Gumbo is a New Orleans classic and this simple version is loaded with meat and veggies with minimal dishes to clean at the end of the night.
Yes, you read that right. This chicken and shrimp gumbo is actually a 30 minute meal that only uses one pot. AND it’s healthy! It doesn’t get much better than that, does it?
How do you make chicken and shrimp gumbo?
Ok, so this may not be 100% authentic, traditional gumbo but it’s still delicious and all of the key flavors are there. The recipe starts with a basic roux made with oil and flour. After the roux has been cooked until it starts to brown, in goes the onions and pepper. Next we’ve got the cooked chicken, sausage and chicken broth. The shrimp and okra get added in at the very end. And dinner is served!
You can use any cooked chicken you have – I either buy a rotisserie chicken or use leftover chicken. Same goes for the sausage – any mild variety will work. While andouille is traditional, I was worried it might be too spicy for the kids so I used a turkey kielbasa which was an excellent choice.
I cheat and use frozen, pre-cut okra in this gumbo. It saves a lot of prep time and I can’t taste the difference in this case. You can also add a little hot sauce if you like your gumbo with a kick, I left it out to make it more kid friendly.
So speaking of the kids, they really liked this one! I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that they eat okra, because they don’t. But they did enjoy their “chicken and hot dog soup”. I served this gumbo with cornbread on the side. Of course you can always buy cornbread if you’re in a rush, or serve the gumbo with the traditional rice. Any way you serve it, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser! Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!
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