We have finally reached that time of year in Florida where Floridians change out their flip flops and shorts for sweat pants and hoodies. I mean sure, it’s only 60 degrees but to us that is cold! This weekend we were craving a hot bowl of soup, so Gumbo went on the menu.
Now let me preface this by saying, don’t get your bloomers in a knot if you think this isn’t authentic Gumbo. It probably (read: definitely) isn’t. Truly authentic Gumbo takes a long time to make and almost requires a family lineage going back to Louisiana. Neither of which I have.
This makes a lot of soup, and especially when you serve it over rice this could stretch for several meals for a large family. It would also be great to pop in the freezer for a quick dinner during the week. So the next time you are hungry for a soup and you’re not in the mood for chicken noodle, give this a try. I could make a guar-aun-tee you will like it joke, but that would just be unnecessary.

Enjoy!

Gumbo

1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 chicken breasts cut into small cubes
1 large onion diced
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 stalks of celery diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups of chicken stock
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
4 teaspoons blackening seasoning
1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of Mrs. Dash
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 14.75 oz can of corn, drained
16 oz okra (I used frozen whole okra and cut into thin rounds)
1 lb shrimp- peeled and deveined
1 14 oz beef kielbasa link, cut into small cubes

Put flour and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper and garlic powder in a gallon freezer bag, Add chicken, seal bag and shake well to coat chicken in flour.
In a large pot ( I used my 8 quart dutch oven) heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic and celery until celery and onion begins to soften. Add floured chicken and about two teaspoons of the flour from the bag to the pot and stir occasionally until chicken begins to brown. Add Chicken stock and stir well, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot frequently to prevent scorching. Next add both cans of diced tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, Mrs. Dash, and cayenne pepper. Stir frequently. Next add kielbasa, corn and okra. Cook on medium low heat, stirring every few minutes for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and if you like a spicier gumbo, you can add more cayenne or a little hot sauce. Once soup is well seasoned, add shrimp and stir over low heat until shrimp just turns pink and serve immediately.
Serve over rice or just enjoy a nice hearty bowl of the soup by itself.