Sweet Potato & Smokey Pepper Gumbo

DIFFICULTY
Average Average
PREP TIME
Under 30 Min. Under 30 Min.
COOK TIME
Under 1 Hr. Under 1 Hr.
SERVES
4-6 4-6
Sweet Potato & Smokey Pepper Gumbo
Gumbo is a soup popular in the U.S. state of Louisiana and is the official state cuisine. This dish relies on the smokey, deep, full-bodied flavours from a blend of spices that slowly soak into the sweet potato and stock throughout the cooking. Made colourful with the addition of a tricolour of peppers, this sharing dish is vibrant and punchy in its nature whilst also being comforting and wholesome.
Main ingredients
  • Vegetables
Ingredients
Method

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp smoked rapeseed oil
  • 1 large red onion, finely diced
  • 2 large celery sticks, finely diced
  • 1 green pepper, roughly chopped
  • 1 yellow pepper, roughly chopped
  • 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained & roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
  • 1 tbsp chipotle paste
  • 1 tbsp smoked, sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 1L vegetable stock, hot
  • 550g sweet potato, peeled & chopped into large pieces
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 6 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Sea salt & cracked black pepper
TO SERVE
  • Small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
  • 90g white or brown rice

  • Method

  • 1
    Heat the oil in the Le Creuset 3-ply stainless steel 28cm sauteuse over a medium heat. Fry the finely chopped onion and celery for 5 minutes until it starts to soften. Then add the chopped peppers and fry for a further minute.
  • 2
    Sprinkle in the mixed herbs before stirring through the chipotle paste, then add the paprika, cayenne pepper and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
  • 3
    Stir in the flour, coating all the ingredients in the flour and spices whilst ensuring it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
  • 4
    Pour in the hot stock and add the sweet potato chunks. Stir through the maple syrup combining all the ingredients before adding the thyme and bay leaves. Season with a little salt (depending on how salty your stock is) and plenty of cracked black pepper.
  • 5
    Allow the gumbo to gently simmer with the lid off to allow the gumbo to reduce, if the sauce is reducing too quickly, turn down the heat and place on the lid. Simmer over a low to medium heat for 45 minutes until the sweet potato is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and become thick and glossy.
  • 6
    Season again as necessary before sprinkling the dish with freshly chopped parsley and serve with boiled rice.
 
This dish is not just limited to sweet potato and peppers - why not try adding butternut squash or a tin of red kidney beans. Not as traditional but will make your dish even more wholesome and stretch even further.The cayenne pepper gives a little warmth to the dish. If you do not like it too spicy, omit the cayenne and make sure you choose a sweet paprika.
Smoked oil is advised for this recipe but not essential if you cannot get hold of it - its aromatic flavour helps to enhance the smokey notes of the recipe even further.
 
 
Le Creuset