New Orleans Gumbo with Shrimp and Sausage

New Orleans Gumbo with Shrimp and Sausage - my take on Gumbo! This recipe makes even the roux from scratch and is absolutely perfect to let simmer for Sunday supper!

INGREDIENTS:
ROUX:

• ½ cup high heat oil, such as canola, corn, or vegetable
• ½ cup all purpose flour

GUMBO:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 bell peppers (I used ½ of each red, green, yellow, orange – see note), diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 bay leaves
• 8 ounces andouille sausage, sliced (I used Tofurky)
• 2 tablespoons EACH: cajun seasoning AND tabasco sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1 tablespoon cayenne (omit if you want it mild)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce can) stewed tomatoes and juices, roughly diced
• 1 ½ pounds raw shrimp
• 2 teaspoons gumbo filé

sliced scallions + white rice or quinoa, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
ROUX:

1. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour until combined and smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and continuously stir for 15-22 minutes or until the roux darkens to just past a deep peanut butter color. Do not let the roux burn! (if you smell it burning, you will need to throw is out, clean the pot, and start over, unfortunately there’s just no saving burnt roux!)
2. Once the roux reaches that deep rich brown color, stir in the onions, bell peppers, and celery and continue to cook, stirring as needed so the vegetables don’t stick. About 8-10 minutes or until the veggies soften. Add the garlic, andouille sausage (if using tofurky, do not add yet), and bay leaves. Continue to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the garlic is nice and fragrant.
3. Add the cajun seasoning, tabasco sauce, and cayenne along with the chicken broth and stewed tomatoes and bring to a high simmer before lowering the heat to medium-low, covering and simmering for 15-20 minutes.