Seafood Gumbo Recipe
A rich, hearty seafood gumbo filled with shrimp, crab, and vegetables, cooked in a perfectly browned roux with bold Cajun flavors.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/2 pound crab meat
- 6 cups seafood stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup green onions chopped
- Cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the roux: Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and stir continuously for 15 minutes until dark brown.
- Cook the vegetables: Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the roux. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Simmer the base: Pour in seafood stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add bay leaves, paprika, cayenne, and thyme.
- Cook the seafood: Add shrimp and crab meat to the simmering pot. Stir gently and cook for 10 minutes until shrimp turn opaque.
- Final touches: Stir in green onions and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Serve: Ladle hot gumbo over white rice and garnish with more green onions if desired.
Notes
Nutritional Information (Per Serving):
- Calories: 360
- Total Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 27g
- Vitamin C: 12%
- Calcium: 10%
- Iron: 15%
- Potassium: 9%
- Vitamin A: 8%
Additional Notes/Tips:
- Seafood Swap: Use crawfish or scallops for an interesting twist.
- Spice Adjustment: Reduce cayenne if you’re spice-sensitive or crank it up for a kick.
- Serving Suggestion: Toasty garlic bread makes the perfect sidekick.
- Storage Tip: Gumbo tastes even better the next day—reheat slowly for best results.