OK, if you’re from Louisiana you should probably stop reading right now. This is my super easy gumbo recipe. What makes it easy is that you don’t have to make a roux. I’ve been told this should be called “Texas Gumbo” because of that reason but I can’t find any information online to know why or if that’s true. All I know is that it’s easy and it’s GOOD!
Since the word “gumbo” originates from an African word meaning “okra” I don’t mind calling this recipe gumbo even if it doesn’t have a roux.
Webster also defines “gumbo” as “a soup thickened with okra pods or filé and containing meat or seafoods and usually vegetables”. That still fits this recipe… so here it is:
Easy Texas Gumbo Recipe
Ingredients:
- olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3-4 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 bag frozen red, yellow, green bell peppers (Or you can use fresh. The frozen bag is cheaper at my store and faster so I use it.)
- 1 bag frozen sliced okra
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 package turkey sausage, sliced
- 1-2 chicken breasts
- shredded carrots (optional – I put them in this time because we’re trying to eat more veggies and I can’t taste them in the gumbo!)
- 1-2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
- water (to cover and as needed)
Directions:
- In a large soup pot, saute the onion and celery in olive oil.
- Add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour.
- Remove the chicken breasts, shred, and return to pot.
- Serve with rice.
See, I told you my gumbo recipe was easy. I can pretty much guarantee you that I’ll never post a complicated recipe on my blog. You’ll have to go somewhere else for that!
Here’s another favorite on my blog:
And if you want a more traditional gumbo recipe try these:
- Best Ever Seafood Gumbo, Southern Living
- Authentic New Orleans Style Gumbo, Tastes Better From Scratch
- Emeril’s Classic Seafood Gumbo
Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite soup is.
‘Til the next project,
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
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Featured on: Family Fun Friday
Lauren M says
March 10, 2015 at 9:24 pmHi!
I’m from Texas, and while your soup indeed looks lovely, we still wouldn’t call it “gumbo” here. My gumbo is made from an old, hand written family recipe which definitely includes a roux (as do all others I’ve ever tried).
What your recipe does remind me of — and it’s quite good too — is a shrimp or seafood Creole, which is made without a roux and with tomatoes! Looks like a fantastic recipe regardless, but definitely closer to a seafood Creole. Both are made and well-loved around here 🙂