Authentic New Orleans Gumbo

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This Authentic New Orleans Gumbo is made with a dark roux, vegetables, chicken, sausage, and shrimp, and served over rice. This is a beloved recipe shared with me by a native New Orleanian.

As you probably have gathered, I love making comfort food style recipes that use lots of fresh produce and real ingredients. This gumbo is no exception, and if you like this then I know you'll love Jambalaya and Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice.

We had a really fun neighbor growing up who was from New Orleans and made a fantastic homemade Gumbo! I'm so thankful my Mom took him up on his offer to teach her how to make a true, authentic Gumbo! Decades later it is a beloved recipe that has become a staple in our family and we have made it hundreds of times! It is definitely in my top favorite meals of all time! Nothing tastes better on a cold winter day.

Gumbo vs. jambalaya:

Jambalaya is primarily a rice dish (think paella) while gumbo is more of a stew that is thickened with a roux and made with chicken, sausage, and/or seafood. Both gumbo and jambalaya are often made with some similar meats and vegetables but the process of making them and flavors of the end result are completely different. Here is my favorite Jambalaya recipe!

The key to this recipe is the Roux!

A “roux” is made with two ingredients; flour and oil,  and it's the key to any great gumbo recipe!  The flour and oil are cooked and stirred together for about 30-45 minutes until it becomes dark brown almost like mud, or chocolate and the consistency of dough.  The roux is what adds the deep, rich flavor to the gumbo, and it gives it it's thick texture. Make a good roux is a labor of love, but but one that totally pays off, and you can make it ahead of time!

Step-by-step Authentic Gumbo:

1. Make the roux. in a large pot, combine flour and oil and cook, stirring constantly on medium low heat.  You have to be careful to stir it constantly, on medium low heat, so that you don't burn it. It's easy, but takes patience. The darker the roux, the richer the flavor!

2. Chop the veggies.  When you're ready to make your gumbo, start by chopping celery, onions, bell pepper, parsley.   I love the freshness from the green bell pepper, onion, celery and parsley. You can also add okra, if you want. Add it at the same time as the other vegetables.

3. Brown the sausage.   Spread the sausage in a single layer on a hot, large skillet.  Once  browned, flip each one over individually, to make sure they all get nice and brown on both sides.

4. Add to large pot.  Add chicken broth veggies, parsley, and roux to the pot and stir well.  (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste.

5. Add meat.  Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp and taste.  Add more seasonings to your liking–salt, pepper, chicken bullion paste, garlic, more Joe's stuff or more chicken broth–until you reach the perfect flavor.

6. Serve warm over hot cooked rice. This recipe tastes even better the next day as the flavors have a chance to blend. If you're really wanting to go all out, serve it with a side of homemade potato salad!

Make ahead, Storing and Freezing Instructions:

Store Gumbo covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.  The roux can be made 3-5 days in advance, stored in a large resealable bag in the fridge.

This recipe makes quite a lot but it also freezes really well.  To freeze, allow it to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe container (separate from the rice) for 2-3 months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Consider trying these similar recipes:

• One Pan Jambalaya 
• Caribbean Jerk Chicken Bowls
• Mongolian Beef
• BBQ Ranch Grilled Chicken and Veggie Bowls

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Authentic New Orleans Style Gumbo

Author: Lauren Allen

This Authentic New Orleans Gumbo is made with a dark roux, vegetables, chicken, sausage, and shrimp, and served over rice.

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 10

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Equipment

• Enameled Pot

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

0.5x1x2x?

For the Roux:

• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour, , a little more may be needed
• ▢ 2/3 cup oil, (vegetable or canola oil)

For the Gumbo:

• ▢ 1 bunch celery, , diced, leaves and all
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper, , diced
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion, , diced
• ▢ 1 bunch green onions, , finely chopped
• ▢ 1 bunch fresh chopped parsley, , finely chopped
• ▢ 2-3 cloves garlic
• ▢ 1-2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning, *
• ▢ 8-10 cups chicken broth, *, you can add a little chicken bouillon paste to enhance the flavor of your chicken broth.
• ▢ 12 ounce package andouille sausages, , sliced into 'coins' (substitute Polska Kielbasa if you can't find a good Andouille)
• ▢ Meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken*
• ▢ 2 cups Shrimp, , uncooked or pre-cooked
• ▢ hot cooked rice, for serving

Instructions 

• Make the Roux*: In a large, heavy bottom stock pot combine flour and oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 30-45 minutes. This part takes patience--when it's finished it should be as dark as chocolate and have a soft, "cookie dough" like consistency. Be careful not to let it burn! Feel free to add a little more flour or oil as needed to reach this consistency.
• Brown the sausage. In a separate skillet on medium-high heat place the sausage slices in one layer in the pan. Brown them well on one side (2-3 minutes) and then use a fork to flip each over onto the other side to brown. Remove to a plate.
• Cook the vegetables in broth. Add ½ cup of the chicken broth to the hot skillet that had the sausage to deglaze the pan. Pour the broth and drippings into your large soup pot. 
• Add remaining 5 ½ cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, garlic and roux to the pot and stir well. 
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste. Add uncooked shrimp, if using and cook 2 minutes.
• Add meat. Add chicken, sausage, and pre-cooked shrimp, if using.
• Taste and serve. At this point taste it and add more seasonings to your liking--salt, pepper, chicken bullion paste, garlic, more Joe's stuff or more chicken broth--until you reach the perfect flavor. Serve warm over rice. (Tastes even better the next day!)

Notes

*Rice is not included in nutritional information.

Roux: The roux can be made 3-5 days in advance, stored in a large resealable bag in the fridge.

Okra: you can add chopped okra, if you want. Add 1 cup at the same time as the other vegetables

Cajun seasoning: My preferred brand is Slap Ya Mama or Joe's Stuff Cajun Seasoning. You could use any brand, but may need to adjust the amount added, to taste. You can also make your own cajun seasoning.

Chicken and broth:The best way to make this gumbo is by buying a rotisserie chicken--removing all the chicken, and using the carcass to make homemade chicken broth. Then make the gumbo using the chicken and homemade broth. You can use store-bought chicken broth, but homemade is way better! Here's a tutorial for making it from scratch.

Storing Instructions:  Store Gumbo covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.  

Freezing Instructions: This recipe makes quite a lot, so save leftovers for another day!  To freeze gumbo, allow it to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe container (separate from the rice) for 2-3 months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 167mg, Sodium: 1247mg, Potassium: 398mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 929IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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I originally shared this recipe in 2015 but updated it in November 2017 and again in December 2019 with process photos and step-by-step instructions.

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