Turkey Gumbo

Thanksgiving is over and you’ve got a whole lot of turkey left to be consumed.  For the first day or two after Thanksgiving, you happily nosh on Thanksgiving Meals #2, #3, and perhaps even #4, but at some point, you get kind of sick of turkey with gravy and all the fixins. That is where this gumbo recipe comes in.  This recipe is a great way to use up that leftover turkey in a recipe that does not at all remind you of your Thanksgiving meals (1, 2, 3 or 4). 

Gumbo is a hearty Creole soup/rice dish that originates from the state of Louisiana; a dish that I grew up eating as a kid in Mississippi.  The name “gumbo” is believed to have come from the West African name for okra, ki ngombo, but it’s origins are also influenced by the Choctaw Indians though use of filé (dried sassafras leaves) and French cuisine through the use of roux to thicken the soup.  Gumbo can be made using seafood such as shrimp, or wildgame such as duck, with or without okra.  In this recipe, I use a combination of turkey with andouille sausage and, of course, a little okra since I love the stuff.  I also flavor the gumbo with a combination of vegetables – celery, bell pepper and onion – which is referred to as the “holy trinity” in Creole cooking, a spin-off of the French mirepoix.

To make this gumbo, start by prepping your vegetables, meats and stock. Roughly chop two stalks of celery, one green bell pepper and one onion and add to the food processor. Puree into a paste and set aside. Chop parsley and set aside. Roughly shred the turkey and slice the andouille sausage into bite-size pieces.  Set aside.  Heat 64 ounces of chicken stock in a pot until it is piping hot.  Keep covered and hot while you make your roux.

To make the roux, grab a large heavy bottomed soup pot or enameled Dutch oven and add to it ½ cup of canola oil and 1 cup of flour.  Stir to combine.  Heat the roux over medium to medium high heat, letting the flour toast and brown slowly.  Stir often.  You will continue to cook this roux until it is glossy and a dark caramel color, or the color of chocolate milk.  This will take upwards of 30 minutes.  Don’t rush the process and don’t walk away from your pot.  You don’t want to burn your roux.  

Once the roux is a dark caramel color, add the pureed vegetables to the pot.  Stir to combine and cook for about two minutes. It’s starting to smell really good in your kitchen isn’t it?  I know…  Next, add the sausage to the pot, stir and cook for one minute, then add the hot chicken stock.  Stir constantly as you add the stock, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate those toasty and flavorful bits that you created while making the roux.  Add in the okra and cook the gumbo for 10 minutes longer, stirring often.  After 10 minutes, add the turkey, 1 ½ teaspoons of file, 2 ½ teaspoons of salt and ⅓ cup of fresh parsley.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Serve this gumbo over bowls of white or brown rice and enjoy.  Laissez le bon temps rouler. 

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4.50 from 2 votes

Turkey Gumbo

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course, Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound leftover (cooked) turkey, shredded
• 3 andouille sausages, cut into thin rounds
• 64 ounces low sodium chicken broth, heated
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 cup flour
• 2 medium celery, roughly chopped
• 1 bell pepper, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 cup frozen sliced okra
• 1 ½ tsp gumbo file
• 2 ½ tsp salt

Instructions

• Prep meats by shredding the cooked turkey and slicing the andouille sausage into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
• Prep vegetables. Chop celery, bell pepper and onion and puree in a food processor. Set aside. Roughly chop parsley. Set aside.
• In a saucepan, heat chicken broth to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover to keep hot.
• In a separate Dutch oven or thick-bottomed stock pot make your roux by adding canola oil to the pot and heating it to a shimmer. Next, add the flour to the oil and cook on medium to medium-high heat stirring often.
• Cook the roux until it is glossy and a dark caramel color. This will take upwards of 30 minutes. Do not rush this process. You do not want to burn your roux.
• Once the roux is ready, add pureed vegetables to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for about two minutes.
• Next, add the sausage to the pot and cook for one minute, then add chicken stock, stirring constantly. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to release the flavorful bits that were created when making the roux.
• Add okra and cook the gumbo for 10 minutes longer, stirring often.
• Last, add the turkey, file, salt and fresh parsley. Cook for 10 additional minutes.
• Serve gumbo over brown or white rice and enjoy!