If you’ve never had gumbo I can assure you that you are totally missing out! If you can’t get down south for authentic gumbo, you’ve got to try this Slow Cooker Spicy Gumbo at home.
I don’t get a lot of opportunities to each authentic gumbo, so I can in no way offer a guarantee to how this tastes in relation to the “real thing”. This is my disclaimer, as any time I post a recipe that might be considered to be some sort of regional favorite, there are some people that get a little, well, passionate about it’s authenticity. I promise, no disrespect is ever intended toward any family recipes and my attempt to recreate recipes is simply for my love of food and trying new things! If my budget was unlimited, I would travel to all sorts of places just to try the food. But for now, I settle with making my own versions at home. So that being said, this is a pretty darn tasty meal and it quickly hopped to the top of my husbands favorites list and has been requested multiple times. And if it helps the credibility factor, he travels to Louisiana for work often and has tried gumbo there, and he loves this version.
What is in a gumbo?
- It can depend on where you live an your access to seafood, but gumbo can include seafood, chicken, sausage and other things depending on the region
- This version a great seafood recipe not only for the slow cooker, but also for those of you that are landlocked like me. Without having access to fresh seafood, sometime things can be iffy. But frozen shrimp is usually a pretty safe bet and just cooks a short time in this recipe.
- And I also added sausage to give it more of that spicy kick as well as to make it even more hearty and filling
- As with many soups, this one starts out with your basic carrot, celery, onion blend. But I also decided to add some bell pepper for good measure. And since I was feeling a little lazy I bought myself one of these handy little choppers and let it do most of the work.
- Also, I do realize that gumbo usually starts with a roux, but for slow cooker purposes, I have chosen to add cream instead to thicken
If re-making a recipe in my world of having a zillion recipes to test is any indication, then you know this is a keeper. In a re-make of last year’s vacation, we headed back to the Alabama coast. Since we rent a condo that has a great kitchen (on an island with few restaurants) we enjoy doing our own cooking while we are there. So when making our our meal plan for the week this was the first thing I thought of since we have access to a market right across the street with daily fresh seafood catches.
And if you’ve ever wondered, what is the difference between a gumbo and a jambalaya…
Gumbo is more of a soup and jambalaya is more of a rice dish. But they do have similar ingredients and flavors. And I do like to add a scoop of rice to my gumbo.
Slow Cooker Spicy Gumbo
Ingredients
- 6-8 ounces carrots
- 6-8 ounces celery
- 6-8 ounces bell pepper
- 6-8 ounces onions
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 12 oz spicy andouille sausage
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning blend
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cream
- 12 oz frozen shrimp
- Optional: cooked rice or farro for serving
Instructions
- Finely dice carrots, celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic (or dice using a chopper)
- Melt butter is skillet or mult-cooker over medium high heat and then add veggies and sauté until softened, about 3-5 minutes
- Chop sausage and add to slow cooker along with broth and cooked veggies (amount of broth to add depends on how hearty you want the soup)
- Add seasoning and cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6
- Add shrimp and cream and return slow cooker to high heat until shrimp cooked through, around 10 minutes or so
- Serve over cooked rice or as desired
Notes
Nutrition
Craving more seafood for the slow cooker?
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The cream is an interesting touch. But there’s absolutely NO WAY you can call this “Gumbo” without okra.
Sorry.
Thanks for sharing your perspective Morely! I’m sure you make an authentic gumbo that is delicious!
How do you make a Roux?
With flour and butter and then adding a liquid to it… maybe I can put together a post on that soon!
I haven’t tried this yet but I had a question. My daughter is allergic to coconut, only when ingested
Is the a substitute I could use instead of the coconut milk?
Hi there– I can only find pre-cooked andouille. Is that what you had in mind, or did you mean raw (in which case I’d be curious to know what adjustments you’d make for using pre-cooked sausage). Thanks!
Roux. You will always say “there’s just…something missing…” until you make a little roux. Use clarified butter, be vigilant, and the world will suddenly become a better place. Bon chance!
Thanks!! I will try it for sure!
Hi Jennifer! Dauphin Island? It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been that far south. I always add bell pepper to my gumbo too! One thing that will improve your gumbo is to start with a good dark roux. It will also thicken it up and you won’t want the cream. I usually make it in a dutch oven so it’s still a one pot meal. I also really love the addition of a bag of frozen cut okra (not the breaded stuff) but I know it’s not for everyone. Gumbo is one of my favorite easy meals since it’s so versatile. I often add scallops, firm white fish, crab, crawfish if I can get them, and my ex always preferred andouille sausage and chicken.
Yes! We love it there. Thanks for the suggestions on the gumbo. Sounds delicious and I will give them a try for sure!