausage and bring back to a boil. Taste and add salt as needed, then turn off the heat and serve hot.