Homemade Gumbo
Are you a gumbo lover like my husband? If so, you will love this homemade gumbo recipe adapted from, ‘Tastes Better from Scratch.’
The roux is a rich blend of einkorn flour and grass-fed butter. If you like a buttery roux, definitely do all butter, but if you prefer a lighter roux, switch out your butter for avocado oil. Can’t decide? Do a mix of both! You can also sub the einkorn flour with regular whole wheat or even gluten free flour.
The main component of a delicious gumbo is the roux. You want it dark, almost like chocolate. To obtain this, you mix equal parts oil and flour and keep mixing as it develops. It takes roughly 30-45 minutes to get a good colored roux, just keep mixing frequently as you chop the rest of your ingredients. It doesn’t need to be babied, but it does need a constant watch as to not burn. The house will quickly begin to smell amazing!
Health Benefits of Gumbo:
Gumbo can be very nourishing if using homemade, quality ingredients! The broth in this homemade gumbo is bone broth, which heals the gut lining, preventing diseases and strengthening the immune system.
Many ingredients listed below, but I’ll focus on the okra for now! Okra is rich in antioxidants which neutralize free radicals within the body to protect the cells from damage. Okra is also high in fiber which is great for digestive health and improve cholesterol levels. The fruit also stabalizes blood sugar by absorbing sugars from the intestinal tract.
To Make:
Make the roux:
In a large pot, combine flour and butter. cook over medium, low heat, stirring often for 30-45 minutes. the longer you cook, the darker the roux. careful not to burn by stirring often. If you find your roux not darkening, turn up the heat slowly.
Brown the Sausage:
In a separate skillet, cook sausage until golden, just a few minutes. set aside on a plate.
Cook the veggies in the soup:
Add about a 1/2 cup of the bone broth (or sub water) to the sausage skillet to deglaze the pan. Then, pour the drippings and broth into your large soup pot. Add the remaining broth and all the veggies. Cook on high/medium for about 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in cajun seasoning.
Add meat:
Add chicken, sausage and shrimp. Add gumbo file (optional). Continue to cook until shrimp is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
Taste and serve! Add over a bed of steamed white rice.
If you like this recipe, you’ll love Organ Meat Spaghetti.
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Homemade Gumbo
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
2/3 cup avocado oil OR 1.5 sticks grass fed butter (for a rich buttery flavor, can also mix the two!)
1 cup flour (I like to use einkorn, but can use gluten free or whole wheat)
2 cups chicken bone broth + 4 cups of water OR 6 cups chicken broth
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups previously cooked chicken, shredded
1 link sausage (about 12 oz), sliced (examples: Aidell’s cajun sausage, Pederson’s)
2 cups shrimp, raw or frozen
2 cups sliced frozen okra
1 tsp+ cajun seasoning* this is the mild version for kids. Add more if needed!
1 tbsp + salt to taste
1 tsp gumbo file *optional
served on a bed of steamed white rice
Instructions
Make the roux:
In a large pot, combine flour and butter. cook over medium, low heat, stirring often for 30-45 minutes. The longer you cook, the darker the roux. careful not to burn by stirring often. If you find your roux not darkening, turn up the heat slowly, just do not burn.
Brown the sausage:
In a separate skillet, cook sausage until golden, just a few minutes. set aside on a plate.
Cook the veggies in the soup:
Add about a 1/2 cup of the bone broth to the sausage skillet to deglaze the pan. pour the drippings and broth into your soup pot. Add the remaining broth and water and all the veggies. Cook on high/medium for about 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. stir in cajun seasoning.
Add meat:
Add fish/chicken, sausage and shrimp. Add gumbo file here if using.
Add a generous amount of salt, taste and serve! Add over a bed of white rice, recommended.
Notes
For the oil, you can also do half butter and half oil! This creates a slightly buttery, rich texture without the butter overpowering the dish.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour
