Easy shrimp and sausage gumbo with big, bold flavors is the perfect hearty, comforting soup! The whole family will beg for seconds.
A couple of months back my dad and brother took a little trip down to New Orleans for a big football game. The game was originally supposed to be held in Texas but due to inclement weather, it had to be relocated at the last minute.
My dad and brother’s tickets had to be changed, new flights had to be booked, new hotels had to be reserved, and it seemed like the whole event was going to be stressful and miserable for them.
Turns out they had an even better time than they’d ever hoped for because in their words “New Orleans is everything it’s ever been cracked up to be”.
They did a lot of fun things while they were there, but what they raved the most about was the food. No surprise! Southern food is notorious for being crazy delicious and it did not disappoint.
One dish my brother could not stop talking about was a seafood gumbo he’d tried while on the trip. He went on and on and ON about it.
All that talk about gumbo got me in the mood, big time, and I realized that even though I’ve had gumbo before – and LOVED it – I didn’t have my own recipe for it! Shame shame shame. I took care of that real quick though.
This recipe is very straight-forward with simple ingredients and easy-to-follow steps. It starts with a roux, which is a creamy soup base made from oil and flour. Once your roux is bubbling in the bottom of the pot, you add alllllll the stuff. The shrimp, sausage, veggies, seasonings, and mix it all together.
Put the lid on the pot, let it simmer for 10-15 minutes or so, and that’s it my friends. It’s ready to serve, ready to garnish, ready to be devoured.
As you know, I love my food real spicy, but I toned down the spice in this recipe for those who don’t dig the heat quite as much as I do, and made it really easy to amp it back up if you are a fellow heat lover.
I love to garnish my shrimp and sausage gumbo with a whole lot of cracked black pepper and freshly chopped thyme or parsley, and serve it alongside some French bread. This comforting, flavor-boasting soup will warm your belly all season long!
Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup oil
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1-2 pounds medium or large shrimp - peeled and de-veined, tails removed
- 1 pound andouille sausage - sliced
- 3 stalks celery - chopped
- 1 medium white or yellow onion - diced
- 1 red bell pepper - diced
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes - including liquid
- gumbo seasoning - see below
- 2-4 teaspoons hot sauce - preferably Cholula
Gumbo Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning blend - (or sub equal parts dried oregano, dried thyme, and dried basil)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - less for milder heat
- 1 cup cooked long grain rice - optional
- ½ pound frozen okra - optional
Instructions
- Stir together all Gumbo Seasoning ingredients and set aside. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add oil. Stir in flour and continue to stir with a whisk until mixture is browned and creamy.
- Add broth, shrimp, sausage, celery, red bell peppers, onions, tomato paste, garlic, diced tomatoes, Gumbo Seasoning, and hot sauce and stir to combine everything.
- Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Gumbo should be boiling, veggies should be tender, and shrimp should be opaque. Taste and add salt, pepper, and hot sauce if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley or fresh thyme and serve.
Sounds good, can I use old bay seasoniong?
Old Bay doesn’t have the same taste as a Cajun seasoning, I would recommend making or finding a Cajun seasoning. 🙂
This looks absolutely delish! About how many servings would you say this would be?
Thanks Michele! This serves 4-6 🙂
Do you cook the sausage before you add to the mix?
No, the sausage will cook in the pot. 🙂
Tiffany, does it make any sense to cook this soup in the slow cooker?
Hi Valentin – where the cook time is only 20 minutes, I wouldn’t recommend trying to do it in a slow cooker.
Is italian seasoning “blend” the same as Italian seasoning?
I’m guessing so!