Spicy Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo Recipe

Gumbo is a soup or stew that’s full of spice and rich flavors.  With roots in Louisiana and the Southern Gulf Coast, gumbos are thick, hearty, and zesty.  

Thickening the Gumbo

The base of any good gumbo is a thick stock, usually a meat or shellfish stock.  Gumbos also rely on the “holy trinity,” a mixture of celery, bell peppers, and onions, for its signature flavor.  Chefs differ on the type of thickening agent they use to turn this rich soup into a stew.  Whether you use pureed okra, file powder (ground, dried sassafras leaves), or a roux (a mixture of butter or oil and flour) to thicken your creation, you’re still making authentic gumbo.

Types of Gumbo

Gumbo comes in many different types.  Seafood gumbo is probably the most famous and can be made with crab, shrimp, crawfish, fish, or oysters — or a combination of these.  Other types of gumbo include File Gumbo, which uses chicken or sausage, Gumbo Ya-Ya with hard-boiled or poached eggs, beef gumbo, duck and oyster gumbo, and rabbit gumbo.  Turkey and sausage gumbo is popular after Thanksgiving when cooks are trying to use up the extra turkey in the fridge.  Vegetarians can also make a Green Gumbo or Gumbo Z’herbes that has vegetables but no meat.  Gumbo is often served over white or parboiled rice.

Vegetarian Gumbo

Gumbo Z’herbes is a popular dish during Lent, on Holy Thursday, or on Good Friday.  It literally means “greens gumbo” and the dish includes the basic stock and thickener, plus different types of greens like collard, mustard, turnip, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, chard, parsley, or scallions.

Food Philosophy

I love serving homemade meals and entertaining, but I don’t love spending all my time in the kitchen… Sound familiar?  I’ll share my shortcuts for getting delicious, healthy food on the table – easy, fast & stress-free. All of my recipes have been tested on family and friends.  We love them and I hope you will too.