Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo Soup

Yesterday I came across a big, fat bag of locally grown Caribbean Seasoning Peppers. These little guys are a bit of an anomaly as, while they look like a habanero pepper or something super hot, they are actually very mild. Just a slightly spicier version of a regular capsicum pepper and commonly used in marinades and pepper sauces over here.

I decided that I wanted to use them in my Gumbo Soup and whipped up a batch of it – warming, spicy, smokey and comforting.

(You can also use regular red, orange or yellow pepper in place of the seasoning peppers.)

Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo Soup

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

4 celery stalks, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

6 seasoning peppers, chopped (or 2 regular peppers)

1 smoked beef sausage, chopped

2 chicken breasts

10 jumbo prawns, uncooked

2 cans of diced tomatoes

6 cups of low sodium chicken stock

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small can of sweetcorn

1 cup of frozen okra pieces

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chipotle chili flakes (or more if you like the heat)

1 tsp Tabasco

Salt and Pepper to taste

Serves 4-6 (makes for great leftovers as the flavours continue to develop)

:: In a small pan bring your chicken stock to a boil. Poach your chicken breasts in your chicken stock. This will typically take 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Once cooked remove them from the liquid and shred the meat. Reserve the chicken stock (now extra chicken-y) for the soup.

:: Meanwhile saute your onions, garlic, celery and sausage in a large pan on a medium/high heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the onions are translucent.

:: Add your peppers, black beans, okra, sweetcorn and tomatoes to your pan along with the shredded chicken meat, the chicken stock and the spices. Turn the heat down and let everything simmer for 15 minutes.

:: Drop your uncooked shrimp into the soup for the last 10 minutes. Serve once they are cooked through and nicely pink.

I challenge you to stop at just one bowlful, I’ve never managed to… 🙂