We are cutting back on the number of carbs we are eating. Which means I had to find a still-great but lighter version of one of my favorite dishes, gumbo. This low-carb gumbo has most of the great ingredients you’d expect in a gumbo, minus a few that pack on the carbs, such as rice and flour (for the roux). Don’t expect to be disappointed, thinking the loss of all those carbs means a loss of flavor. This is an amazing gumbo, without the carbs.
That Little Something
You wouldn’t expect liquid smoke in a gumbo, and I know, some folk just think liquid smoke is evil, but without a roux, this low-carb gumbo needs something, and that hint of smoke is it. You can omit it if you like, but you’ll want to substitute something smoky. I recommend smoked salt as a substitution. If you use it instead, just leave out the kosher salt.
I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this gumbo and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!
If you aren’t counting your carbs and are craving a more traditional gumbo, check out my favorite recipe here. If you’re short on time, my quick fix gumbo is ready in no time!
Low-Carb Gumbo
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- ½ cup green bell pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup okra sliced (frozen is ok, just make sure it is fully defrosted before adding)
- 1 pound Andouille sausage cut into 1/4″ slices
- 1 small chicken roasted, skinned, boned, chopped. Rotisserie chicken is great too!
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles spicy
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 6-8 cups chicken stock depending on how thick you like your gumbo
- 2 green onions diced
- 1 pound shrimp medium-sized, cleaned, deveined
- 1 tablespoon gumbo filé powder
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and saute until starting to soften.
- Add the celery, green bell pepper, garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and Italian herbs.
- Stir and saute until the vegetables soften.
- Add the okra and cook until it is tender.
- Add the Andouille and chicken. Stir and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the Rotel, Worcestershire, and liquid smoke. Stir.
- Add in the chicken stock and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 1 hour.
- Stir in the green onions, shrimp, and filé powder.
- Stir, add more salt and pepper, to taste, if needed, and let cook for 15 minutes or until the shrimp have turned pink and are cooked through.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
