This gumbo is a much-requested family dish and our friends ask for the recipe whenever we serve it up. Kelsey Teague, a former Maven–who is also my daughter–shared the recipe on our original blog and then we re-posted it here.
I hope you will like this dish as much as we do. And you might need to double it for your family if they want seconds. Just sayin’.
- 1 1/2 lbs. Polska Kielbasa ( I just use 2 packages)
- 2-3 T. butter
- 3 T. flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 18-oz. frozen gumbo vegetables*
- 14-oz. can of tomatoes, chopped, with juice
- 1 1/2 t. salt (you may want to adjust down, depending on how salty your meat choice is)
- 1/4 t. garlic powder
- 1/4 t. ground red pepper
- 1 T. Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
- 3 cups hot, cooked rice
- Saute cut sausage for a few minutes in a Dutch oven or large pot. Even though these are precooked, I think it improves the overall taste to brown them up just a little bit and it also helps your roux. Remove and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the Dutch oven. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is deep brown, about the color of an old penny (this is known as making a roux)
- Add broth, vegetables, tomatoes, seasonings, and sausages. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove from heat, ladle gumbo into bowls and top with a scoop of rice. Some people think you should put a bunch of rice in the bowl and then add the gumbo on top. Personally, I like less of a rice ratio to my gumbo. A little scoop of rice on top is perfect for me.
- You can use a combination of okra, corn, onions, celery and sweet red pepper instead of the frozen vegetables. These days that combo is hard to find in the frozen food section.