Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
A Creole gumbo of onion, celery, and green pepper, tomatoes, and okra, thickened by the okra itself, with shrimp poached in at the end.
Why you'll love Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
In Louisiana, gumbo weather starts with the first cold front, and the pots stay on the stove through Mardi Gras. This is a Creole-style gumbo, with tomatoes, built on the holy trinity of onion, celery, and green bell pepper, seasoned with paprika, cayenne, thyme, and bay, and filled with plump shrimp. It is deeply savory, gently spicy, and thick enough to coat a spoon.
Okra is what gives this gumbo its body. Its pods hold a soluble fiber that thickens any liquid it cooks in, which is why okra was one of gumbo's original thickeners, and the name gumbo itself comes from a West African word for okra. Under pressure the okra softens and releases that fiber into the broth, and a few minutes of simmering afterward thickens the pot into a silky stew. Tomato paste and spices cooked in the oil until the paste turns brick red add the deep, toasty flavor of a long-cooked base.
The Instant Pot turns an afternoon of simmering into half an hour. Five minutes at high pressure melts the vegetables and okra together, and the shrimp go in afterward on the sauté setting, since they need only three or four minutes of gentle heat to turn pink and tender.
Quick overview: This Shrimp and Okra Gumbo takes 20 min of hands-on time and about 1 hr 5 min in all and makes 4 servings, each about 2 cups. You'll need an Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb large raw shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste Label: tomatoes, and salt if any
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne, or to taste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups chicken bone broth, divided Label: chicken bones, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt, with no sugar, natural flavors, or oil
- 1 lb fresh okra, stem ends trimmed, sliced 1/2 inch thick (or frozen sliced okra)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes Label: tomatoes, and salt if any
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Season the shrimp: Toss the shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and refrigerate them while you build the gumbo, so they are seasoned through by the time they go in.
- Cook the trinity: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté on More and heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion, celery, and green pepper and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until soft and starting to brown at the edges.
- Toast the paste and spices: Add the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, thyme, oregano, and black pepper and stir constantly for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens to brick red and coats the vegetables. Cooking the paste in the oil caramelizes its sugars and builds the deep, toasty base of the gumbo.
- Deglaze: Pour in 1 cup of the broth and scrape the bottom of the insert with a wooden spoon until nothing is stuck to it. A clean bottom is what keeps the Instant Pot from showing its overheat warning. Press Cancel.
- Layer the pot: Stir in the remaining 2 cups of broth, the okra, the bay leaves, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Pour the crushed tomatoes over the top and leave them there without stirring. Thick tomatoes sitting on the bottom of the pot can scorch under pressure, and on top they cook through safely.
- Pressure-cook: Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release the rest, carefully, with a towel over the valve.
- Thicken: Remove the bay leaves and stir the gumbo well. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté on Normal and simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the okra has thickened the broth enough to coat a spoon.
- Poach the shrimp: Add the shrimp, stir them under, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until they curl, turn pink and opaque all the way through, and reach 145°F (63°C) in the thickest one. Press Cancel as soon as they are done, since shrimp turn rubbery quickly.
- Serve: Taste for salt and cayenne. Ladle into bowls, over cauliflower rice if you like, and top with the scallions and parsley.
Storage and leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container within 2 hours of cooking, for up to 2 days. The shrimp are at their best the day the gumbo is made.
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat just until hot, so the shrimp stay tender. To freeze, make the gumbo through the thickening step, cool it, and freeze it for up to 3 months; thaw it in the refrigerator, bring it to a simmer, and poach fresh shrimp in it.
Variations
- With chicken: Add 1 lb of boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks, with the okra, and pressure-cook for 8 minutes in place of 5. Chicken thighs are done at 165°F (74°C).
- With crab: Stir 8 oz of lump crabmeat in with the shrimp for the last minute, just to warm it through.
- With fresh sausage: Brown 1/2 lb of fresh sausage with a label of ground pork, salt, and spices before the trinity and leave it in the pot.
- Spicier: Add a minced jalapeño with the garlic and serve with a hot sauce whose label reads only peppers, vinegar, and salt.
Notes and tips
- Fresh or frozen okra: Frozen sliced okra works well and goes in straight from the freezer. For fresh, choose small, firm, bright green pods, which are the most tender.
- Thaw frozen shrimp the right way: Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, or seal them in a bag and set it in a bowl of cold water for 20 to 30 minutes. Pat them dry before seasoning.
- Use the shells: For an even deeper gumbo, simmer the shrimp shells in the broth for 15 minutes on the stove before you start and strain them out.
- Check the tomato label: Crushed tomatoes should read tomatoes, and salt if any. Many brands add sugar or citric acid and basil; plain is what you want.
Nutrition and mindful eating
- Shrimp bring protein with selenium, vitamin B12, and iodine, and they cook through in minutes, which keeps them tender.
- Okra carries soluble fiber, the same fiber that thickens the gumbo, and soluble fiber slows how quickly a meal is digested.
- Onion, celery, green pepper, and tomatoes fill each bowl with vegetables, and cooking the tomatoes with oil makes more of their red lycopene available to your body.
- Avocado oil is the real fat in the pot, and it carries the paprika, cayenne, and thyme through the broth.
- As you eat, notice the gentle heat building and the thick, silky broth, and eat the shrimp and vegetables slowly. Check in later: a bowl should keep you comfortably full for at least 3 to 4 hours, with your energy even through the evening.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this Shrimp and Okra Gumbo? Start here, with the questions people ask most.
How does okra thicken gumbo?
Okra pods contain a soluble fiber that turns silky when it cooks in liquid. In a gumbo that fiber spreads through the broth and thickens it, which is why okra is one of gumbo's traditional thickeners.
What takes the place of a roux?
Okra gives the gumbo its body, and tomato paste toasted with the spices in the oil adds the deep, toasty flavor a dark roux would bring. A roux is flour cooked in fat, and flour is a grain.
Will it be slimy?
The okra's fiber is what thickens the gumbo, and once it spreads through the broth it reads as body and silkiness. The simmer after pressure cooking finishes the job.
Can I make it on the stove?
Yes. Build it the same way in a Dutch oven, simmer it covered for 30 minutes, until the okra is very soft, then uncover, simmer until thick, and poach the shrimp.
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