Chicken Gumbo Soup
I looked up the difference between gumbo and jambalaya because I always get them confused. Gumbo is served with rice. Jambalaya is made with rice. Weird. Going by that minor detail, then this soup most definitely isn’t gumbo. I’m just going to go with it though because it’s just easier to throw the rice in the soup and let it cook up.
I don’t think I’ve had either one since the cooking class two years ago. Has it really been that long? I haven’t been to Montage since? Wild. I need up my Cajun food game.
Regardless, this soup hits the spot to break up the normal array of soups. It’s bright from the tomatoes and smokey with the bacon. I laid down some chili flakes with a heavy hand because I opened the wrong end of the container I like it.
Inspiration: Iowa Girl Eats
Ingredients
- 4 slices of bacon, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 1/2lbs of chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning [or a mix of cumin and paprika]
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 32oz chicken broth
- 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup long grain rice
- salt, pepper, chili flakes
Preparation
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot on medium high heat. Add the chopped bacon once it’s hot. Cook until crispy and brown. Remove to a plate covered in a paper towel. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery [trinity!] to the remaining bacon grease. Cook for about five minutes; you want the veggies nice and soft. Season the chicken with salt and pepper before adding it to the pot. Add the cajun seasoning.
Cook for another five minutes, stirring occasionally, before adding the garlic. After a minute, sprinkle the whole mixture with the flour. Stir until everything is coated and turning a nice brown color. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, and a pinch or two of the chili flakes. Bring everything to a boil.
Add the rice and cover. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for 15-20 minutes or as long as it takes the rice to become tender. Stir in the bacon and take the pan off the heat. Taste for additional salt or pepper. Let it thicken for 10-15 minutes before serving. It’ll be even better tomorrow.