New Orleans Gumbo

Serves 4

• 2½ tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (14½-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen cut okra
• 1 cup no-salt-added chicken broth
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Melt butter in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture turns reddish brown, about 5 minutes.

2 Combine butter mixture, tomatoes, okra, broth, onion, bell pepper, celery, and thyme in 5- or 6-quart slow cooker; mix well. Cover and cook until sauce thickens and vegetables are tender, 3–4 hours on high or 6–8 hours on low.

3 About 20 minutes before cooking time is up, stir shrimp into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until shrimp are just opaque in center.

PER SERVING (ABOUT 1½ CUPS): 319 Cal, 10 g Total Fat, 5 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 357 mg Chol, 444 mg Sod, 16 g Total Carb, 7 g Sugar, 4 g Fib, 40 g Prot, 168 mg Calc. PointsPlus value: 8

Cook’s Note

When fat and flour are cooked together it is called a roux. It is usually used to thicken soups and stews. A roux is cooked until white, light golden, or reddish brown, as in this gumbo. The longer it cooks, the richer its flavor and the more color it imparts to a dish.