Making the Gumbo
Make your roux: In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add flour, whisking until smooth. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, and then turn heat down to low and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until roux has become golden in color.
Add onion and turn heat up to medium-low for about 5 minutes. Cook until onion is just soft.
Add garlic, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, celery, and red pepper. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in vegetable stock, turn the heat up and bring to a boil.
Add corn, black-eyed peas, rice, and okra; lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add spinach and parsley and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over rice or with a side of cornbread
Step 1: Making the Gumbo
- 1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
- 11⁄2 large sweet onions (like Vidalia), chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1⁄3 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 11⁄2 cups cooked black-eyed peas (or one 15-ounce can, drained)
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup frozen cut okra
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper (optional)
