Other than the red beans and rice I made recently, after living in Memphis for four years I certainly don’t dabble much into southern style foods. It’s not that I don’t like it, quite the contrary. I just don’t think about it since I am surrounded by it all the time. For example, I make BBQ very infrequently for living in a BBQ capital. I guess the problem is that it’s too easy to go out and get it so I don’t feel the urge to make it myself (call me lazy).

But today I have Liz of Southern Charm from New Orleans, sharing a special treat with you – shrimp and sausage gumbo. Once you have finished eating this up be sure to check out her blog for more!

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Hey y’all!! I’m Liz from Southern Charm with a very special southern style meal for you. This meal is perfect for those of you who are lucky enough to have weather below 80 degrees.

Now, when I first told Erin I’d do a guest post, I was set on sharing my Praline Cupcake recipe. Yes, I know. They sound amazing! Trust me, they taste just as DELICIOUS! However, the heavy cream I purchased at the grocery today was bad, like September 2011 bad! Also, I had used all of my butter and brown sugar (the steps before adding the heavy cream). I felt defeated. I really wanted to share some of my roots with you.

So, I headed to my fridge to see what I had, knowing there must be something. Onions and red peppers. Two of three ingredients required for the New Orleans “holy trinity”. I knew I was on the right track.

Next I needed to inventory my protein. Chicken sausage. At first red beans and rice popped in my head, but I quickly remembered Erin had recently shared a red beans and rice recipe. So it was a sprint to the freezer to see if I had shrimp. I did. The wheels in my mind were turning.

After making sure I had most of the ingredients I needed, I was set. Today, I will be sharing one amazing and simple recipe for Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo.

There is just something about this soup. And it’s not really a soup. It’s GUMBO! Maybe it’s the sausage AND shrimp? Or the heat from the spice? Maybe the fact that it starts with a roux. I’m not sure. But what I am sure about is that you should try this tonight.

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Yields: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c flour
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 large bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced (not, I did not have celery in my recipe, but it is the third ingredient to the “holy trinity”)
3 chicken sausage
9 oz shrimp, peeled and deveind (I used frozen shrimp)
2 c chicken broth (I used vegetable because it was in my fridge)
1/2 can diced tomatoes (I used a whole can because I’m trying to add more tomatoes to my life)
1 tbsp Tony Chacheres’
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4-9 splashes of hot sauce (if you like your food HOT, then go closer to 9)

Directions:

1. Add the olive oil and flour to a large pot set at medium-high. This is the most IMPORTANT step. If the roux burns, you have to start over. Once you add the two, constantly stir until the roux is mohogany brown.

2. Right when the roux is ready, add the onions, bell pepper and celery. Stir.

3. Next add the sausage, red pepper flakes, and your choice of liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Add the shrimp, hot sauce and tomatoes. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

5. Serve either over half a serving of rice or by itself, and enjoy every spicy, tasty and warm bite.

Want to know another great thing about this recipe? There are so many ways you can change things up. Try chicken and sausage, or shrimp and okra. Oh, and there is always crab meat! I’ve even had gumbos with carrots and potatoes. Possibilities are endless!