Shrimp & Sausage 15 Bean Gumbo

A rich gumbo recipe with Cajun beans chocked full of spicy shrimp and smoky sausage.

The development of this recipe was sponsored by Hurst's Beans. As always, all opinions are my own.

What the what is bean gumbo?? I know that’s what you’re asking. And maybe even shouting.

And maybe you asked it and then spit on the floor like my nanny would have done if someone had implied you could make chicken and dumplin’s with tofu.

But it’s a thing! It really is!

I had a Red Bean Gumbo in a little dive in Shreveport and it really left an impression on me so I decided to try my own version of it. Y'all know I love me some beans.

I’d made gumbo before with the traditional dark roux and okra but I would never consider myself an expert on Cajun cuisine so I did a little research and learned some interesting stuff about gumbo.

The traditional gumbo ingredients: okra, roux and often filé powder (a spice made from finely ground sassafras leaves) are used to thicken the gumbo. I knew the roux would obviously do this but I didn’t know that’s why okra and filé powder were originally used.

Interesting.

On their own, roux (just cooked oil and flour) and okra don’t have a ton of flavor so knowing the beans would naturally thicken things up on their own as well as provide a beautiful dark base, I decided not to use either the roux or the okra (though you could certainly add okra!).

This dish is like all my favorite Cajun dishes in one! I’m not 100% sure exactly which spices are included in the seasoning packet of the Hurst’s Cajun 15-Bean Soup mix but whatever they are, they are PERFECT for this gumbo.

I added a little thyme, pepper and garlic for good measure but I probably didn’t even have to do that.

Hurst’s has NAILED it on this one.

If you can’t find Hurst’s Cajun 15 Bean Soup mix in your local grocery store, ask for it! My grocery store now carries all sorts of products they didn’t have before simply because I asked for them.

Just ask the cashier who to talk to to request a product and s/he will point you in the right direction. My store has a list at the Customer Service desk where they notate products their customers' request.

If this sounds good to you, check out this recipe for Slow Cooker Jambalaya too!

gumbo, bean, beans, shrimp, sausage, cajun, creole, recipe

Yield: 8-10 servingsAuthor: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Shrimp & Sausage 15 Bean Gumbo

Ingredients:

• 1 20-oz. bag Hurst’s Cajun 15 Bean Soup mix
• 7 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced bell pepper
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 14.5-oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 1.5 lbs. smoked sausage or andouille, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1.5 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Instructions:

Combine beans (WITHOUT seasoning packet), water and bay leaf in a large pot or dutch oven then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover then cook for 4 hours or until beans are tender. Set seasoning packet aside to use later.

In a separate skillet, sauté celery, bell pepper and onion until veggies are tender (about 8-10 minutes). Add sautéed veggies, seasoning packet from beans, thyme, pepper, garlic powder, tomatoes (with juice) and sausage to beans, cover pot, then continue cooking for one hour. 

Add shrimp then gently stir to combine. Cover pot and let cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through. Do not overcook shrimp. Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to serve.

Serve with rice if desired. 

Notes:

• You can absolutely add okra to this if you’d like. Add it when you add the Holy Trinity. If you want to add okra to this, you know that that means 😉 If you want to add okra, you’ll need to add a little extra water since the okra will thicken things up a bit and this gumbo is already pretty thick.
• The same is true for filé powder. If gumbo just isn’t gumbo for you without a little filé, go ahead and add some but add a little extra water because it will also thicken things up.
• Yes, you can cook this in a crock pot! Cook the same way replacing the first 4 hours on the stove with 5-6 hours on high in the crock pot.
• If you can’t find Hurst's Cajun 15 Bean Soup mix in your market, please ask your grocer for them. Until then, you can order them online.
• You may wonder why I always tell you to add the seasoning packet later when cooking these beans... it's because salt will make dried beans tough when added too early.
• Still don’t believe me about bean gumbo being a thing? Google it!

This recipe was shared at the Weekend Potluck!

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