Description
A rich and hearty New Orleans-style gumbo featuring a deeply browned roux, tender shrimp, and flavorful andouille sausage. This classic Creole stew is loaded with the ‘holy trinity’ of onions, bell peppers, and celery, simmered with bold Cajun seasonings and finished with traditional gumbo filé. Perfect served over white rice or quinoa for a comforting, authentic Southern meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Roux
- ½ cup high heat oil (canola, corn, or vegetable)
- ½ cup all purpose flour
Vegetables and Seasonings
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers (½ each of red, green, yellow, orange), diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (omit for mild)
Broth and Additional Ingredients
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes (optional)
- 1 ½ pounds raw shrimp
- 8 ounces andouille sausage, sliced (Tofurky sausage used as vegetarian alternative)
- 2 teaspoons gumbo filé powder
- Sliced scallions, for garnish
- White rice or quinoa, for serving
Instructions
- Make the Roux: Heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir constantly for 15-22 minutes until the roux darkens to just past a deep peanut butter color. Avoid burning by controlling heat and stirring continuously.
- Sauté Vegetables and Sausage: Stir in diced onion, bell peppers, and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add minced garlic, sliced andouille sausage (if using Tofurky, brown separately in a skillet first and add later), and bay leaves. Cook 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
- Season and Simmer: Add Cajun seasoning, Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, chicken broth, and stewed tomatoes if using. Bring to a high simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes to meld flavors.
- Add Shrimp and Sausage: Stir in raw shrimp and browned sausage (if using). Let simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes until shrimp turns opaque and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in gumbo filé to thicken and flavor the gumbo. Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Serve: Ladle gumbo over cooked white rice or quinoa. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve warm.
Notes
- Patience is key when making roux; avoid rushing or turning heat too high to prevent burning.
- Gumbo flavor improves with time and is great for leftovers.
- If using vegetarian sausage like Tofurky, brown separately to develop flavor before adding to the gumbo.
- Adjust the level of heat by omitting cayenne or modifying Tabasco to suit your taste.
- Gumbo filé powder is essential for authentic flavor and thickening; do not skip.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (approximately)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 180mg
