Gumbo with Shrimp and Sausage

4.91 from 372 votes

Gumbo with Shrimp and Sausage

My take on a hearty New Orleans Gumbo with shrimp and sausage! I'm making the roux from scratch so it's extra flavorful! This recipe is perfect to make on the weekend and enjoy all week long as the flavor gets BETTER with time! I highly suggest reading the post once all the way through before starting the recipe. I provide lots of tips to get the perfect roux color which will help make this process much easier.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Soups & Stews

Servings:

Calories: 477kcal

Author: Marzia

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

For the Roux:

½ cup high heat oil such as avocado, canola, corn, or vegetable
½ cup all purpose flour

For the Gumbo:

1 medium onion diced
2 bell peppers any color, diced
3 stalks celery diced
6 garlic cloves minced
3 bay leaves
8 ounces andouille sausage sliced (I used Tofurky)
2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons tabasco sauce more or less to taste
1 tablespoon cayenne omit to make it mild
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes optional
1½ pounds raw shrimp
2 teaspoons gumbo filé
sliced scallions + white rice or quinoa for serving

Instructions

ROUX: Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour until combined and smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and continuously stir for 15-22 minutes or until the roux darkens to just past a deep peanut butter color. Take your time here and don't be tempted to crank up the heat. You do not want to let the roux burn! (if you smell it burning, you will need to throw is out, clean the pot, and start over, unfortunately there's just no saving burnt roux!)
SAUTE: Once the roux reaches that deep rich brown color, stir in the onions, bell peppers, and celery and continue to cook, stirring as needed so the vegetables don't stick. About 8-10 minutes or until the veggies soften. Add the garlic, andouille sausage (if using tofurky, do not add yet, you'll need to brown it in a skillet first then add it with the shrimp at the end), and bay leaves. Continue to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the garlic is nice and fragrant.
SEASON: Add the cajun seasoning, tabasco sauce, and cayenne along with the chicken broth and stewed tomatoes (if using) and bring to a high simmer before lowering the heat to medium-low, covering and simmering for 15-20 minutes.
ADD PROTEIN: Add the shrimp and sausage (if using) to the gumbo, give it a stir and allow to continue to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque and the veggies have softened. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Add the gumbo filé and stir. Remove bay leaves before serving.
TO SERVE: Serve warm with white rice or quinoa with sliced scallions on top.

Notes

Peppers: You don't have to use all the colors for the bell peppers. I just really enjoy the taste and color they add.
Tomatoes: After making this recipe several times, I find the tomatoes are optional. 1 (14.5-ounce can) diced tomatoes can be used in place of the stewed tomatoes as they can be hard to find sometimes. You might need an extra splash of broth if you decide to omit the tomatoes from the recipe.
Gumbo File: available in the ethnic food aisle near where they keep the cajun seasonings. It's basically ground leaves from the sassafras tree.
Adding Okra: I know some people find it isn't gumbo if there's no okra. That said, it just comes down to preference. If you'd like to add some, you can slice 4 ounces of okra into small pieces. Fry them in a tablespoon of oil to keep them from being slimy in the gumbo. Then add then in with the shrimp in step 4.
Swapping the protein: I’ve played with this recipe a ton, swapping bite-sized pieces of chicken thighs for the sausage and it all works. If you do decide to use chicken, thighs work best and would go during step #2.

Nutrition