Louisiana Seafood Gumbo

This soul-warming Louisiana Seafood Gumbo brings together the holy trinity of vegetables, a rich dark roux, and an abundance of fresh seafood including shrimp, crab, oysters, and crawfish. Simmered to perfection with aromatic spices and served over fluffy rice, this authentic gumbo recipe delivers the true taste of Louisiana in every spoonful.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Southern

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 2 30

Total Time: 3

Servings:

Calories: 685kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Roux and Base:

3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf crumbled
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the Vegetables:

2 stalks celery diced
1 bell pepper diced
1/2 onion diced
1 cup okra sliced
3-4 garlic cloves minced

For the Broth:

6 cups chicken broth
2 cups clam juice
Shells from 1 1/2 lbs shrimp reserved

For the Seafood:

1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp peeled (shells reserved)
1 14 1/2 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cups oysters drained and cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb crabmeat
1 lb frozen crawfish tail meat thawed

For Serving:

8 cups cooked rice
4 green onions chopped for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Gradually stir in flour, cooking and stirring constantly until the roux reaches the color of a penny (about 15-20 minutes).
Add thyme, basil, crumbled bay leaf, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to the roux, stirring to combine.
Add diced celery, bell pepper, onion, okra, and minced garlic to the roux mixture. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove the vegetable and roux mixture from heat and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
In a large soup pot, bring chicken broth, clam juice, and reserved shrimp shells to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes to extract flavor from the shells.
Remove and discard the shrimp shells from the broth using a strainer or slotted spoon.
Stir the cooled vegetable and roux mixture into the seasoned broth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens.
Add fire-roasted tomatoes and all seafood (shrimp, oysters, crabmeat, and crawfish). Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve hot over cooked rice and garnish with chopped green onions.

Notes

The roux is the foundation of good gumbo - take your time and don't let it burn. If it burns, start over as it will make the entire dish bitter.

Frozen okra works perfectly fine and doesn't need to be thawed before adding to the pot.

Don't skip the shrimp shells in the broth - they add incredible depth of flavor to the base.

The gumbo can be kept warm over very low heat for extended periods, which actually improves the flavor as it allows the ingredients to meld together.

For make-ahead preparation, the vegetable and roux mixture can be prepared hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.

Substitute seafood based on availability - fish, scallops, or mussels work well as alternatives.

Adjust cayenne pepper to taste preference - Louisiana residents typically prefer more heat than listed.

Nutrition