Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo

Traditional Creole gumbo made with roux, shrimp, sausage, and crabmeat.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr 40 mins
• Total Time: 3 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 283 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• salt to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 3 quarts water
• 6 cubes beef bouillon
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
• 1 pound lump crabmeat
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste
• 3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 4 teaspoons file powder, divided
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut okra, thawed
• 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 0.75 cup bacon drippings
• 0.5 teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere's®), or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine water and beef bouillon cubes in a large Dutch oven or soup pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until bouillon cubes dissolve, then whisk roux mixture into the boiling water.

Step 2

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in a skillet over medium heat. Add okra and vinegar and cook for 15 minutes; remove okra with a slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo.

Step 3

Make the roux: Whisk together flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Cook roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.

Step 4

Make the gumbo: Place celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until all vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir vegetables into the roux, and mix in sausage. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 5

Reduce heat to a simmer and mix in sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.

Step 6

Mix in reserved vegetables, crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder just before serving.

Step 7

Gather all ingredients.