Easy Seafood Gumbo Recipe: A More-Expensive Take on The Staple (2024)

This easy seafood gumbo recipe can keep your hunger at bay with a delicious, wholesome classic.

Looking for a warm soup that feeds crowds (or just you)? Or a dish that duly celebrates Southern Food Heritage Day (October 11)? Your search ends here. In 40 minutes, you’ll have a pot full of chewy sausages, plump shrimps, tender crabs bathed in a thick, flavorful broth.

It’s also an amazing comfort food, especially when the cold draws near. Stock your fridge with this warm soup so you can enjoy it whenever.

So to get the ingredients you need to make seafood gumbo. Or, read on to learn more about this dish.

Why Is It Called Gumbo?

Gumbo is a staple of New Orleans cuisine. It’s a thick soup with sausages and meat/seafood cooked in a thick, dark broth, served over cooked rice.

Traditionally, gumbo is made in a jumbo size to feed a large crowd. Lots of ingredients are cooked in an extra-large pot, simmered for hours, and people would gather, excitedly waiting for a serving.

But we’re not dealing with that jumbo, hours-long recipe here. Today’s seafood gumbo recipe makes 4 servings in 40 minutes, and still shares the same flavor.

We also have a more affordable version of gumbo, which also packs flavor. Check out this chicken sausage gumbo recipe for a comfort food you can have even in hard times.

Is Our Seafood Gumbo Healthy?

Yes, it’s a healthy dish.

To begin with, it has a balance of the macros — proteins from seafood, fats from olive oil, and carbs from cooked rice. Plus, it’s full of vegetables, which pack fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

With the macros and micros in check, we then look at some nutrients that the USDA’s dietary guidelines recommend that we eat less of.

First, we look at added sugar, which is zero grams because our broth is naturally sweetened thanks to cooked-down veggies.

Next is the saturated fat. We used only a little bit of butter, so the level falls within the allowance.

Finally, the sodium content. Seafood and sausages can be salty, so we went easy on the salt, and looked for a low-sodium sausage instead of the traditional.

As a result, we ended up with a healthy dish, with all the macros balanced and some limited nutrients within allowance.

Calories

Served with a portion of white rice, one gumbo serving gives you 480 calories. To crank the calories to 750 like recommended in our guidelines, we paired it with a side of fresh salad and juice.

Main Ingredients

A good gumbo is done with the right ingredients.

1. Thickener(s)

For the thick broth — gumbo’s signature texture, there are 3 core ingredients involved.

First and foremost, the brown roux — made by stirring flour in butter over heat, and cooking it until the color darkens. This gives the gumbo broth the depth of flavor it’s famous for.

To really thicken the broth (but not thinning it out like flour might), we either use okra or filé powder.

Our seafood gumbo recipe calls for okra because that’s what the original recipe calls for (you can use either). It is a green, long-shaped fruit that has a slimy interior that thickens the broth.

2. Sausage Option

A gumbo can’t be called gumbo if it lacks sausage.

People often use andouille in their gumbo, a type of French sausage that has a smoky flavor. We couldn’t find a quality sausage with low sodium content, so we used a low-sodium pork sausage (listed in the recipe card).

If you can make andouille sausage, go easy on the salt and you can use it to make a more authentic gumbo.

3. Seafood Haul

Next on the list, the “expensive twist” in the gumbo.

First off, shrimp. The snappy, bursty texture of plump shrimp is so unique that no other seafood compares.

To get that desirable texture, you can either go for frozen shrimp or marinate fresh shrimp with baking soda. A pH-8 solution helps the shrimp to firm up and become crisp when cooked (remember to wash off the baking soda before cooking).

Next, crabs. We’re using canned crab to skip the hassle of dismantling a crab.

We also wanted to use squid, but given that the dish’s already full of proteins, we stopped there. It’s enough to make a good seafood gumbo soup pot.

4. Spice Mix

To give the soup its warmth, we added in a lot of chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and Cajun seasoning (for the signature New Orleans flavors). The rest are just basic Mexican-style seasonings: bay leaf, basil, thyme, coriander.

5. Vegetable Choice

Gumbo’s broth must contain the holy trinity: celery, bell peppers, and onions. There are other vegetables as well to give it plenty of flavors such as carrots, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs.

With the ingredients gathered, let’s get to the cooking.

Jambalaya vs Gumbo

Both belonging to the same cuisine and sharing similar ingredients, you can sometimes describe one but actually mean the other. Let’s look at the few key differences.

First and foremost, gumbo has a thick broth while jambalaya is a kind of fried rice. That’s why gumbo calls for okra or file powder while jambalaya doesn’t.

Also, rice in gumbo is plain white rice, and gumbo is served over. Rice in jambalaya is cooked along with other ingredients.

What to Serve with

Gumbo in general is served over cooked rice, and it’s not typically served with other sources of carbs. To include more nutrients in the dish, you can use brown rice instead of white rice.

We also serve our easy seafood gumbo with the following side dishes:

The salad is full of fresh, juicy bites that add both textures and nutrients to the meal. In between bites, sip on the cucumber lime juice to cleanse your palate, getting it ready for the next spoonful.

Looking for an even easier gumbo? Check out our Instant Pot Gumbo Recipe and you won’t regret it.

More Delicious Shrimp Ideas

• Shrimp Creole Recipe
• Shrimp Etouffee Recipe