Crazy Easy Gumbo | Mardi Gras Recipes
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My boyfriend and I are pretty much obsessed with gumbo. Anytime we see it on a menu, we get it. With Mardi Gras coming up, our cravings intensified for the spicy, rice-y, bowl of deliciousness. I’ve been practicing my Southern cooking in preparation for Mardi Gras – I even made some super simple shrimp po’boys for us to really get us in the Fat Tuesday Spirit.
Gumbo is traditionally made with andouille sausage, chicken, and shrimp in a medley of vegetables that include tomatoes, peppers, onions, and okra. I accidentally forgot to pick up okra for my gumbo, so it won’t be mentioned in this recipe, but definitely feel free to pick some up and add it to your own if you are determined to be extra authentic.
Gumbo is so packed with flavor and is pretty easy to adjust to your own tastes. We like our gumbo extra spicy, so I opted to add some extra Cajun spice mix into mine. A great gumbo needs a great broth, so I made mine with chicken and a variety of fresh vegetables.
We’ll start with the vegetables by first dicing them up into pieces. I started with the heartier vegetables like the red onion and celery and added the peppers, tomatoes, and other seasonings in as I went.
The next step is to add the flour to the vegetables and coat them all before adding the chicken broth. The broth should be just barely a simmer.
Cook the chicken and andouille sausage in a separate pan or use pre-cooked varieties. The shrimp can be tossed in raw, but be sure to add those last so they don’t turn rubbery.
Let the gumbo simmer on a medium low for fifteen to twenty minutes. I used this time to steam the rice and let the gumbo sauce thicken up.
Serve the gumbo with a large serving of rice – be careful, this gumbo is extra spicy!
We dipped French bread in our gumbo, but corn bread or any other crusty bread will work instead of (or in addition to) white rice. Have a safe and happy Mardi Gras and let the good times roll!
Crazy Easy Gumbo | Mardi Gras Recipes
Ingredients
- 8 oz chicken breast cooked & cut into cubes
- 8 oz andouille sausage cooked & sliced
- 8 oz raw shrimp peeled
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup celery chopped
- ½ cup red onion chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup green bell pepper chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 green onion chopped
- ½ cup flour
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cajun spice blend
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 5 cups cooked riced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the chicken and andouille sausage, set aside for 10 minutes then cut. Peel and devein the shrimp, but leave raw.
- In a large pot over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil followed by the red onions, celery, red and green peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Saute until tender and fragrant. Add the parsley, cayenne pepper, cajun spice blend, and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the flour to the pan and stir until the vegetables are coated. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked chicken and andouille sausage. Reduce the heat to a medium low temperature and let simmer for twenty minutes. Toss in the shrimp for the last 5 minutes.
- Steam the rice while the gumbo thickens. Serve each bowl of gumbo with one cup of the cooked rice, top with green onions, and enjoy!
