My Slow Cooker Vegan Gumbo with Jackfruit and Sausage is easy to make and gets dressed up for a spooky Halloween dinner at home. It’s a plant-based and gluten-free version of a chicken sausage gumbo and we serve it with black forbidden rice, but brown or white rice works too!
Photo from The Ghoulish Gourmet
A bowl of gumbo can turn your day around. Vegan Southern cooking is comforting, delicious, and you can enjoyit anytime. There are lots of vegan versions of a classic gumbo recipe and I really love this Creole version. But if you are looking for an Instant Pot gumbo, check out my mushroom gumbo.
There is also a traditional vegetarian recipe called gumbo z’herbes that fits into a vegan diet. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and has no added oil so it’s perfect for all the guests you’re having over for Halloween or any other time.
Vegan Halloween recipes
This is just one of the 25 spooky recipes you’ll find in my Halloween e-cookbook, The Ghoulish Gourmet Halloween e-Cookbook. You can get the Kindle version at Amazon and if you have Kindle Unlimited you can read it for FREE!
One of my testers for the book, Robin Fetter of The Real Vegan Housewife, says the soup had “an awesome foamy green effect on top” when she served it immediately, but that the green became less bright after twenty minutes. She highly recommends puréeing the greens into the soup.
What is gumbo?
It is a traditional Cajun or Creole stew with many different variations and versions. The main ingredient in gumbo is usually some type of protein, but in this recipe, we use jackfruit and vegan sausage.
While this is not a traditional gumbo recipe, this meatless gumbo is filled with flavors of green bell pepper, bay leaf, Cajun spices, fresh okra, that give it a rich flavor.
There is a traditional vegetarian recipe called gumbo z’herbes that fits into a vegan diet.
What is the holy trinity?
In Louisiana, this is a mixture of chopped green bell peppers, celery, and onion or shallot. It’s used to build flavors in stews like this gumbo.
In New Orleans, you can buy it already cut up in the veggie section of the grocery. Sometimes I can even find it frozen in North Carolina, so you might see it where you are too.
What’s the difference between a Creole gumbo and a Cajun one?
In Creole cooking, a gumbo typically does not have a roux but instead uses tomatoes and okra to thicken it up, but it’s a bit thinner. A Cajun gumbo is generally thicker because it has a roux and okra in addition to meatier ingredients.
Recipe ingredients plus substitution ideas
- 4 cups sliced okra you can use fresh or frozen
- 3 cups fresh diced tomatoes – or you can use canned
- 1 cup minced bell pepper, any color – fresh or frozen
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 can young green jackfruit in brine, rinsed with seeds removed – or substitute a vegan chicken, reconstituted soy curls, or kidney beans
- 2 large vegan sausages, Italian, Chik’n Apple, or andouille sausage- if you use Beyond Meat sausage I recommend that you cook it in a skillet first to cook off the oil
- 2 bouillon cubes or use vegetable broth in place of the water
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning blend
- salt and black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cup chopped spinach, kale or other mild green – to make it spooky
- steamed rice, white, brown or forbidden – or substitute sauteed cauliflower rice
- hot sauce or extra cayenne pepper to spice things up a bit
How to make slow cooker vegan gumbo recipe
In the morning: Add all the main gumbo ingredients to your 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.
Minutes before serving: Add the greens to a blender with a little water and purée until smooth. Then add salt, pepper, and more Cajun seasoning if needed.
Remove bay leaves and serve gumbo topped with the green “swamp” purée and a scoop of black forbidden rice. Or just serve with brown rice when you want a less spooky variation.
How to store
Let cool completely, then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Louisiana vegan gumbo tips
- Keep leftovers stored in the fridge with the rice stored separately so it doesn’t get mushy.
- Gumbo freezes great, so make a double batch and you’ll have a freezer meal when you need it.
- This is really 2a, but you can freeze cooked rice and grains too. Remember, if you see it in the Trader Joe’s freezer section, you can freeze it too!
- Make your gumbo smokey by adding a little liquid smoke.
- You can use frozen cut okra to make this out of season.
More New Orleans vegan dinner recipes
- 15 Minute Vegan Red Beans and Rice
- French Fry Po’ Boy
- Cauliflower Po’Boy Sandwiches
- Butternut Squash Okra Gumbo
- Black-Eyed Pea Jambalaya
Swamp Monster Slow Cooker Jackfruit Gumbo
This chunky stew is full of okra, tomatoes, vegan sausage and stringy jackfruit. One of my testers, Robin Fetter of The Real Vegan Housewife, says the soup had “an awesome foamy green effect on top” when she served it immediately, but that the green became less bright after twenty minutes. She highly recommends puréeing the greens into the soup.
Ingredients
For the main gumbo:
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups sliced okra, fresh or frozen
- 3 cups diced tomatoes or 2, 14.5 ounce cans
- 1 cup minced bell pepper, any color
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can, 20 ounce young green jackfruit in brine, rinsed with seeds removed *
- 2 large vegan sausages, Italian, Chik'n Apple, or Andouille, cut into quarters lengthwise and sliced
- 2 bouillon cubes, vegetable or vegan chicken flavor
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning blend, see recipe at bottom
- 3 bay leaves
For finishing:
- 1 cup chopped spinach, kale or other mild green
- just enough water to puree, about 1/4 cup
- salt and pepper, to taste
- more Cajun seasoning blend, to taste – optional
For serving:
- steamed rice, white, brown or forbidden
- hot sauce
Instructions
- In the morning: Add all the main gumbo ingredients to your 4 quart slow cooker. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.
- Minutes before serving: Add the greens to a blender with a little water and purée until smooth. Then add salt, pepper and more Cajun seasoning if needed.
- Remove bay leaves and serve gumbo topped with the green “swamp” purée and a scoop of rice.
Notes
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 527Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 51mgSodium 3398mgCarbohydrates 74gFiber 13gSugar 42gProtein 22g
Nutrition information is provided from nutritionix.com as a close estimate. If you have specific health issues please put the recipe information, including the exact ingredients you use, into the nutritional calculator your Dr. recommends.
Sabrina B says
very creative and interesting flavors, jackfruit!, thanks for this!
Becky Striepe says
Ooh what a healthy way to kick off Halloween night! And I love that it’s in the slow cooker, so I don’t have to be there.
Sarah says
This looks spooky, fun, and delicious! Perfect way to wam up and fuel up for Trick or Treating, especially in Minnesota!
Alisa Fleming says
This recipe is over the top Kathy! I love all of the details and the fact that it is such a fun savory dish for Halloween. I’m already getting sweet overload!