Cheater’s Seafood Gumbo

I enjoy making and eating tasty, spicy food.  I also have no problem changing up a dish to diverge from the original, as long as the results are good.  I have posted in the past on speedy red beans and rice, a version of the dish that comes together quickly, takes advantage of canned ingredients, but still has great flavor.  Here’s another slightly modified treat, based on New Orleans cuisine: seafood gumbo.  I started making gumbo this way when I forgot to make the roux to start and discovered the results were different, but very tasty. For people who are gluten free or wanting to lower the calorie count, skipping the roux is a good choice.  I like to add lots of tasty andouille sausage and okra. I serve this over steamed brown rice.

Cheaters Seafood Gumbo

1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, de-stringed and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (16 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 pound spicy sausage, sliced (I use andouille style chicken)
1/2 pound shrimp
2-4 cups of chicken stock
2 cups frozen okra
1/2 t dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Cayenne pepper to taste.

In a large soup pot, saute the onion, celery, bell pepper until onions are translucent. Add sausage and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes.  Add spices, fire roasted tomatoes, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, add okra and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp is just done, but not overcooked.

shared at $5 Dinners, Pennywise Platter, Grocery Cart Challenge, and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday