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Home » dinner ideas » Gumbo

Gumbo

By Sachi | Published Jul 28, 2021 | Updated Jan 16, 2022 | Leave a comment!

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Okra is simmered in a thick gravy with shrimp, chicken, and Andouille sausage until the flavors deepen into a rich, velvety gumbo.

Total carbs 14g, net carbs 12g

Okra is simmered in a thick gravy with shrimp, chicken, and Andouille sausage until the flavors deepen into a rich, velvety gumbo.
Gumbo is made with West African, French, Spanish and indigenous American ingredients and techniques.

What is gumbo?

With origins in West Africa, and popular in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana, gumbo is okra stewed in rich gravy. There are many variations of gumbo. It can be thickened with okra, filé or roux. Additions such as chicken, sausage, seafood and tomatoes are used depending on availability and regional style - Cajun or Creole. This recipe makes a big batch, 12 servings, for a delicious one-pot meal.

Ingredients you'll need

Okra

Okra is the key ingredient in gumbo. Fresh or frozen okra both work for this dish.

The gumbo we know today originated as a stewed okra dish from West Africa. The word "gumbo" comes from the word for okra in a West African dialect. Okra was brought to the Americas from Africa during the slave trade. Because okra thrives in the hot Southern climate it became an essential part of Cajun and Creole cuisine.

Okra is a highly nutritious food. It is low in carbs and rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, folate, fiber, antioxidants like polyphenols, and Vitamins C, A, B-6 and K. Studies even show okra to help control blood sugar levels.  

Roux

Good roux makes good gumbo. Using roux to thicken stews is a technique used in French cuisine. This is the most common thickening method used today as flour and fat are now readily available.

Roux is a 1:1 ratio of flour and fat cooked together. It is cooked low and slow to form a paste, which is the thickening base of stews and sauces. Roux forms a thick gravy when whisked and boiled together with liquid such as water, stock or milk.

You can use any cooking fat that you have on hand. Butter makes delicious blonde roux. You can also use bacon fat, lard, chicken fat, duck fat or cooking oil.

Roux can be cooked for a few minutes to form a light colored “blonde” roux. Blond roux is great as a foundation for béchamel and cheese sauces.

Roux can also be cooked longer to develop deeper and more complex flavors as it browns and becomes dark roux. Dark roux has a a rich, nutty flavor and is the foundation of good gumbo. Since it requires longer cooking time, dark roux often uses bacon fat, lard or vegetable oil, instead of butter, so that it doesn’t burn. Dark roux used in gumbo takes about 30 minutes to cook with frequent stirring. Good gumbo is a labor of love. If you are in a hurry, go with blond roux. You’ll have different results, but it will still be delicious.

What about filé?

Throughout it's history gumbo has used many different thickeners like okra. When okra wasn't in season or otherwise unavailable, then filé was used. Filé is made from dried sassafras leaves that are cured and ground into powder. Filé was a contribution of the Choctaw and other indigenous tribes in the region. However, even though sassafras trees grow feral all over North America, it is not an easy ingredient to find in a store. Therefore this recipe doesn’t call for filé powder. If filé is available where you are feel free to add it towards the end of cooking.

The holy trinity

Based on French mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery) and Spanish sofrito (onions, peppers, garlic, herbs and tomatoes), the holy trinity is a 1:1:1 ratio of onions, celery and green pepper. It is the cornerstone of flavor in gumbo. 

Shrimp

Use peeled, deveined shrimp with tails on.

Shrimp and okra are in season at the same time, which is how they came to be paired as gumbo ingredients. Shrimp is delicious in gumbo and is a dominant feature of Creole cuisine.

For delicious shrimp, it is crucial not to overcook them. Therefore, add raw shrimp to bubbling hot gumbo at the very end of cooking gumbo and just before serving. Cook shrimp until just cooked through. It only takes a few minutes. Watch the shrimp as they cook. When the shrimp become opaque and the tails turn bright red, they are ready to serve.

Andouille sausage

Andouille is a spicy Cajun sausage made of smoked pork.

Smoked meat is an ingredient that is available without refrigeration and finds its way into Southern dishes such as gumbo. This smoked sausage imparts a rich, smoky and spicy flavor to gumbo. If you use andouille sausage there is no need to use bacon, as called for by some gumbo recipes. If andouille sausage is not available, then feel free to substitute it with an approximate portion of another smoked meat like bacon, ham or kielbasa sausage.

Tomatoes (optional)

For Creole gumbo add tomato, for Cajun gumbo leave it out. I like to add tomato for a touch of acidity.

Scallions

Finely sliced scallions are a classic, savory garnish for gumbo.

Seasonings

This recipe calls for bay leaves, Tabasco sauce, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic, oregano and thyme.

Equipment you’ll need

A large Dutch oven with a lid works best for making this dish.

Serving suggestions

Ladle gumbo over ⅓ cup rice and garnish with finely sliced scallions for a 30g carb meal.

If you are on an extremely low-carb diet, then you can skip the rice and eat it like a stew.

Make Ahead

You can store gumbo in an air-tight container for up to 3 days and up to 3 months in the freezer.

“You can learn a lot about the history of Southern food by studying a bowl of gumbo.”

Robert Moss, Serious Eats
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Okra is simmered in a thick gravy with shrimp, chicken, and Andouille sausage until the flavors deepen into a rich, velvety gumbo.

Gumbo


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  • Author: Sachi
  • Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x
  • Diet: Diabetic
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Description

Okra is simmered in a thick gravy with shrimp, chicken, and Andouille sausage until the flavors deepen into a rich, velvety gumbo.


Ingredients

Units Scale

roux

  • ⅓ cup bacon drippings (use lard or canola oil if you don’t have bacon drippings)
  • ⅓ cup flour

holy trinity

  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper

stock

  • 8 cups fish or chicken stock

seasonings

  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

vegetables

  • 1 pound of sliced fresh okra (if fresh okra is not available, a 16 ounce package of frozen okra will do fine)
  • 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

protein

  • 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless, chopped
  • 1 andouille sausage, sliced
  • 1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined (seasoned with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon garlic powder)

garnish

  • 1 scallion, finely sliced

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl season shrimp with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover and keep in fridge.
  2. Heat bacon drippings in a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer chicken to a plate. Set aside.
  3. Make a roux by adding flour to the bacon drippings. Whisk fat and flour together continuously while the mixture bubbles. Lower heat to lowest setting possible and stir occasionally for 2-5 minutes until a caramel color develops. You can take this further and make a dark roux by continuing to watch and stir the roux until the color develops to a dark brown, but be careful not to burn the roux by walking away from it. This is a good time to prep ingredients while stopping to stir the roux from time to time.
  4. Add onions, celery and green peppers. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
  5. Whisk in stock. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Whisk until roux and stock are combined and form a thick gravy.
  6. Return chicken to pot. 
  7. Stir in seasonings, tomatoes, okra, and andouille sausage. Bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. At this point you can set the gumbo aside or refrigerate it until ready to eat. 
  8. When it is time to serve, bring gumbo to a boil. Stir in raw shrimp. Cook shrimp for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and opaque and the tails turn bright red. Serve gumbo immediately. 
  9. Garnish with sliced scallions. Serve with rice.

Notes

If you don't have time to make a dark roux, cook the roux until it bubbles for a few minutes. 

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 and ½ hours
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Boil
  • Cuisine: American

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About Sachi

What's cooking, carb counters?! I’m Sachi, I'm the carb counting recipe developer at We Count Carbs! Need help figuring out what to make for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner? Do you wish recipes came with carb counts and nutrition facts labels? You've come to the right place. We count carbs because carbs count!

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