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.

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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.

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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!

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Delicious! I omitted the bacon and we didn't miss it at all. Simple recipe - definitely a keeper!

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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 !

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 :)

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Easy! Yummy!

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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.

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Great,I added red peppers instead of green and diced tomatoes.

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

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

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