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Oh, my my my. This Whole30 Chicken and Sausage Gumbo is absolutely DELICIOUS!
I have been wanting to attempt a Whole30 Gumbo for awhile, but I’ve been putting it off as the task seemed a little daunting. How in the world would I make a roux without flour? But I finally put my big girl panties on, got in the kitchen and went for it and I have to say, I am very very proud of how this one turned out. It is fantastic!
Arrowroot starch has been my top pick for a flour substitute when it comes to Whole30 cooking, so I went with that to make a faux roux. It’s tricky though because arrowroot is also a little more like cornstarch when cooking. You can’t just throw arrowroot into the skillet like you would flour because it clumps up and gets nasty really quickly. However, if you make it into more of a slurry (mixing it with liquid), it acts as a great thickener. I went this route, added some tomato paste to give it the traditional deep red color and voila! It turned out fantastic!! With the addition of the fabulous cajun spices and andouille sausage, it tasted as close to the real thing as you can get!!
So, for all of you gumbo lovers that are trying to eat clean, do yourselves a favor and make this Whole30 Chicken and Sausage Gumbo! I really think you’ll love it!!!! 🙂
- 2 cups pre-cut, frozen okra
- 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup finely diced onion (~1/2 onion)
- 3/4 cup finely diced celery (~3 stalks)
- 1 cup finely diced green bell pepper (~1/2 bell pepper)
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 5-6 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp. arrowroot
- 2 cups pre-cooked and shredded chicken
- 12 oz. fully cooked andouille sausage, sliced (or pork kielbasa is okay, too)
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Spread okra on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp. oil and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. (this prevents it from getting slimy and ruining your gumbo!)
- Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven or large pot.
- Add in the diced onion, celery, and bell pepper, seasoned with salt and pepper and saute until nice and tender, about 6 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium, add in the garlic, cayenne, thyme and tomato paste and saute for another 2 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of broth with 2 tbsp. arrowroot starch. Whisk until arrowroot has dissolved.
- While whisking, slowly add the arrowroot mixture, stirring constandly until well combined and thickened to a gravy-like consistency, about 3 minutes. Once thickened, slowly pour in 3 additional cups of broth, while stirring constantly. Bring the soup to a simmer and let cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the soup to thicken a bit more.
- Add in the shredded chicken, andouille sausage and roasted okra. Add an additional 1-2 cups of broth until the gumbo reaches your desired thickness.
- Taste and add plenty of salt and pepper, to your taste!
- Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with parsley, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Delish! Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I love gumbo! Flavorful and doesn’t feel heavy. I used shrimp over chicken. Will definitely make again.
That’s a great swap. If you like seafood gumbo, you should definitely try this recipe as well.
Hi what brand/kind of sausage is your favorite to use?
Can I use cassava flour? I can’t find arrowroot flour anywhere.
In this recipe the way that I use the arrowroot I don’t recommend swapping for cassava.
For a cassava flour based roux– see this recipe here: https://thedefineddish.com/cassava-flour-roux-seafood-gumbo/
Honestly, I used it and it was still great!
Hi Alex! Will this freeze well?
yes! it does!
I am from south Louisana and served this to family, everyone LOVED it. Excellent recipe and Cajun approved!
This was delicious, everyone loved it!
How much soup does this make?
Serves 4!
Isn’t that way too much oil to be compliant?
Could you do this in a crockpot??
I don’t recommend it because you have to use a thickener to thicken the soup like a roux.
Hi Alex,
Can I use fresh okra instead of frozen ones?
Thanks.
yes absolutely!
I just made this and it is DELISH! My husband is currently going back for bowl #3. Haha! I didn’t have chicken so I used shrimp instead & that combo works great, too! Thanks for making our Whole30 delicious. ☺️