In this easy recipe adapted from Southern Living magazine, your slow cooker does most of the hard work. All you have to do is brown some all-purpose flour in the oven, whisk it into a smooth roux with chicken broth, quickly brown the andouille sausage, and combine everything but the shrimp in your slow cooker’s crock for a five-hour simmer. To stay moist, the shrimp is added 30 minutes before the gumbo is done.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 pound andouille sausage, cut on the bias into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably San Marzanos
- 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and medium dice
- 2 medium celery stalks, medium dice
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning or homemade Cajun spice mix
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 bunch green onions, trimmed and sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
- Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Sprinkle the flour in a dry, 9-inch cast-iron skillet and bake until golden brown, stirring once, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool in the skillet for at least 10 minutes.
- Add the sausage to a large, shallow, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Place the drained sausage in the crock of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, and thyme.
- Whisk the broth into the browned flour until no lumps remain, then add it to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.
- Stir in the shrimp, half the green onions, and the parsley. Cover and cook on high, stirring once, until the shrimp are cooked through and the flavors are melded, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, ladle the gumbo into warmed bowls, and sprinkle with the remaining green onions.
