Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo Recipe

If I told you that you could throw all of your financial documents in a box, come back in 4 hours and your taxes would be done, you'd be amazed.

If I told you that you could throw all of your dirty laundry in a clothes hamper, come back in 4 hours and your laundry would be clean and folded, you'd be astounded.

While I can't deliver on either of those two, I can tell you that if you throw the ingredients for this recipe in your slow cooker and come back in 4 hours, I can guarantee a simple, delicious, comforting meal your whole family will enjoy.

Campbell's Soup asked me and my family to take this recipe from their Cook With Campbell's website for a test drive. The recipe itself looked easy enough and I had my daughter Emily help me with all of the chopping, measuring, and pouring. We followed the instructions below but chose to add a can of Campbell's Tomato with Basil Soup for added flavour. I was also tempted to skip the whole browning phase and toss everything in the slow cooker as is, but figured the extra layer of flavour from the browning would certainly help. Definitely an experiment to try the next time I make it.

The resulting dish was pretty impressive—and I don't say that lightly. We actually enjoyed it so much that we had it for dinner the next night as well!

There are certain comfort foods that just settle well with the soul. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Pasta and homemade cheese sauce...This gumbo recipe will definitely be added to our family's list of go-to dishes. It's a little bit like a warm hug on a cold day. With wonderful flavours and simple ingredients what's not to love? When dinner time comes around you simply ladle the gumbo on to rice and you have a quick and easy dinner that everyone will enjoy.

Campbell's has tons of similar slow cooker recipes on their website, but I strongly advise you give this one a try. It's a real winner that is Martell-family approved!

Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo

Prep Time : 30 minutes | Cook Time : 4 hours | Serves : 6

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil

6 (approx. 1 ½ lbs) boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces

8 oz (227 g) smoked sausage, chorizo or andouille, chopped into ½ inch pieces

2 onions, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbsp (45 mL) tomato paste

¼ cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp (15 mL) Italian seasoning, dry

1 cup (250 mL) red wine

1 can (14 oz / 398 mL) diced tomatoes, drained

3 cups (750 mL) CAMPBELL'S® Ready to Use 30% Less Sodium Chicken broth

1 each red and green bell pepper, diced

¼ cup (60 mL) parsley, chopped

3 cups (750 mL) hot cooked rice, cooked without salt

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces until golden brown all over. Transfer cooked chicken to the slow cooker.

Add sausage, onion and celery to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in tomato paste and flour and cook for 3-4 for minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

Add Italian seasoning, wine, diced tomatoes, and broth to slow cooker, stir, cover, and cook on high for 4–5 hours.

Add peppers and parsley to slow cooker 30 minutes before serving.

Serve in soup bowls over cooked rice.