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5 from 2 votes

Seafoodless Gumbo

Print Recipe
This is a recipe for seafoodless gumbo. You can add shellfish if you so desire using this recipe.
Prep Time:1 hour
Cook Time:3 hours

Equipment

  • Heavy Bottom Pot or Cast Iron Pot
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 wooden spoon or spatula
  • 1 sharp knife
  • 1 parring knife
  • measuring cup
  • bowls
  • baking sheet
  • cooling rack

Ingredients

Base of the Gumbo (saute meat)

  • 2 lbs chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs chicken thighs are "fattier" and add extra umph
  • 1 pack amyLu chicken andouille sausage *I am usually not brand specific but this brand of andouille sausage is very flavorful
  • 2 tbsp Lawry's seasoning and black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Roux

  • 1 cup all purpose flour divided into 1/4 cups the purpose of dividing it is to add it slowly while making the roux
  • 1/2 cup olive oil there are other recipes that call for vegetable oil; i used olive oil out of a need and i liked the results
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup peanut oil there are other recipes that do not call for peanut oil or other oils. this was added out of necessity and I liked the results
  • 1 cup diced green peppers
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 tsp garlic paste

Gumbo

  • 2 tbsp Cajun/creole seasonings
  • 12 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes optional
  • 8 oz diced okra optional; can be frozen
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 bouillon cube

Instructions

Mise En Place

  • Lightly season and dice chicken using the sharp knife. Set aside in a separate bowl.
  • Dice the chicken sausage and set aside in a separate bowl.
  • Dice the onion and set aside in a separate bowl.
  • Dice the green pepper and set aside in a separate bowl.
  • Dice the celery and set aside in a separate bowl.

Saute the meat

  • Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the heavy bottom pot. Turn the stovetop on medium heat.
  • Add chicken to the pot and cook until done thoroughly. You will need to flip the meat periodically so it is evenly cooked on both sides. It is ok if there are bits of the chicken left in the pot. That's the seasoning.
  • Take the cooked chicken and set aside to drain.
  • Add the chicken sausage to the pot. You should not have to add more oil. Saute until cooked thoroughly. Should take approximately 5-7 min.
  • Take the chicken sausage out of the pot and set aside. There may be bits of the chicken sausage in the pot. That's ok that's the flavor!

Making the Roux

  • The pot should be on low/medium heat. 
  • Add 1/4 cup of flour and stir/whisk in the heavy bottom pot. The bits of seasoning from sautéing the chicken and sausage will be in the bottom.  
  • Add 1/2 cup of olive oil 
  • Stir slowly with whisk. There should be no clumps and the consistency should be thinning out to fully incorporated and thinned.
  • Add the other 1/4 cup of flour 
  • Then add 1/2 cup of butter and stir until it melts.  
  • Continue to stir the flour. The color and consistency should be changing to a peanut butter color.  
  • Once the flour is to the desired level of thickness you can add the last cup of 1/4 of flour and add 1/4 cup of peanut oil ***If too thin add more flour. If too light turn up the heat***
  • Continue to stir slowly scrapping the bottom of the pot until it reaches the chocolate color. 

Making the Gumbo

  • Add the diced onions and celery to the roux. Stir in and incorporate. It will feel "thick" don't worry you will thin it out.  Using a wooden spoon makes sure it is fully incorporated. It should be thick as the acidity from the onion will change the texture. 
  • Add garlic paste.
  • Then add the diced green peppers.
  • Add 4 cups of chicken broth. Stir until fully incorporated and bring to a boil.
  • Add fire roasted tomatoes (optional)
  • Now add 4 cups of water and one bouillon cube. Consistency will “thin” out. 
  • Before adding the chicken to the gumbo, shred the pieces apart. Since it's cool it will be easier to pull apart. Add the chicken stir until fully incorporated 
  • Add chicken sausage stir until fully incorporate 
  • Check the taste if it’s not to your desired seasoning adjust. Do not adjust the seasoning until you add the chicken sausage as it is very flavorful and spicy. 
  • Add Cajun and Creole seasonings to taste. (ie Slap Ya Mamma) 
  • Add 2 bay leaves and cover to simmer for approximately 30-40 min 
  • If adding traditional seafood add at this time (optional)  
  • Cover the pot and allow to boil for 40min.
  • If not adding seafood add the okra at the end and allow to come back to a boil for 20-30 min. 
  • Take out the bay leaves 
  • Enjoy with rice.

Notes

  • Gumbo is a recipe of patience. 
  • Watch the pot when you’re making roux. It can easily get too hot and burn. Keep the heat to medium/ low. Pay attention to what you're doing. Making a good roux takes approximately 45-50min.  
  • Do not add the okra until the end if you add it too early it will be mushy 
  • The brand of the andouille sausage is important to the flavor. It has a lot of flavor so do not add flavors until you’ve added the chicken sausage and allow the flavors to affect the pot.
  • Gumbo tastes better  the next day so make the day before. 
  • Fire roasted tomatoes are optional but have acidity so they will affect the color and consistency of the gumbo slightly.
Course: Holiday Meal, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Creole, Soul Food
Keyword: creole soup, gumbo, seafoodless gumbo
Servings: 6 people