How to Make Okra Gumbo

This Creole gumbo recipe starts with the traditional holy trinity of onion, green pepper and celery, and finishes with a medium-brown (or blond) roux. The filé powder, available in most larger grocery stores, is made from sassafras root and helps give gumbo its distinctive flavor. Both filé powder and the okra's thick, natural juices help thicken the gumbo. In addition, roux is added to thicken the gumbo even more, though if you don't want the gumbo to become thicker, adding the roux is not necessary.

Things You'll Need

• Large Dutch oven
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 diced medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 lb. fresh okra, chopped, with stems and caps discarded
• One 14.5 oz. can whole tomatoes with juice
• 1 Tbsp. canned tomato paste
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. filé powder
• Small pot
• Whisk
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat your vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven.

2. Sauté onions over medium heat. Stir in garlic, green pepper and celery, and sauté the vegetables until the garlic starts to brown, and the pepper and celery are just tender.

3. Add okra and cook for 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes. Add them and the tomato juice. Stir the tomato paste, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, salt and pepper into the vegetables. Cook the gumbo for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Make your roux with butter and flour. Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook until the mixture is a medium-brown color, pulling it off the heat before it becomes dark brown.

5. Stir the roux and the filé powder into the gumbo. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

6. Add water if the gumbo is thicker than you'd like, and simmer for 15 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Serve the gumbo over rice.

Tips & Warnings

• You can add 1 lb. peeled shrimp or cubed chicken during the last 20 minutes of cooking to add flavor. Add red bell pepper and sweet paprika for a sweeter taste to foil the gumbo's heat. The tomatoes and lighter roux make this a Creole recipe. If you want to try to make a Cajun gumbo, omit the tomatoes and tomato paste, and use a very dark roux. Make dark roux by combining equal parts, by weight, flour and vegetable oil, and cooking the mixture until the roux is a very dark brown. Vegetable oil is used instead of butter because of its higher smoke point.

Resources

• History of Gumbo