Heart Healthy Shrimp Gumbo With Cajun Spice Mix

Name: Heart Healthy Shrimp Gumbo With Cajun Spice Mix
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 lb large shrimp, in shells (fresh or frozen); 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons cooking oil; 2 cups chopped onions; 1 1/2 cups chopped green peppers (and or red sweet pepper); 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 (14 ounce) cans low sodium beef broth; 1 cup water; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed; 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 (16 ounce) package frozen cut okra; 3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice or 3 cups brown rice; green onion (optional); bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)

Submitted by Annacia

"Perhaps this isn't authentic but is is a lot healthier and quite tasty in it's own right. For ZWT this is Southern States regional."

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photo by donniestaggs

Ready In:: 40mins
Ingredients:: 18
Serves:: 8

ingredients

1 lb large shrimp, in shells (fresh or frozen)
¹⁄₃ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 ¹⁄₂ cups chopped green peppers (and or red sweet pepper)
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans low sodium beef broth
1 cup water
1 recipe cajun seasoning
¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
¹⁄₄ teaspoon white pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (16 ounce) package frozen cut okra
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice or 3 cups brown rice
green onion (optional)
bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)

directions

Thaw shrimp, if frozen.
Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact if desired.
Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels.
In a medium skillet, cook flour over medium heat about 6 minutes or until brown, stirring often.
Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside.
In a 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.
Add onion, sweet pepper, celery, and garlic; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender.
Slowly whisk broth into browned flour.
Add broth mixture, water, and Cajun Spice Mix to Dutch oven.
Stir in okra.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add shrimp; cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp is pink.
To Serve:
spoon gumbo into 8 bowls. Top each serving with rice, a shrimp, and a green onion, if desired.
If desired, pass hot pepper sauce. Makes 8 (1-1/4 cups gumbo plus 1/3 cup rice) servings.
Cajun Spice Mix: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed; 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper.

Questions & Replies

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Reviews

I beg to differ with simplegirl,I was born and raised in Louisiana and have made gumbo many,many times.My grandmother was the best cajun cook ever.When okra was ready in the garden I cut it for her gumbo and other dishes.Yes,she did add it in.She stewed it in bacon and onions and added it to the pot.It was used as a thickener and for the fresh flavor that it added to the dish.We only used gumbo file' in our own bowl of gumbo at serving.It was optional as was Louisiana hot sauce.She always said okra was a personal choice.We ate gumbo at other homes and restaurants and often it contained okra.I think the whole point of this recipe is that it is lower calorie and fat.The roux, no matter how prepaired should be a dark caramel and shiny color. We do it dark to be sure the flour is totally cooked,if not it will have a raw taste that will ruin your gumbo.I found this while searching for a shrimp recipe that I can eat on my diet.I am glad to find it so that I can still have a good gumbo while dieting and this one fits the bill for me.Tho not totally authentic I love it.Thanks for posting it!!

nesbitt929
I'm an absolute novice when it comes to making either creole OR cajun foods, but I do know what I like! I recently attended a cooking class at a local "club" restaurant & the native Louisiana chef showed us how to make both gumbo & jambalaya ~ Well, let me tell you, this recipe of yours is every bit as wonderful as what he made for us! I took a few tips from Andi's review, but pretty much followed your recipe right on down! We thoroughly enjoyed this great taste treat ~ Thanks for sharing it! [Made & reviewed in Healthy Choices ABC tag]

Sydney Mike
Better than the last recipe I used. I didn't use the cup of water. Thanks for posting.

donniestaggs
We liked this recipe for healthier gumbo. It was a little plain for our tastes, but we used lots of hot sauce, which helped a lot. I used No Chicken Broth (vegetarian) for the broth and gluten free flour, otherwise followed the recipe as posted. Thanks! Made for ZWT9

Dr. Jenny
*Wow wow wow wow* this is beyond delicious! I did some research on this recipe, as Annacia's recipes have always surpassed the exceptional point. What I found is this recipe is so close to a shrimp gumbo I am not sure you could get any closer. First off, let's start with the roux. Cajun gumbo historically has a darker roux, which this has. A beautiful rich roux, that encases all the tastes and slickness of the mighty base of this dish. Secondly, it includes the "Holy Trinity" ~ peppers, onions, and celery. A must, and a absolute must. Okra thickens the roux even further, or the use of "file-powder" can be used instead, but not with the recipe. I made one small change, when cooking the shrimp, I kept their shells on, removing when finished, and making a shrimp broth (from the water from the shrimp and adding the shells which made a rich broth of delicious-ness). Instead of the beef broth I did use the shrimp broth. Other then that, followed this exactly and what a grand taste this is. I used the optional *Hot Sauce* as I love all things hot, but this is such a brightly tasting gumbo, you really truly don't need it. Oh, I wish we had more. . Thanks Annacia for a really, really delicious addition to our day with the aromatics rafting through this ol' farm house! Made for *Everyday is a Holiday* March 2009.

Andi Longmeadow Farm

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Tweaks

*Wow wow wow wow* this is beyond delicious! I did some research on this recipe, as Annacia's recipes have always surpassed the exceptional point. What I found is this recipe is so close to a shrimp gumbo I am not sure you could get any closer. First off, let's start with the roux. Cajun gumbo historically has a darker roux, which this has. A beautiful rich roux, that encases all the tastes and slickness of the mighty base of this dish. Secondly, it includes the "Holy Trinity" ~ peppers, onions, and celery. A must, and a absolute must. Okra thickens the roux even further, or the use of "file-powder" can be used instead, but not with the recipe. I made one small change, when cooking the shrimp, I kept their shells on, removing when finished, and making a shrimp broth (from the water from the shrimp and adding the shells which made a rich broth of delicious-ness). Instead of the beef broth I did use the shrimp broth. Other then that, followed this exactly and what a grand taste this is. I used the optional *Hot Sauce* as I love all things hot, but this is such a brightly tasting gumbo, you really truly don't need it. Oh, I wish we had more. . Thanks Annacia for a really, really delicious addition to our day with the aromatics rafting through this ol' farm house! Made for *Everyday is a Holiday* March 2009.

Andi Longmeadow Farm
I really enjoyed this. I had never had gumbo before, but this definitely won't be the last time. Thanks for introducing me to a southern classic. I left out the okra just for personal preference, and used a red pepper instead of green pepper. Thanks for posting Annacia! made for photo tag.

Shelby Jo