Chicken Gumbo

“Gumbo has a long and storied history. When you go back to the roots, in a regional sense, there are two types. The white or Cajun gumbo from southwest or south-central Louisiana, and the red or Creole gumbo which developed around New Orleans where tomatoes were more readily available. This recipe is neither. This simply isn%u2019t gumbo.It is a very bland vegetable chicken soup that leaves anybody trying gumbo for the first time thinking%u2026 it is really strange that all those rednecks down on the Gulf Coast love this stuff so much? Please folks gumbo is really good and shouldn%u2019t have it%u2019s good name sullied by something that isn%u2019t gumbo. This chicken soup might be a great tummy warmer in the dead of winter in Wisconsin but nothing more. I made this recipe just to see if the recipe I%u2019ve used for years was simply too complex for no good reason.It may be a bit more complex but there is a reason that people have made gumbo this way for 150 years. This concoction as it stands tasted a lot like hospital food. The things that are missing here that remain critical to creation of authentic gumbo are, to name a few: thyme, basil, cayenne pepper and although thickened with okra a little file%u2019 powder would add the final essence of a really tasty gumbo. Deglazing the trinity with a little white wine would also add body and character. Lastly a really thick dark brown roux is a must to carry the complex and wonderful mixture of ingredients in gumbo to the next level.I gave this recipe a one because it is chicken soup, and I like chicken soup, but unless renamed I would give it a large negative number if they were available for forgeries.”

“Responding to Pawpaw Mac: This recipe was not supposed to be for gumbo! It was meant to be a SOUP with flavors reminiscent of gumbo. When people want gumbo, they seek out authentic gumbo. But sometimes they just want a soup that is lighter and has some of the notes of a gumbo. That was the intent, I believe, of this recipe.”

“This was excellent soup. It had a lot more flavor than I expected it to. I left out the bacon and green peppers. I increased the rice to 1/2 cup and increased the okra to 2 cups. Since I increased those two things I also added an extra cup of water. Normally I’d use dried parsley even if the recipe calls for fresh, but this time I used fresh parsley and I’m glad I did. I’ll use the fresh parsley again next time. I only used one small chicken breast but I still thought there was enough chicken in it. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!”

“Delicious!I omitted the bacon and we didn’t miss it at all.Simple recipe – definitely a keeper!”

“I made this today and I must say it was soooooo tasty that I had 2 bowls of it ! My husband just loves it too. Thanks for share it !I recommend this Gumbo to anyone !”

“This was so yummy.I did omit the okra due to the fact I am not a fan.Also this made more than 3 servings, but no complaints here.”

“What a great soup.I added a half pound of diced smoked sausage.I did miss the traditional roux, but loved the fact I didn’t have to stand over the stove making the roux.Thanks for a great recipe.”

“I was feeling a little under the weather and wanted chicken soup.I found this recipe and loving gumbo made it for dinner.I left off the bacon drippings and used some grilled chicken strips.The okra, tomatoes and green peppers were fresh from t he garden.I did add some freshly ground pepper and a medium diced carrot.Delicious and filling.”

“I made this today for dinner and my husband and I really really enjoyed it.The only thing that I added was 1/4 tea. of garlic powder and pepper. I also cooked one cup of rice in some chicken broth separate since I wanted more rice than called for.Other than that it was delicious and will be added to my favorites!!Thanks so much for the recipe.”

“I thought this was really good!It has a nice combo of flavors, and I really enjoyed the okra!It is a great dish to serve on a chilly day… thanks so much for posting it :)”

“Easy!Yummy!”

“Yummy.We had a lot of okra to use so we upped that quite a bit (I’d say we used about 3cups).I omitted the green peppers and added some basic spices (thyme, pepper, paprika, etc).Made a great supper.”

“Great,I added red peppers instead of greenand diced tomatoes.”

“I loved it thank you so much. I added Cayenne to mine…but I love everything spiced up!”

“Wonderful, healthy recipe.Highly recommended.Suggested minor modifications:add an extra bay leaf and skip the bacon drippings and green peppers.”