Recipes Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Stews Gumbo Recipes Big Charlie's Gumbo 4.6 (151) 121 Reviews 25 Photos This is a basic gumbo recipe with a lot of added flavor. You can omit the stew meat if you choose or add something in its place. I recommend you serve this recipe over rice, like many other gumbo recipes. Submitted by Eric Bernabe Updated on September 12, 2022 Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo 25 25 25 25 Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Total Time: 4 hrs Servings: 10 Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chopped onion ¾ cup chopped celery 1 pound okra, chopped ¼ cup butter ¼ cup all-purpose flour ½ pound cubed beef stew meat (Optional) 8 cups water 1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped 1 ½ teaspoons white sugar 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 1 pinch salt ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces ½ pound crabmeat, flaked 1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce ½ lemon file powder (see Note) Directions Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, onions, celery, and okra, stirring constantly until golden brown. Set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat, combine 1/4 cup butter and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the roux becomes chocolate brown. Stir in the vegetable mixture, and stew meat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, and meat is evenly brown. Stir in water, tomatoes, and sugar. Season with parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp, crabmeat, and andouille to the stock pot. Stir in hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Remove seeds from lemon and squeeze juice into the stock pot. Simmer an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves, sprinkle with filé powder, and serve over rice. Tips Filé powder can be added off the heat to thicken the gumbo. If added while the gumbo is still cooking, it may become stringy and unpleasant. Fil é powder is ground sassafras leaves. It is available in many supermarkets. I Made It Print 197 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 421 Calories 27g Fat 15g Carbs 30g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 10 Calories 421 % Daily Value * Total Fat 27g 34% Saturated Fat 12g 58% Cholesterol 147mg 49% Sodium 1048mg 46% Total Carbohydrate 15g 6% Dietary Fiber 3g 11% Total Sugars 5g Protein 30g 59% Vitamin C 25mg 28% Calcium 134mg 10% Iron 4mg 21% Potassium 756mg 16% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.