Buttery roux, plump shrimp, super flavorful broth and a rainbow of vegetables, I have a very strong feeling you’re going to love this shrimp gumbo. Like all of the recipes here, we made it as simple and as flavorful as possible.
Shrimp Sausage Gumbo Recipe
Gumbo is one of those meals that tastes like it was made with love. With just a little time and care, you can make a huge batch of gumbo, full of fresh ingredients, nourishing broth, and filling protein. We love gumbo on cold weekends that are full of football watching, playing outside, and snuggling up on the couch.
What is gumbo?
If you’ve never had it before, you may be wondering what in the world gumbo is! Gumbo is a super flavorful stew-like meal that is incredibly popular in Louisiana (fun fact: it’s actually the official state cuisine). Heavily seasoned with Creole and Cajun seasoning, gumbo can include a wide variety of proteins (chicken, sausage, and shrimp are all pretty common), always includes veggies (bell peppers, onion, celery, and okra typically make an appearance), and is most often served over simple white rice.
How long does it take to make gumbo?
Because you’ll want to let the gumbo simmer so that the flavors can really come together, it’ll take about 2.5 hours to make, start to finish – gumbo is a labor of love, but totally worth the time and effort!
Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter, divided
- 2 pounds of shrimp, peeled
- 2, 12-ounce packages of andouille sausage, thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 5 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 bell peppers, green or red both work here, diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon of coarse sea salt, plus more to taste (we recommend starting with a ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt, but the total amount needed will vary depending on which Cajun spice blend and seafood stock you use)
- 1 cup of gluten-free flour (we use THIS one)
- 2 quarts (64 fluid ounces) of seafood stock
- 2 teaspoons of Cajun spice blend
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 pound of okra, tops removed and thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup of fresh chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (about one lemon)
- White rice, for serving
What vegetables go in gumbo?
The most common vegetables used in gumbo are bell peppers, onions, celery, and okra. Many Creole (vs. Cajun) gumbo recipes also call for tomatoes!
Best Sausage for Gumbo
Wondering what kind of sausage to use in your gumbo? We’ve got you. Smoked andouille sausage is typically the sausage of choice because of its distinctively sharp, smoky, spicy flavor. I’ve also made mine with chorizo for a Spanish twist!
How to Make Shrimp Gumbo with Sausage
As mentioned above, gumbo is a labor of love (it doesn’t quite fit into the “quick and easy weeknight meal” category), but while the process takes about 2.5 hours, it isn’t actually super difficult to make. You’ve got this!
- Brown the sausage – add two tablespoons olive oil or butter (we used butter!) to a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes, until browned, then flip the sausage and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot.
- Saute the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper – drain off all but two tablespoons of oil from the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and salt to the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the celery and bell pepper have started to wilt. Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside.
- Make the roux – add 1 cup of olive oil or butter (we used butter!) to the pot over medium heat. Once warmed through (about 1 minute), add the flour and whisk the two together to combine. Continue to stir the mixture for about 12-15 minutes, until the roux has a peanut butter color and nutty fragrance. (Note that the roux may immediately turn brown from picking up the browned bits in the pot, but it will continue to darken in color and become more fragrant as you cook.)
- Add to the roux and simmer – stir the seafood stock into the roux, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps. Then, add in the sausage, vegetables, Cajun spice blend, leaves, black pepper, and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for one hour.
- Add the okra + shrimp – add the okra and shrimp to the pot, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the okra is softened and no longer stringy.
- Stir in green onions and lemon juice – after 30 minutes, skim any excess fat off the top of the pot and stir in the green onions and lemon juice. Then, taste for seasoning and add additional salt or Cajun seasoning as needed.
- Serve and enjoy – serve alongside white rice and enjoy!
How to Make Roux for Gumbo
Roux is a classic component of gumbo and should not be skipped! It helps to both thicken the soup and add an enormous amount of flavor. To make the roux, you’ll simply…
- Add 1 cup of either olive oil or butter (I know that seems like a lot, but that’s what builds the flavor) to a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat.
- Once the butter is warmed through, add the flour and whisk the two together.
- Continue to stir the mixture for about 12-15 minutes, until the roux is fragrant and peanut butter-y in color.
How much roux for gumbo?
Good question – you’ll need 1 cup of butter or olive oil and 1 cup of flour to make the roux for your gumbo!
When to add roux to gumbo?
Now that you know exactly what you need for the roux and how to make it, you may be wondering WHEN, exactly, this happens in the gumbo process. First, you’ll brown your sausage, then, you’ll saute your veggies, and THEN, you’ll make the roux!
When to add shrimp to gumbo?
The shrimp can head into the pot after the gumbo has simmered for about an hour – at the same time as the okra. You’ll return the sausage and veggies to the pot at this time also!
How thick should gumbo be?
Gumbo is generally pretty thick – it should be more stew-like in consistency than soup-like. Getting the roux nice and thick is KEY here, as a thick roux will help to really get the gumbo to the correct consistency.
How to Serve Gumbo
Serve your gumbo atop a bed of fluffy white rice – this is both the most classic way to enjoy it and the way that I serve it to my friends and family!
Storing and Reheating Sausage Shrimp Gumbo
Store leftover gumbo in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat a large portion (think: several servings) of gumbo in a pot on the stove, or an individual portion either on the stove or in the microwave.
How long can gumbo be refrigerated?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, your gumbo will last for up to 5 days!
Shrimp Sausage Gumbo FAQs
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Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 2, 12-ounce packages andouille sausage thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 5 stalks celery diced
- 2 bell peppers green or red, diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt plus more to taste*
- 1 cup gluten-free flour
- 2 quarts (64 fluid ounces) seafood stock
- 2 teaspoons Cajun spice blend
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 pounds shrimp peeled
- 1 pound okra tops removed and thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup fresh green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice about one lemon
- White rice cooked, for serving
Instructions
- Add two tablespoons olive oil or butter (we used butter!) to a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes, until browned, then flip the sausage and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot.
- Drain off all but two tablespoons of oil from the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and salt to the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the celery and bell pepper have started to wilt. Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside.
- Add 1 cup of olive oil or butter (we used butter!) to the pot over medium heat. Once warmed through (about 1 minute), add the flour and whisk the two together to combine. Continue to stir the mixture for about 12-15 minutes, until the roux has a peanut butter color and nutty fragrance. (Note that the roux may immediately turn brown from picking up the browned bits in the pot, but it will continue to darken in color and become more fragrant as you cook).
- Stir the seafood stock into the roux, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps. Then, add in the sausage, vegetables, Cajun spice blend, leaves, black pepper, and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for one hour.
- Add the shrimp and okra to the pot, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the okra is softened and no longer stringy.
- After 30 minutes, skim any excess fat off the top of the pot and stir in the green onions and lemon juice. Then, taste for seasoning and add additional salt or Cajun seasoning as needed.
- Serve alongside white rice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
