CHICKEN SAUSAGE GUMBO

Chicken Sausage Gumbo

YIELD: 8-10 SERVINGS

My all-time favorite gumbo recipe is FULL of rich flavors, made with andouille sausage and chicken, and irresistibly delicious!

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR PREP TIME: 10 MINS COOK TIME: 50 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup vegetable or canola oil

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 large bell peppers, cored and diced (I used one red, one yellow, one green)

• 2 large celery stalks, diced

• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced

• 2 cups fresh or frozen chopped okra

• 1 pound (16 ounces) andouille sausage, sliced

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

• 2 teaspoons dried thyme

• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne, to taste

• 1-2 teaspoons salt, to taste

• 1-2 teaspoons freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken

• 3 bay leaves

• optional for serving: white rice or quinoa, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1 Heat oil in a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.  (I used a Dutch oven.)  Whisk in flour until combined.  Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the roux mixture reaches a dark brown color (similar to milk chocolate), about 18-20 minutes.  Be very careful not to let the roux burn!  (And if it does, throw it out and rinse out the pan, then start again and lower the temperature of your stove slightly.)

2 Once the roux reaches the dark brown color, stir in the bell peppers, celery, onion, celery, and okra until combined.  Continue to cook, stirring every 10-15 seconds, until the vegetables have softened a bit, about 8-10 minutes.

3 Stir in the andouille, tomatoes, Creole seasoning, thyme, cayenne, salt, and pepper until combined.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4 Gradually stir in the stock, chicken and bay leaves, and continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and let the gumbo simmer for at least 5-10 minutes minutes until the vegetables are completely tender.  Taste, and season with extra salt, pepper and/or cayenne if needed.

5 Serve warm with rice, sprinkled with fresh parsley and/or hot sauce if desired.