Jumpin' Jimmy's Gumbo

From EatingWell: January/February 1997 — Subscribe Now!

Lean chicken breast and a small amount of spicy andouille sausage along with okra and plenty of other vegetables are at the heart of this version of gumbo, the Cajun stew traditionally served on Good Friday. With significantly less fat and sodium plus loads of vegetables, you can feel good about eating this gumbo any day of the year.

6 servings, generous 1 cup each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
3 ounces andouille, (see Ingredient Note) or kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 10-ounce package frozen okra, slightly thawed, sliced
2 habanero chiles, or 4 jalapeños, pierced all over with a fork
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked brown rice

Preparation

Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it turns deep golden, 7 to 10 minutes. There will be a strong aroma like burnt toast. Be careful not to let the flour burn; reduce the heat if it’s browning too quickly. (Alternatively, toast flour in a pie pan in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes.) Transfer to a plate to cool.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over high heat. Add chicken and sausage; cook, stirring, until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic; cook, stirring, until the onion is lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the toasted flour. Gradually stir in broth and bring to a simmer, stirring.
Add tomatoes and their juice, okra, chiles, bay leaf and thyme. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the reserved chicken and sausage and simmer for 5 minutes more. Discard the chiles and bay leaf. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper. Serve with rice, passing additional hot sauce.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient Note: Andouille sausage is a smoky, mildly spicy pork sausage commonly used in Cajun cooking. Look for it with smoked sausages in large supermarkets or specialty-food stores.

Nutrition

Per serving: 284 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 49 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 6 g fiber; 337 mg sodium; 374 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (67% daily value), Selenium (30% dv), Folate & Magnesium (21% dv).

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 2 lean meat