I love New Orleans, and its food is one of the things I love the most. So you’ll probably see a lot of Cajun and Creole inspired recipes here. I have spent a fair amount of time there sampling a lot of gumbo, I can say this recipe is as good as, if not better than, any I’ve had in the city. It’s also surprisingly healthy—made without butter or processed meat and packed with vegetables and seafood. Serve it over brown rice or quinoa, and you’ll get an extra boost of fiber too.
This recipe was inspired by Shrimp and Okra Bisque from Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen [affiliate link]. I replaced the butter, adjusted the seasoning, and serve it on whole grain to make it more nutritious without sacrificing its great flavor. While the original recipe is called bisque, I think it is more fitting to call it gumbo, thanks to its hearty texture and bold spices, rather than the creamy consistency bisque is known for.
Making the Gumbo
This is a fairly standard gumbo, featuring the holy trinity of vegetables—celery, peppers, and onions—along with okra for flavor and thickening, shrimp, roux, and, of course, spices.
Start by making the shrimp stock if you don’t have any on hand. You can make it on the stove or in a pressure cooker.
Make the vegetable and roux base.
Add stock, okra, and simmer.
Finally add the shrimp, simmering just until they turn pink and serve.
Shrimp & Okra Gumbo
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon basil
- 3 bay leaves
Vegatables
- ¾ pound okra about 3 cups
- ¾ cup onion
- ½ cup celery
- ½ cup green onions
- ¾ cup green pepper
- 2 teaspoon garlic
Baked Rice
- 2 cup brown rice or quinoa
- 2½ cup stock seafood
Shrimp and Roux
- ¾ pound shrimp
- 5½ cup stock seafood
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup flour all-purpose
- 3 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil, butter, or low fat butter substitute
Instructions
Seafood Stock
- Peal shrimp, cut ends off onions and celery into stock pot or pressure cooker.
- Add 8 cups of water.
- Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes and natural pressure release. Or bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cover and simmer for 1 hour. See Note
Bake Rice
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Finely chop ¾ cup onion, ¾ cup green pepper, ½ cup celery, and 2 teaspoon garlic
- In 5×9 loaf pan combine 2 cup brown rice or quinoa, 2½ cup stock, 1½ tablespoon each finely chopped onions and celery, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch each of black and red pepper.
- Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour or until rice or quinoa is tender.
- Fluff it with fork.
Seasoning Mix
- Combine 2 teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, 1½ teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon basil, and 3 bay leaves in a small bowl.
Main
- Slice ¾ pound okra into ¼ inch slices
- In 4 quart sauce pan or dutch oven, heat ¼ cup avocado oil over medium-high heat.
- Stir in 2 cups okra. Cook until browned (6 minutes).
- Stir in onions, peppers, and celery. Cook for for 1 minute.
- Add 3 tablespoon olive oil, garlic and seasoning mix. Cook for 3 minutes stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan frequently.
- Add ¼ cup flour. Stirring constantly until well browned.
- Stir in 1½ cup stock, scrape the bottom of the pan, then add remaining stock. Bring to boil stirring often.
- Boil for 2 minutes then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Add remaining okra, continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add ½ cup green onions and ¾ pound shrimp. Turn heat up to medium and simmer until shrimp turn pink.
- Serve immediately over rice.
