Gumbo with Shrimp and Sausage

The secret to a good gumbo is taking the time to make a deeply browned roux—it’s not something that can be rushed (though it can be made ahead of time!), so put on a good podcast and settle in.

Your patience and elbow grease will be rewarded with a rich and nutty base for this mix of shrimp, savory sausage, and okra.

As featured in The Applegatarian.

Dairy-Free Products

Serves 6 | Total Time: More Than 60 Mins

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken broth
8 ounces fresh okra, trimmed and sliced
1 (12-ounce) package APPLEGATE ORGANICS^® Fire Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Sausage, sliced
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
Steamed white rice and hot sauce, for serving

Instructions

With a flat-edged wooden spoon, stir together the flour and ¼ cup oil in a wide, heavy pot over moderately-low heat, scraping back and forth constantly, until the roux is the color of milk chocolate, 30 to 45 minutes. The roux will thicken at first, but will eventually thin out as it becomes darker in color; take care that the roux does not scorch.
Add the celery, onion, and bell pepper and cook, scraping back and forth occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Add the okra and simmer until tender, 5 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over moderately-high heat. Add the sliced sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add the shrimp to the soup and simmer until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sausages and most of the chopped scallions (save some for garnish). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the gumbo garnished with the remaining scallions over steamed rice with hot sauce on the side.

NOTE: The gumbo base, without the okra, shrimp, sausage, and scallions, can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cool completely, uncovered, then refrigerate, covered. Reheat before adding the remaining ingredients.