In this adaptation of a recipe from Martha Stewart, a cooked chicken (either home-roasted or scored from the deli case of your local market) forms the basis of a deep-tasting gumbo you can have on the table in 40 minutes. The only real cooking involved is to make a golden roux from vegetable oil and flour. Once you’ve done that, it’s a matter of softening some onion and bell peppers, simmering andouille sausage and frozen okra, and warming up the shredded chicken.

For more quick chicken dishes, try our easy chicken stir fry recipe. For an easy New Orleans-inspired cocktail, try our vieux carre.

  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 40 mins
  • Active: 20 mins

Ingredients (15)

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips
  • 1 medium white onion, medium dice
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen cut okra
  • 8 ounces andouille sausage, cut on the bias into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 1 roasted chicken or store-bought rotisserie bird, meat removed and shredded by hand (about 4 cups)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 green onions, trimmed and sliced, for garnishing
  • Cornbread, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large, shallow, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until this mixture (called a roux) is smooth and turns a medium gold in color, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Raise the heat to medium and stir in the bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano. Season with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the peppers have softened, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  3. Add the water, okra, and sausage and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, stir in the shredded chicken, and season with black pepper. Warm the chicken thoroughly, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into warmed bowls, sprinkle with the green onions, and serve with cornbread.