Reclaimed Creole Gumbo

“Somewhere in this pot, a grandmother is still living.”

Reclaimed Creole Gumbo

This gumbo honors the hands that first stirred the roux—African, Indigenous, and Creole cooks whose names were erased but whose flavors remain. It’s rich with story, thick with memory, and built on the bones of survival. This is not a reimagining. It’s a reclamation.

Ingredients

  • The Trinity
  • 3 tbsp oil (traditionally peanut or vegetable)
  • ½ cup flour (for the roux)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • The Base
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp cayenne (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • The Body
  • 4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 cup okra, sliced
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup cooked black-eyed peas (or red beans)
  • 1 lb shrimp, sausage, or shredded chicken (or go full veg—no apology)
  • The Soul
  • Cooked rice, for serving
  • Scallions, parsley, or filé powder (ground sassafras), to garnish


How The Alchemy Happens


Make the roux: Heat oil in a heavy pot. Add flour. Stir constantly over medium heat for 15–20 minutes until it turns deep brown—like mahogany. This is where the magic lives.

Add diced onion, bell pepper, and celery—the holy trinity. Sauté until soft.

Stir in garlic, paprika, cayenne, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and tomato paste.

Slowly add broth, whisking to dissolve the roux.

Add okra, tomatoes, beans, and protein of choice. Simmer low and slow, 30–45 minutes.

Taste and adjust. Serve ladled over rice, topped with fresh herbs or a dusting of filé.

🔙 Back to the Kitchen

“This isn’t fusion. This is remembering.”