Easy Roux Filé Gumbo

 

Ingredients
1 cup vegan chicken, cut into small chunks
Vegetable oil
1 cup all purposes flour
1 tbsp butter
1 red, green, and yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks of celery diced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1  tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 cups of not-chicken broth
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 links vegan andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch half circles
3/4 cup vegan ham, cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 cup vegan shrimp
1/2 pound okra
2 tablespoons filé powder

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 
Add flour to a dry roasting pan and smooth it out to about 3/4 inch thick. Bake it in the oven at 425 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes. Once you get the color you like remove it from the oven and take the dry roux and put it in a medium bowl to cool. (Do not leave it in the hot pan). 
Heat some vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat and cook the vegan chicken until it is golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the butter, peppers, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, Cajun seasoning, roasted flour,, white wine vinegar, and broth. Stir well and bring to a boil. When the vegetables are soft, let the gumbo simmer for 1 hour, then add the okra. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat. Put the chicken back into the pot.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage and ham until they are browned. Add them to the pot along with the shrimp and stir well.
Ladle a couple of cups of the liquid into a mixing bowl. Add the filé powder and whisk until well blended. Pour back into the stock pot and mix well. It's ready to serve!