Our May hostess, Denise, of There’s a Newf in My Soup!, challenged The Daring Cooks to make Gumbo! She provided us with all the recipes we’d need, from creole spices, homemade stock, and Louisiana white rice, to Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo and Seafood Gumbo from My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh.
I made gumbo for the first time a couple of month’s ago for Fat Tuesday. We liked it, but everyone except my oldest son thought the okra was too slimy. So for this challenge I decided to make a Southwestern Gumbo. I was inspired by Kamal and Sheila’s Southwestern Gumbo.
I used the challenge recipe to create the roux – a great base for any soup really. Then I changed up the spices a bit and added tomatoes, black beans and corn. While far from a traditional gumbo, this is a delicious, flavorful, rib-sticking one dish meal.
Southwestern Gumbo
Ingredients
- ½ lb. pork chorizo
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup flour
- 1 large onions diced
- 2 diced boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon dry basil
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 chipotle peppers pureed
- 1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth
- 2 10 oz. cans diced tomato with green chilis Rotel*
- 1 can 15 oz. black beans
- 15 oz. frozen corn
- salt and pepper to taste
- Tabasco to taste
- 2 cups cooked White Rice
Instructions
- In a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan, brown chorizo, remove from pan and heat canola oil over high heat. Whisk the flour into the hot oil–it will start to sizzle.
- Reduce the heat to moderate, and continue whisking until the roux becomes deep brown in color, about 15 minutes. Add the onions.
- Switch to a wooden spoon and stir the onions into the roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue stirring until the roux becomes a glossy dark brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the pot; raise the heat to moderate, and cook, turning the pieces until slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add chorizo and remaining ingredients and bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. *Use Rotel Mild if you don't like food too spicy.
Visit the Daring Kitchen for this month’s challenge recipe and to see all the fabulous gumbos the Daring Cooks whipped up this month. Thanks Denise for a terrific challenge.
Eliana
Thus gumbo has delicious and comfort written all over it.
kristy
Rice onto the Gumbo…sounds so mouthwatering. I wish I can this for lunch later on. Hope you’re having a great day, Barbara.
Blesings, Kristy
Jennifer
I’m still trying to train my tastebuds into liking gumbo, but this recipe sounds tasty…perhaps I should try to make it myself and then I can change any bits I don’t like! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Nachiketa Chandra
Looks very interesting, would be a lovely meal in winters 🙂
Cheers,
The Variable, Crazy Over Desserts – Nachiketa
Catch me on facebook @ Crazy Over Desserts
Jamie
This looks like such a comforting meal Barbara. I have been wanting to make gumbo for some time now. Especially since I live in the South and there are so many wonderful variations of gumbo. This looks like a great recipe.
Lisa
Barb, a southwestern twist on gumbo is brilliant, and it looks A-mazing!Gorgeous photo too, that rice is fluffy perfection 🙂 As for the okra, No slime! No idea what I did, just sliced, but it did disintegrate somewhat, maybe that had something to do with it! lol
sheila @ Elements
Your version looks and sounds wonderful, Barbara! 🙂 Great idea to create a roux to thicken it up, and the rice served on the top is fantastic! 🙂 I’m not such a big fan of okra either…mostly because of the slimy issue you spoke of. By the way, your soup cup is so pretty! I’d love to find some red ones like that! 🙂
Meghan
I’m a big fan of gumbo and I just love your Southwestern spin on it! The bowls you served it in are just perfect 🙂
Karin
Your gumbo looks great. I love the little pan you’re serving it in. Nice!