Louisiana Red Bean Gumbo

A deep South specialty with file powder and red beans and rice, this thick and hearty meal calls for sausage and chicken.

For Vegetarian Variation - Click Here

Gumbo Soup Mix Ingredients:

Red Beans, Himalayan Red Rice, Long Grain White Rice, Mixed Bell Peppers, Onion, Celery, Gumbo File Powder, Cayenne and Spices. No added salt, preservatives or MSG.

Allergen Information: Certified Gluten-Free

What you need:

• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• 1 Pound Sausage (often Andouille is used)
• 10 Cups Chicken Broth
• 10 Ounces Fresh or Frozen Chopped Spinach or Other Greens (Okrais traditional, but Spinach, Swiss Chard or Turnip Greens are good substitutions)
• 2 Cups Cooked Chicken(or Duck), cut up

Here's what you do:

Preparing the beans:

1. Rinse, drain and pick over.
2. Place in a bowl with 8 cups water and soak for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight. For a quick soak boil for 10 minutes and let stand for 2 hours.
3. Drain beans and place in a 4 quart pot with 8 cups water.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or more.

Preparing the soup:

1. Crumble and brown sausage in oil over medium heat in an 8-quart pot. 
2. Add contents of Louisiana Style Red Bean Gumbo Mix seasoning packet and stir about 1 minute. 
3. Drain beans and add to pot with broth. 
4. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 45 minutes. 
5. Add contents of rice packet, greens, and chicken. 
6. Simmer for 1 hour covered. 
7. May add broth or water to thin soup, if needed. 

This soup will thicken considerably if made ahead. Add broth to thin out soup consistency.

New Nutrition Tips:

• To boost vegetables, add 2 cups fresh or frozen chopped okra or fresh or frozen wax beans, with rice packet in the mix.
• To go Vegetarian, omit meat, and substitute 1 chopped bell pepper, 1 medium chopped onion, 1 small chopped zucchini for sausage. Sauté vegetables in oil with seasoning packet. 
• To cut saturated fat and sodium, halve the amount of sausage and prepare with low-fat, lower sodium chicken sausage as substitute for sausage or ham, or substitute 1 pound extra lean ground turkey or pork plus either 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper spice or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or go Vegetarian. Prepare with chicken without skin rather than duck. For the Inventive Variations suggestion on the package and website, substitute vegetable oil for the butter.
• To cut sodium, prepare with low sodium broth. To cut sodium further, substitute water for half of the broth.

Vegetarian Recipe Variation:

You will use chopped peppers, onion, zucchini, and vegetable broth to replace the meat in this delicious variation. 

What you need: 

• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• 1 Bell Pepper, Chopped
• 1 Medium Onion, Chopped
• 1 Small Zucchini, Chopped
• 10 Cups Vegetable Broth
• 10 Ounces Fresh or Frozen Chopped Spinach or Other Greens (Okrais traditional, but Spinach, Swiss Chard or Turnip Greens are good substitutions)
• Optional addition of cut up butternut squash

Here's what you do: 

Preparing the beans:

1. Rinse, drain and pick over.
2. Place in a bowl with 8 cups water and soak for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight. For a quick soak boil for 10 minutes and let stand for 2 hours.
3. Drain beans and place in a 4 quart pot with 8 cups water.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or more.

Preparing the soup: 

1. Sauté bell pepper and onions in oil over medium heat in an 8-quart pot. 
2. Add contents of Louisiana Style Red Bean Gumbo Mix seasoning packet and stir about 1 minute. 
3. Drain beans and add to pot with broth. 
4. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 45 minutes. 
5. Add contents of rice packet, greens, zucchini, and chicken. 
6. Simmer for 1 hour covered. 
7. May add broth to thin soup, if needed. 

Slow Cooker Recipe Directions:

Recommended slow cooker: 4-6 quart

Prepare the beans the night before: 

1. Rinse, drain and pick over beans. 
2. Place in a bowl with 8 cups water and soak at room temperature overnight. 

Preparing the soup in the morning (or the night before):

1. Crumble and brown sausage in oil over medium heat in large skillet.
2. Add contents of seasoning packet, stir 1 minute, and transfer to bowl of slow cooker. (May cover and refrigerate overnight.)

Cooking:

1. Rinse, drain and pick over beans. Place into slow cooker with sausage mixture and add chicken broth.
2. Cover and cook on HI 6-8 hours.
3. Add rice, greens and chicken and cook 1 hour on HI.