📋 Ingredients:
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 onion, quartered
½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
½ tbsp Creole seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups chicken broth
1–2 beef sausage links (cut into ½ inch slices)
10–12 raw shrimp, deveined and tails removed
4–5 cleaned blue crabs
5 oz lump crab
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
½ tsp celery seed
½ tsp onion powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
Ramen noodles (4 servings, cooked separately)
👩🍳 Instructions:
1️⃣ Make the Roux:
In a large pot over medium heat, combine vegetable oil and flour. Whisk constantly for 10–15 minutes until it turns a rich, dark brown. Be patient — this deep flavor base is worth the stir.
2️⃣ Sauté the Holy Trinity:
Add the onion, red and green bell peppers, and celery. Stir into the roux to coat. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
3️⃣ Spice It Up:
Add Creole seasoning, cayenne, garlic powder, celery seed, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, oregano, and the bay leaf. Stir well to toast the spices for a minute or two.
4️⃣ Build the Broth:
Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to prevent lumps. Add the lump crab. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to develop that deep gumbo richness.
5️⃣ Add the Seafood & Sausage:
In a separate pan, brown the beef sausage slices until slightly crisp. Set aside.
Add lump crab meat to the gumbo and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the shrimp and cook until pink and curled. Stir in the browned sausage.
6️⃣ Assemble & Serve:
Remove the bay leaf. To serve, ladle the gumbo over a bowl of cooked ramen noodles. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs or a squeeze of lemon if you like a bright touch.
⏱ Preparation time: 20 minutes
⏱ Cooking time: 1 hour
⏱ Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
🔥 Calories: ~350 kcal per serving
🍽 Servings: 6