Red Bean Gumbo

Love it.

Make red beans. Then purée them.

Then in a separate pot, brown your veggies and then add roux. Add your red beans and extra water if needed.

Cook.

Towards the end, add smoked turkey necks and andouille. At the very end, crack a couple eggs and let them drop into the simmering gumbo to poach.

Found it:

So this is my wife's recipe - she cooks a big pot:

1 cup oil
1 cup flour
2 stalks celery chopped
1 1/2 to 2 medium onions chopped
5-6 garlic pods or to taste chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
5-6 cans of blue runner creole cream style red beans
1-2 cans of kidney beans
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 lb smoked sausage 1/4 inch slices then halved again
ham seasoning or ham bone w meat (optional)
smoked andouille sausage to taste (this is why we don't use liquid smoke - we get andouille from LA and it usually has enough smoke for our taste)

Make roux. We dont go full dark. Lite or medium brown is fine. Add season veggies and meats. Cook at med to low for 10-15. Add chicken broth and simmer gently.

This next part is where we really differ from other recipes. Alot of recipes say to process or put the blue runner beans in a blender. We find that they cook down just fine if you add them to the liquid and cook for 45-hour or so on low to medium. We even add a can or two of kidney beans at the end. The blue runners are already pretty runny and we like the consistency of whole beans in our gumbo as long as they are cooked to softness. Your call.

Once everything is cooked to your consistency and taste. Turn fire on low and drop 1/2 dozen raw eggs in the pot. Disperse them as best you can so they aren't on top of each other. Let the pot sit for 20-25 minutes and DO NOT STIR!!! You will wind up with egg whites all through your gumbo instead of whole cooked eggs if you stir.

Serve over rice or I just like it is in a bowl with the cooked eggs.

Enjoy.

Thanks

John folse recipe. Super easy and delicious.

For the beginner...buy a bag of Camellia Band kidney beans. Read the instructions on the package... cook.

Normal red bean recipes with roux.

Red Bean Gumbo
Ingredients:
Roux - 1 cup of oil & 1 cup of flour
1 container of Guidry's Creole Mix
1 LB of andouille (sliced thinly)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
3 cans of Blue Runner red beans
2 cans of Rotel - original
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 bundle of green onions
5-6 smoked turkey necks
Bay leaves - optional
1 ½ cups of rice
Make roux golden brown in color; add creole mix & garlic. Sautee until transparent and then add the andouille. Spoon on medium heat for approx. 15 mins. Add rotel then lower fire and simmer for approx. 30 mins. Stir periodically to avoid sticking. While simmering, puree 2 cans of red beans with 2 cans of water. When ready, add pureed red beans and the other can of red beans plus 1 can of water. Increase heat some and stir occasionally. As soup begins to boil slightly add 2 cans of mushroom soup. Stir in and cook on low-to-medium heat for approx 1-1½ hour. Season to taste. Add chopped green onions (greens only) about 30 mins. prior to finishing. Cook 1 ½ cups of rice. Serve and enjoy.

Just remembered this vegetarian recipe for Gumbo Z'herbes with Beans that shows a little different approach.


Gumbo Shop's Gumbo Z'herbes with Beans

"Finally, I can eat greens. But... I have to warn you, this recipe takes 2-3 days to make. On the plus side, it's such a huge batch you can freeze it and you're set for the year.

This recipe comes from our hands-down favorite restaurant in New Orleans, The Gumbo Shop. I've actually had their crawfish etouffee shipped in for Valentine's Day; it's that good. Oh wow.

But the gumbo, the gumbo... it's vegetarian, loaded with greens, spicy, and hits the spot when it's cold outside."

1 lb dried small red beans
1 lb mushrooms
1 cup olive oil
1 cup flour
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper (I used red)
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup minced garlic
6 bay leaves
1.5 tsp thyme
1.5 tsp black pepper
2 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbs salt
1 gallon water
1 bunch collard greens, chopped
1 head cabbage (small), chopped
1 bunch turnip greens, chopped
1 bunch mustard greens, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 Tbs soy sauce
Cooked Rice

Day 1:

Cook the beans: Rinse and sort the beans. Place in a large pot, covered with about 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, then cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 2 hours, then return to heat. Cook at a low simmer (so the beans don't crack) until al dente, about 90 minutes. Drain, but save the bean water for Day 2.

Chop the greens: Chop all the greens in 1-inch pieces. Keep the collards and cabbage separate from the other greens. You'll be really glad you did it ahead of time. Trust me.

Day 2:

Smoke the mushrooms: Spread the mushrooms in a single layer on a pan; place in a smoker for about 45 minutes. When done, coarsely chop and set aside.

Make a roux: In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir constantly. The oil/flour mixture will bubble a lot. Then it will quickly stop bubbling and start to turn dark... watch closely because it'll burn quickly! When the mixture is peanut butter colored, immediately add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Saute until veggies are tender and start to stick and brown a little. Add the shallots, garlic, herbs, salt and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the chopped, smoked mushrooms to the roux and cook 2 minutes.

Cook the greens: Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, bring the water (start with the bean water and add tap water to reach a gallon) to a boil. Boil the cabbage and collards until just tender. Add the turnip greens, mustard greens, and green onions and return to a boil. (A 10oz package of frozen greens may be substituted for any of the fresh greens.)

Mix! Carefully stir the roux mixture into the simmering greens, and return to a boil. Add the parsley, cooked red beans, and soy sauce to taste.

Day 3: Heat & Eat

Cook some rice. Bring the gumbo to a boil one more time, then turn off heat. Serve over cooked rice.

Yield: about 2 gallons of gumbo

Tips
Freezes well. Gumbo Shop recommends waiting til day 3 to eat and I concur. It makes a huge difference in the flavor. Don't skip the white pepper; it matters. Do a taste test at the end of day 2 and add more spice accordingly; I ended up doubling the garlic.