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.
0 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.
1 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.
2 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).
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 Serve alongside white rice and enjoy!
